The next day, I went out walking on my own. Thank God I was younger then. I set out with a map from Mark's Market Street office and went off exploring.

First, I came to Union Square, a small city park, surrounded by upscale shopping. Of course, the square itself was occupied by a number of homeless people and pigeons. (Those darned pigeons, again!) You have to expect this in downtown San Francisco. At this time, at least, there were lots of folks out looking for a handout.

Onward - I made my way down to the Embarcadero, a waterfront port facility of sorts. One could catch a ferry from this location. Near this structure, a number of large vessels were docked. In the background you could observe the vast Trans Bay Bridge as it spread across the harbor.

Next it was off to Pier 39, a tourist site for shopping, dining and amusement. There were plenty of things to do, see and buy here. A popular landmark in the watery distance was the infamous Alcatraz Island penitentiary. You could also glimpse the Golden Gate.