catalonia 6 Exploring the City MORE POINTS OF INTEREST Lombard Street Known (erroneously) as the crookedest st

Visible from Fisherman s Wharf, Alcatraz (aka The Rock ) has seen a checkered history. Juan Manuel Ayala, who named it after the pelicans that nested on the island, discovered it in 1775. From the 1850s to 1933, when the army vacated the island, catalonia it served as a military post protecting the bay shoreline. In 1934 the buildings were converted into a maximum-security prison. Given the sheer cliffs, treacherous currents, and frigid temperatures of the waters, it was believed to be an escape-proof prison. Among the gangsters who were penned in cell blocks A through D were Al Capone; Robert Stroud, the so-called Birdman of Alcatraz (because he was an expert in ornithological diseases); Machine Gun Kelly; and Alvin Karpis. It cost a fortune to keep them imprisoned here because all supplies, including water, had to be shipped in. In 1963, after an apparent escape in which no bodies were recovered, the government closed the prison. In 1969 a group of American Indians chartered a boat to the island to symbolically reclaim it for the Indian people. They occupied the island until 1971, and in 1972 the Rock became part of the Golden catalonia Gate National Recreation Area. The wildlife driven away during the military and prison years has begun to return the black-crested night heron and other seabirds nest here again and a trail has been built that passes through the island s nature areas. Tours, including an audio tour of the prison block and a slide show, are given by the park s rangers, who entertain their guests with interesting anecdotes.

Traveler catalonia s checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler s checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency, but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.

6 Exploring the City MORE POINTS OF INTEREST Lombard Street Known (erroneously) as the crookedest street in the world, the whimsically winding block of Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth streets puts smiles on the faces of thousands of visitors each year. The elevation is so steep that the road has to snake back and forth to make a descent possible. This short stretch is one-way, downhill, and fun to drive. Take the curves slowly and in low gear, and expect a wait during the weekend. Save

200 Jackson St. (at Front St.). & 415/981-0983. www.kokkari.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $14 $23 lunch, $19 $35 dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Lunch Mon Fri 11:30am 2:30pm; bar menu 2:30 5:30pm; dinner Mon Thurs 5:30 10pm, Fri 5:30 11pm, Sat 5 11pm. Valet parking (dinner only) $8. Bus: 12, 15, 41, or 83.