The mini San Francisco warm up to our cycling holiday started with fog, felons and a frankly outstanding performance at Club Fugazi. It was just a couple of days but I have photos so couldn’t possibly skip this little highlight.
We kicked things off at Club Fugazi. Think bougie Cirque du Soleil with a distinctly San Francisco twist. We somehow snagged front-row seats, which turned out to be “on” the stage. Not just close to the action – pretty much part of it. Incredible to see such up-close-and-personal acrobatics, with the kind of contortionist feats that make you question your own flexibility (or lack thereof).
The next day, we had big plans to cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge, soak in those classic postcard views, and call it a warm up for the proper cycling to come. Our plans were unsurprisingly SF’d by that classic, stubborn blanket of fog.
Instead, we scored some last-minute tickets to Alcatraz (way to go, Darren!). The boat ride out set the tone: bracingly cold wind, and water choppy enough to question our breakfast choices (breakfast burrito, if you’re wondering).
Alcatraz was… atmospheric. It’s one thing to hear about it, another to stand in a cell that once held Al Capone. The audio tour (highly recommended) walks you through the prison’s history and boldest escape attempts.
The cells themselves are stark and haunting, but the surprise twist was actually outside — Alcatraz is now home to thousands of nesting gulls and cormorants. Who knew? It’s basically a maximum-security bird sanctuary.
Back on dry land, we checked off another SF classic: watching the sea lions doing their thing at Pier 39 — loud, lazy, and utterly unbothered by the wind whipping off the bay.
In need of shelter and sustenance, we holed up in Humble Sea Brewing to hatch a plan for the afternoon: a San Fran brewery tour. Enter ChatGPT. We asked for a route and, fair play, it produced a slick-looking map with fancy icons and numbered stops. Too bad half the stops were imaginary!
Undeterred, we set off anyway, to Barebottle (hello, Jalapeño lager), Harmonic, 21st Amendment and Olfactory brewing. But here’s where it got weird. Our chosen method of transport: Waymo. Yep, bar-hopping in robot taxis. Otherwise known as self-driving cars. I know many of you out there wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole, and I have to say it all felt very Black Mirror. No driver, just a cheery robotic voice and some slightly questionable music selections. After failing to find a decent playlist, we landed on Disney Hits. Circle of Life on repeat it is. Slightly dystopian but oddly fun. And a great way to see a different side to San Francisco.
