WWII submarine at San Francisco

[The Wolf]

I just got back from Alcatraz. I hadn't been there since I visited my brother and I had never been there since it was shut down. (I pause as the laughter dies down) While taking the ferry from pier 41 I noticed a submarine docked nearby. It is the USS Pampanito. You can tour the sub and there is a gift shack with a plethora of swell things for the retro minded.
The whole area is good for us Loungers. There is a battleship, the sub, Alcatraz and an amusement center that has Laughing Sal (the name might be wrong) from the old Playland at the Beach.

The Wolf

P.S. I apologize for ending two sentences with a preposition. The same one even! I goofed up.

 

[Andykev]

Great Destination

Battleship? No the only battleship is the Iowa, moored in the Delta in the Reserve Fleet (Mothball Fleet). The Missouri was docked a few years back, but they moved it to Hawaii and it is a floating museum near the U.S.S Arizona Memorial.

This is the IOWA: http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/battleships/iowa/bb61-ia.html

There is the Liberty Ship, the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.

http://www.ssjeremiahobrien.org/

It is at pier 45, and open for tours, as well as cruises. THAT would be a DREAM destination for the Loungers! Cruise the Bay on a WWII Liberty Ship, take the ferry to Alcatraz, and hit some of the nostalgic bars and sites in San Francisco!

I have lived in the Bay Area all my live, and I have YET to go to Alcatraz. Been over it and past it, and seen it sitting out in the bay...but never set foot on it!. It's funny how we sometimes never go to the "tourist spots" in our own backyards....when people travel from all over the world to see what we often take for granted. :cheers1:

 

[Andykev]

Laughing Sal!!

Oh, and it is "Laughing Sal". I heard someone paid quite a price for her ($50,000!!).

She is the mechanical woman who greeted patrons entering Playland. Hysterical laughter. I believe she is carved from wood. The famous CLIFF HOUSE is under remodel, so Sal is being displayed at Pier 45.

http://www.mistersf.com/high/index.html?highmecanique03.htm

 

[jamespowers]

Wow! Never been to Alcatraz! Gee, I thought every child's parents around here took them to show what would happen to them if they misbehaved---especially the solitary confinement cells. It is a good prop for the errant that is for sure.

Regards to all,

J

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Did they end up tearing the Cliff House down, as this website stated they were planning to do?

If they did, what an absolute shame! Newer is not always better...

Will have to make a trip to this place the next time we visit--I'd love to see Laughing Sal!

 

[Andykev]

Give me Liberty, or another BEER!

Feltfan, you are great! What a wonderful idea. Going to sea (..the Bay) on an old WWII Liberty Ship!?!?!?? We should do it!!

Anyone want to do it?

 

[The Wolf]

whoops

Thanks, Andykev, for the correction. Yes, the Pampanito is a Liberty Ship.
Nearby Richmond had a Liberty shipyard. They made the Robert E. Peary.

My wife had been to Alcatraz before and was aghast that I hadn't. Since she hadn't started her new job yet, school was out and I had a day off she decided we should go. I'm glad she did. Like many of us I had looked at it from the shore, had read about and thought about but never went.
Now where do I go?

The Wolf

 

[Andykev]

I get confused

Thanks, Andykev, for the correction. Yes, the Pampanito is a Liberty Ship.
Nearby Richmond had a Liberty shipyard. They made the Robert E. Peary.

My wife had been to Alcatraz before and was aghast that I hadn't. Since she hadn't started her new job yet, school was out and I had a day off she decided we should go. I'm glad she did. Like many of us I had looked at it from the shore, had read about and thought about but never went.
Now where do I go?

The Wolf

The Pampanito is a sub.
The Jeremiah O'Brien is a Liberty Ship.
The Iowa is a Battleship.

Richmond has a memorial to Rosie the Riviter. New park just opened recently.

Anyway, who wants to have a beer on the Liberty Ship in October?

 

[MikeyB17]

I'd love to be able to get there-a bit far for me though! I love Liberty ships, I've dived on three in the waters around Cornwall, including the 'James Egan Layne', almost certainly the most popular wreck dive in the UK. Liberty ships were big ships (over 7000 tons) and are very impressive underwater, plus they were often carrying interesting cargoes-the Ezra Weston, on the North Coast of Cornwall, was carrying U.S. Army vehicles and equipment, including a deck cargo of trucks and jeeps. The only thing is that they are so big, it can be hard to tell if you're swimming along the ship or across! The Jeremiah O'Brien was in Falmouth for the 50th anniversary of D-Day-sadly I didn't find out about it until she'd gone, much to my disgust. I would love to have a look around one in a preserved state instead of rusting away on the bottom! I have a lot of time for micro-brewery beers from the U.S-I try to seek them out when I can, we sometimes see them in bottles in the UK, some of them are fantastic! Wish I could be there.

MB17

 

[Hondo]

Did they end up tearing the Cliff House down, as this website stated they were planning to do?

If they did, what an absolute shame! Newer is not always better...

Will have to make a trip to this place the next time we visit--I'd love to see Laughing Sal!

As the above previously stated, Yes! the Cliff House was torn down, remodeled and your absolutely correct, newer is not better, I’ve been to the new Cliff House and while it is roomier (seating space) is has lost its historical value as I recall the older days when they had the penny arcade below, (all moved to pier 39?) a good place for a night cap.
Weather can be brutal on the cliff, to make any profit; you did need more space for costumers. The remodeled Cliff House is nice with bar, restaurant and easy viewing space of the beautiful Pacific Ocean for all guests, still worth a visit.

 

[feltfan]

Someone get this man a beer!

Anyway, who wants to have a beer on the Liberty Ship in October?

Usually I don't plan my drinking four months in advance,
but I expect that everyone who went with me last year
will demand to go again this year. It was a lot of fun. Or
at least the part I remember... It's dangerous- you pay your
entry fee and then they refill your cup all day. After that we
hit that little pub in North Beach with the built-in tandoori house
and... uh... I'm sure we had a good time.

Really glad to hear about the Pampanito. Looking forward to
seeing that.

 

[Hondo]

The Pampanito is a sub.
The Jeremiah O'Brien is a Liberty Ship.
The Iowa is a Battleship.

Richmond has a memorial to Rosie the Riviter. New park just opened recently.

Anyway, who wants to have a beer on the Liberty Ship in October?

Sorry for the late reply, do post when and where you'll be, and I'll sure join you gents, I've been meaning to visit the "Jeremiah O'Brien" and a brewski would be great, I prefer pale ale, but I'll drink anything by the bay.

BTW: Rosie the Riviter is still alive, to see her own memorial is great!

 

[feltfan]

This Saturday: beer at Jeremiah O'Brien

Okay, so I lost track of time.
Apologies all for the short notice.

Apparently the beer will be served on the historic
WWII ship THIS SATURDAY 9/17/05.

I'm not sure I can make it, but I'm gonna try.
Maybe I'll spot one of ya.

http://www.sfbrewersguild.org/

 

[Sefton]

see S.F. now before they rebuild it...

Did they end up tearing the Cliff House down, as this website stated they were planning to do?

If they did, what an absolute shame! Newer is not always better...

Will have to make a trip to this place the next time we visit--I'd love to see Laughing Sal!

when I got married we had dinner in the Cliff house downstairs dining room with the beautiful dark wood panels and photos of movie stars and celebrities on the walls. I haven't been back since it's been rebuilt. I wonder if they put the photos back? Also the De Young museum in Golden Gate Park has been rebuilt. Gone is the great old psuedo-Roman-Greek-mishmash...replaced with a post-modern block of...well...it looks like a giant electric razor to me!

 

[Hondo]

The Pampanito is a sub.
The Jeremiah O'Brien is a Liberty Ship.
The Iowa is a Battleship.

Richmond has a memorial to Rosie the Riviter. New park just opened recently.

Anyway, who wants to have a beer on the Liberty Ship in October?

Hey guys, any thing come about this? Its mid October, I'm set for South Lake Tahoe Halloween weekend, gambling and football junkie.
I'd like to see some of you in S.F. for drinks, can do next year if better.

H.

 

[MrBern]

video tour of the retro-tech

USS Pampanito submarine tour

Access to Conning tower, not accessible to public, ENJOY!

http://tv.boingboing.net/2008/08/12/wwii-boatpunk-aboard-1.html