Foxfire & Freeways: Alcatraz, the Golden Gate & a Well-Earned Pizza 🏝️🌉🦊

Well, if you figured out one of the clues from our Seattle post…

Yep. We went to Alcatraz!

And our legs definitely knew about it afterward. 😂

We caught the ferry over to the island, and after our accidental ferry adventure in Seattle, apparently we’re becoming ferry people now.

The ride over was beautiful, the weather cooperated, and before long we were stepping onto an island with a whole lot of history packed into a relatively small space.

There was a LOT of walking, especially once you start making your way uphill, but it was completely worth it.

Everywhere you look, there’s another piece of the island’s past.

Some of the buildings are currently undergoing restoration and preservation work, which was interesting in itself. Alcatraz isn’t frozen in time—it takes constant work to preserve these old structures so future generations can continue walking through them and learning their stories.

But you know what else caught my attention?

The plants. 😂🌱

There were succulents EVERYWHERE.

And naturally, the little plant-loving voice in my head went:

“I wonder if I could take just one tiny clipping…” 👀

Absolutely not.

The park rangers made it very clear that nothing leaves the island.

Fineeeee. 😂

I behaved.

Besides, it’s California.

Those little beauties aren’t exactly difficult to find around here.

…wink. 😉

Walking through Alcatraz was fascinating, though. There’s something different about learning history while physically standing in the place where it happened.

The old buildings.

The cells.

The views across the bay.

The stories tied to the island.

And that strange contrast between such a beautiful location and the much darker history contained within it.

By the time we caught the ferry back, our feet were tired, but our San Francisco adventure wasn’t quite over yet.

Remember that second clue?

Well…

Golden Gate Bridge! 🌉

And I have a confession.

For some reason, part of me expected the Golden Gate Bridge to actually be…

gold. 😂

It’s definitely NOT.

It’s more of a burnt reddish-orange color, which I later learned is actually called International Orange.

So apparently the Golden Gate Bridge isn’t golden, but it was still beautiful nevertheless. 😂

We drove across it, took in the views and officially checked another famous landmark off our growing list.

Then after Alcatraz, ferries, hills, walking and the Golden Gate Bridge, we returned to the campground and participated in another very important travel activity:

We took a nap. 🤣

And dinner?

Delivery pizza.

Because sometimes you spend the day exploring one of America’s most famous cities…

And sometimes you eat pizza at the camper afterward because you’re tired. 😂🍕

Tomorrow is going to be a little different.

First, we’re giving the camper some much-needed attention—cleaning, reorganizing and attempting to restore some kind of order to the tiny home we’ve been dragging around the country.

Then we’re heading back into San Francisco.

Not for another prison.

Not for another bridge.

This time…

We’re going to eat somewhere. 👀🍽️

And that’s ALL I’m telling you.

You’ll have to stay tuned to see where Foxfire & Freeways ends up next. 🦊

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling. 🔥🛣️