Original subtitles

IT’S FAMOUS FOR ITS GOLDEN GATE,

A TERRIFYING ISLAND PRISON IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS BAY,

AND RISING TECH GIANTS THAT DOMINATE ITS SKYLINE,

BUT WITH ALL ITS LAND, WATER, AND ENGINEERING MARVELS,

IT TAKES TOUGH WORK

TO KEEPING THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RUNNING 24-7.

THERE ARE SPECIAL TEAMS OF FEDERAL OFFICERS AND K-9s

WHO HAVE TO BE READY TO RESPOND FROM THE SKY,

LINEMEN WHO WORK TO KEEP THE POWER ON IN SILICON VALLEY,

ARMIES OF GRAPE PICKERS,

WITHOUT WHOM NAPA’S VINEYARDS WOULDN’T SURVIVE,

AND THOUSANDS OF TECH WORKERS WHO COMMUTE

TO ONE OF THE STRANGEST-LOOKING STRUCTURES ON EARTH.

THERE’S NO END TO THE DIFFERENT WAYS

THAT PEOPLE IN THE BAY AREA WORK AND PLAY.

SOME PACK THE BEACHES THAT LINE SAN FRANCISCO’S SHORES.

OTHERS LIVE JUST TO RIDE THE WAVES.

BUT EVEN WHEN THE SUN FADES OVER THE PACIFIC,

IT CAN SEEM LIKE THE DAY’S JUST GETTING STARTED,

WHEN OAKLAND’S GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS HEAD INTO BATTLE

AND OTHERS HEAD UP AND RISK THEIR LIVES

TO KEEP ONE OF THE MOST DAZZLING NIGHTTIME SPECTACLES

IN AMERICA ALIVE.

ALL THIS IN JUST ONE DAY

ON THE HILLS, SHORES, AND COLORFUL STREETS

OF SAN FRANCISCO.

♪

♪

♪

THERE’S NO BETTER TIME TO APPRECIATE

THE STUNNING COMBINATION OF WATER, HILLS, AND LAND

THAT SURROUND THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO THAN AT 6 A.M.,

WHEN THE MORNING LIGHT JUST STARTS TO BATHE

THE GLASS COVERED TOWERS OF ITS SKYLINE.

TODAY, A FEW OF THE CITY’S EARLIEST COMMUTERS

ARE ALREADY MAKING THEIR WAY ACROSS THE BAY,

AND IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE THOUSANDS MORE

START FILLING THE FLOORS OF SKYSCRAPERS,

LIKE THIS ONE,

THAT DRIVE THIS REGION’S BOOMING TECH ECONOMY.

♪

BUT EVEN BEFORE THE SUN IS FULLY UP,

WORKERS TO THE NORTH,

IN ONE OF THE BAY AREA’S OLDEST INDUSTRIES,

ARE ALREADY HARD AT WORK WITH THEIR HANDS

ON THE LAND HERE IN THE WINE-MAKING REGION OF NAPA.

EVERY MORNING, THEY LABOR FOR HOURS

IN THE PREDAWN DARKNESS WITH HEADLAMPS.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF GRAPE PICKERS

WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE BAY AREA VINEYARDS

SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS PRODUCERS

OF AMERICAN WINE.

AT THIS VINEYARD, CALLED PROMONTORY,

WORKERS PICK EVERY BUNCH OF CABERNET GRAPES BY HAND,

THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY.

PEOPLE BEGAN PLANTING COMMERCIAL VINEYARDS IN NAPA

IN THE MID-1800s.

TODAY, THE STATE PRODUCES

MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF ALL AMERICAN WINE.

MUCH OF IT COMES FROM THE MORE THAN 100,000 ACRES

OF VINEYARDS UNDER CULTIVATION

HERE IN NAPA AND SONOMA COUNTIES.

DURING HARVEST SEASON, IN THE SUMMER AND FALL,

MUCH OF THE HARD LABOR REQUIRED TO MAKE WINE

IS FINISHED BY THE TIME THE SUN IS UP.

BUT BY NOW, MILLIONS IN AND AROUND SAN FRANCISCO

ARE JUST STARTING THEIR BRUTAL COMMUTE.

THE FIVE WESTBOUND LANES

OF THE SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE ARE ALREADY PACKED.

SAN FRANCISCO ITSELF HAS A POPULATION OF 870,000 PEOPLE,

BUT IT ISN’T THE BAY AREA’S LARGEST CITY.

THAT DISTINCTION BELONGS TO A CITY IN THE SOUTH BAY

CALLED SAN JOSE,

WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF MORE THAN A MILLION.

THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE BAY AREA IS OAKLAND,

WHICH SPRAWLS ACROSS THE EAST BAY

JUST SOUTH OF BERKELEY.

AND THERE ARE DOZENS MORE LARGE TOWNS AND CITIES

ALL AROUND SAN FRANCISCO,

WHICH IS WHY THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE BAY AREA

IS MORE THAN SEVEN MILLION.

BUT A BIG PART OF WHAT MAKES

THE MORNING COMMUTE INTO SAN FRANCISCO SO TOUGH

IS THE UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY OF THE CITY.

SAN FRANCISCO IS ESSENTIALLY AN ISLAND

BECAUSE IT’S SURROUNDED BY WATER ON THREE SIDES.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE CITY FROM THE EAST AND NORTH

IS TO TRAVEL OVER THE BAY BY BRIDGE, UNDER IT BY TRAIN,

OR ACROSS IT BY FERRY.

THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST FERRY SYSTEM ON THE WEST COAST,

AFTER WASHINGTON STATE.

IT’S ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

IN THE BAY AREA.

IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY, THERE WEREN’T BRIDGES ACROSS THE BAY,

SO THIS WAS HOW MOST PEOPLE TRAVELED INTO THE CITY

FROM THE EAST AND NORTH.

AND IT’S ALSO WHY SAN FRANCISCO

BUILT ITS NOW ICONIC FERRY BUILDING

ON THE DOCKS HERE IN 1898.

IT WAS DESIGNED TO IMPRESS,

SINCE THIS WAS THE BUILDING THAT WELCOMED EVERY PERSON

WHO ARRIVED BY FERRY TO SAN FRANCISCO.

WHEN NEW BRIDGES, LIKE THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE,

WERE COMPLETED IN THE 1930s,

WORKERS COULD SUDDENLY DRIVE INTO THE CITY

FROM THE EAST AND NORTH FOR THE FIRST TIME,

AND THAT CAUSED MANY FERRIES TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

TODAY, GRIDLOCK ON THE BRIDGES THAT SPAN THE WATERS OF THE BAY

IS PUTTING SAN FRANCISCO’S HISTORIC FERRY ROUTES

BACK IN BUSINESS.

♪

BUT ONE GROUP OF YOUNG WORKERS WHO LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO

SKIP THE BRIDGES AND FERRIES.

THEY START THEIR DAY

LINING UP ON RESIDENTIAL STREET CORNERS LIKE THIS ONE.

THESE ARE A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF TECH WORKERS

WHO MAKE A SOUTHBOUND COMMUTE, EVERY DAY, TO SILICON VALLEY.

THEY’RE WAITING FOR FREE BUSES THAT WILL DELIVER THEM

TO THE TECH GIANTS WHERE THEY WORK.

TODAY, WITH SO MANY TECH BUSES

FILLING THE CITY’S STREETS MORNING AND NIGHT,

MANY RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLAINED

THAT THEY BLOCK TRAFFIC AND TIE UP PUBLIC BUS LANES.

THE BUSES ALSO HAVE BECOME SYMBOLS

OF THE ECONOMIC DIVIDE IN SAN FRANCISCO

AND THE ROLE TECH WEALTH PLAYS

IN THE BAY AREA’S RAPIDLY RISING COST OF LIVING.

PROTESTORS HAVE SMASHED BUS WINDOWS,

AND A FEW BUSES HAVE EVEN BEEN SHOT AT ON THE HIGHWAY

WITH WHAT SOME THINK ARE PELLET GUNS.

SOME OPERATORS HAVE HAD TO ALTER THEIR NORMAL ROUTES

TO PROTECT THE WORKERS THEY CARRY.

SILICON VALLEY’S TECH GIANTS SIMPLY COULDN’T SURVIVE

WITHOUT THESE THOUSANDS OF WORKERS.

ALL MORNING LONG, THEY ARRIVE AT HACKER WAY,

THE HOME OF FACEBOOK.

NEARBY, AT GOOGLE,

WORKERS ARE DROPPED OFF ON THE VAST CAMPUS

THAT’S KNOWN AS THE GOOGLEPLEX.

AND OVER IN CUPERTINO,

THEY PULL IN, ONE AFTER THE NEXT, AT APPLE

AND AT THE NEW $5 BILLION APPLE HEADQUARTERS,

A GIANT SPACESHIP-LIKE STRUCTURE

THAT’S BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE UP TO 14,000 EMPLOYEES.

WITH 7,000 NEW TREES ON ITS CAMPUS

AND ENOUGH SOLAR PANELS ON ITS ROOF

TO GENERATE EIGHT MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY,

APPLE’S NEW HEADQUARTERS CLAIMS

THAT IT CAN RUN ENTIRELY ON RENEWABLE ENERGY.

♪

BUT WITH ALL ITS SERVERS, COMPUTERS,

AND LARGE CORPORATE CAMPUSES,

SILICON VALLEY STILL NEEDS A LOT OF OLD-FASHIONED ELECTRICITY

TO KEEP IT RUNNING,

AND THAT’S WHY TEAMS OF LINEMEN LIKE THESE

ARE ALWAYS BUSY MORNING TO NIGHT IN THE BAY AREA,

MAKING SURE THE POWER WILL STAY ON

THROUGH STORMS, QUAKES, AND EVEN WILDFIRES.

TODAY, THEY’RE STRINGING NEW, MORE POWERFUL LINES

IN THE HILLS EAST OF OAKLAND.

THERE’S NO ELECTRICITY FLOWING THROUGH THESE CABLES YET,

BUT THERE WILL BE SOON.

TIME IS MONEY ON BIG PROJECTS LIKE THESE.

AND IT’S FASTER AND CHEAPER TO FLY THE PARTS THESE LINEMEN NEED

RIGHT TO THE TOWERS,

RATHER THAN TRYING TO GET TRUCKS AND CREWS

TO CARRY THEM OVER LAND.

BUT THAT ALSO APPLIES TO THE WORKERS THEMSELVES.

IT’S FASTER AND CHEAPER JUST TO PICK THEM OFF THE GROUND,

WHISK THEM THROUGH THE AIR, AND THEN DROP THEM

RIGHT ON THE POLE WHERE THEY NEED TO WORK.

BEING AN AERIAL LINEMAN HAS TO BE

ONE OF THE MOST THRILLING JOBS IN THE WORLD,

WHEN YOU’RE RACING THROUGH THE AIR,

OVER THE TREETOPS BELOW,

AND GETTING PAID TO DO A JOB

THAT KEEPS THE LIGHTS ON FOR MILLIONS.

BUT EVERY DAY, ALL KINDS OF WORKERS AND CREWS

CAN BE SPOTTED IN THE SKIES AROUND SAN FRANCISCO.

NEARBY, A FLIGHT CREW IS PREPARING TO LIFT OFF

AT A JOINT MILITARY AND CIVILIAN AIRPORT

CALLED MOFFETT FIELD.

THEY BELONG TO THE 129th RESCUE WING OF THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD.

THE 129th IS SPECIALLY TRAINED

TO CONDUCT RESCUE MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

THEIR C-130P MODELS ARE DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO REFUEL

A WIDE RANGE OF NAVY PLANES IN MIDAIR.

BUT MOFFETT IS ALSO HOME TO NASA’S AMES RESEARCH CENTER.

THIS ENORMOUS SCREEN IS THE INTAKE VENT

OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST WIND TUNNEL.

IT’S PART OF A JET PROPULSION LAB

THAT WAS BUILT AT THE START OF WORLD WAR II

TO STUDY HOW VARIOUS AIRCRAFT RESPOND

TO WIND AND OTHER FORCES WHEN THEY FLY.

FLIGHT SIMULATORS HERE PROVIDED TRAINING

FOR ALMOST EVERY PILOT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM.

♪

BUT, FROM THE AIR, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SIGHT HERE AT MOFFETT

IS A TOWERING STEEL SKELETON CALLED HANGAR ONE.

IT WAS BUILT IN 1932

TO HOUSE THE U.S. NAVY’S LARGEST FLYING MACHINES,

ENORMOUS HELIUM-FILLED DIRIGIBLES CALLED SKYCRUISERS.

THE LARGEST WERE MORE THAN SEVEN TIMES THE LENGTH

OF THIS 98-FOOT-LONG C-130.

BUT SKYCRUISERS WEREN’T SAFE.

IN 1933, ONE NAMED THE AKRON CRASHED OFF NEW JERSEY’S COAST.

73 NAVY AIRMEN DIED, INCLUDING ADMIRAL WILLIAM MOFFETT,

FOR WHOM THIS FIELD WAS LATER NAMED.

AFTER YEARS OF NEGLECT,

HANGAR ONE IS FINALLY BEING RESTORED,

AND WHENEVER AIRCREWS FROM THE 129th

LIFT OFF FROM MOFFETT FIELD,

THEY ARE HELPING KEEP THE RICH AVIATION HISTORY

OF THE BAY AREA ALIVE.

♪

AMAZING-LOOKING STRUCTURES LIKE APPLE’S NEW HEADQUARTERS

ARE EVIDENCE OF THE INCREDIBLE POWER AND WEALTH

OF SILICON VALLEY.

BUT TODAY, TECH IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON SAN FRANCISCO, TOO.

WHEN YOU LOOK UP AT THE SKYLINE OF THIS CITY,

ALL YOU SEE TODAY

ARE THE TOWERING FORMS OF NEW SKYSCRAPERS.

FOR DECADES, THE TALLEST AND MOST RECOGNIZED STRUCTURE

ON THE SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE

WAS THIS ONE-- THE TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID.

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF THE BILLION-DOLLAR

CLOUD COMPUTING COMPANY SALESFORCE

NOW DOMINATES THE SKYLINE.

SOARING 1,070 FEET,

THIS IS NOW THE BIGGEST SYMBOL OF TECH’S IMPACT

ON THE LIFE AND LANDSCAPE OF SAN FRANCISCO.

♪

BUT TUCKED BEHIND THESE TOWERS ARE THE NATURAL FORMS

THAT HAVE LONG GIVEN THIS CITY ITS UNIQUE CHARACTER.

IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SAN FRANCISCO

WITHOUT ITS MANY HILLS,

THE LEGENDARY CABLE CARS THAT CLATTER UP THEM ALL DAY LONG...

...AND STREETS LIKE LOMBARD, THAT WIND DOWN THEM.

FOR MANY, THE EXPERIENCE OF SAN FRANCISCO’S HILLS

IS WHAT THEY REMEMBER MOST ABOUT THEIR TIME IN THIS CITY.

♪

THESE DAYS, THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 DIFFERENT NAMED HILLS

IN SAN FRANCISCO,

BUT WHEN IT WAS FOUNDED, THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN.

ONE OF THE FIRST, AND NOW BEST KNOWN,

IS TELEGRAPH HILL,

BECAUSE OF THE SOARING STRUCTURE ON TOP OF IT--COIT TOWER.

IT’S BEEN STANDING TALL HERE FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS,

THANKS TO ONE SAN FRANCISCAN’S LOVE FOR HER CITY.

AS SOON AS LILLIE HITCHCOCK COIT

ARRIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE AGE OF EIGHT,

SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER NEW HOME.

SHE WENT ON TO TRAVEL THE WORLD

BUT ALWAYS CHOSE TO COME BACK HERE TO THIS CITY.

WHEN SHE DIED IN 1929 AT THE AGE OF 86,

SHE REQUESTED THAT PART OF HER ESTATE

BE USED TO BEAUTIFY SAN FRANCISCO.

THE RESULT WAS COIT TOWER.

ALL DAY LONG,

PEOPLE CLIMB UP TO THE TOP OF THIS SAN FRANCISCO LANDMARK

FOR A CHANCE TO GET UP HIGH

AND LOOK OUT OVER THE CITY’S HILLS, BRIDGES, AND BAY.

♪

AND IF THEY LOOK DOWN ON THE PIERS

THAT LINE THE SAN FRANCISCO WATERFRONT,

THEY MIGHT CATCH SIGHT

OF SOME VERY LARGE AND SLIPPERY CREATURES

THAT HAVE TAKEN OVER THE MARINA HERE AT PIER 39.

THESE ARE CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS.

THEY’VE INHABITED THE COASTAL WATERS OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

BUT FOR SOME REASON, IN 1989,

ONE GROUP STARTED SUNBATHING ON THE DOCKS OF THIS MARINA.

NO ONE KNOWS WHY THEY CHOSE THIS SPOT,

BUT THEY’VE BEEN REGULAR RESIDENTS

AT THIS PIER EVER SINCE.

IN FACT, THEY’VE PRETTY MUCH TAKEN IT OVER.

PIER 39 ASKED MANY OF THE BOAT OWNERS HERE TO LEAVE

SO THE SEA LIONS COULD STAY.

THESE CREATURES CAN GROW LONGER THAN SEVEN FEET

AND WEIGH MORE THAN 800 POUNDS.

THEY MAY LOOK LAZY, BUT UNDERWATER,

THESE WINGED-FOOTED SWIMMERS CAN REACH 25 MILES PER HOUR,

WHICH MAKES THEM FASTER THAN SEALS.

VISITORS COME TO FISHERMAN’S WHARF

FOR A CHANCE TO WATCH THESE MASSIVE ANIMALS PLAY

AND TO HEAR THE DISTINCTIVE SOUNDS OF THEIR BARKS.

[BARKING]

FISHERMAN’S WHARF IS NAMED FOR THE FISHERMEN

THAT ONCE CROWDED ITS DOCKS WITH FRESH CATCH FROM THE PACIFIC,

BUT THE BOUNTIFUL HARBOR AROUND IT IS WHAT SPURRED

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUTURE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA.

BECAUSE OF ITS HILLS, SPRINGS, AND PROTECTED WATERS,

ONE EARLY SPANISH MISSIONARY CALLED SAN FRANCISCO BAY

"A MARVEL OF NATURE, THE HARBOR OF HARBORS."

IN 1848, GOLD WAS DISCOVERED IN CALIFORNIA,

AND WITHIN A YEAR,

THIS ONCE QUIET HARBOR WAS BOOMING.

HUNDREDS OF SHIPS CROWDED THE BAY,

MANY PACKED WITH HOPEFUL PROSPECTORS.

AND ALL THOSE NEW ARRIVALS NEEDED HOUSING,

WHICH TRIGGERED A BOOM IN THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY.

SAN FRANCISCO WAS SOON THE LARGEST PORT ON THE WEST COAST.

♪

ONE OF THE SHIPS THAT REGULARLY DOCKED HERE

STARTING IN 1895 WAS THE C.A. THAYER.

THIS THREE-MASTED SCHOONER WAS DESIGNED TO CARRY LUMBER

AND FREQUENTLY ARRIVED IN THE BAY

WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BOARD FEET OF TIMBER

FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST STACKED ON ITS DECK.

THAT DOUGLAS FIR, REDWOOD, AND CEDAR WAS USED TO HELP BUILD

NEARLY 48,000 VICTORIAN HOUSES ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

WITH THEIR BRIGHT COLORS AND ELABORATELY CARVED FACADES,

ONE HISTORIAN CALLED THEM

"AN OUTBREAK OF ARCHITECTURAL LUNACY."

IN 1906,

WHEN THE GREAT SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATED THE CITY,

THOUSANDS OF HOMES LIKE THESE WERE DESTROYED.

THE SURVIVORS ARE SOME

OF SAN FRANCISCO’S MOST PRIZED HOUSES.

THESE ARE KNOWN AS THE PAINTED LADIES

AND MAY BE THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED VICTORIAN HOMES IN THE CITY.

♪

THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

SPURRED THE SETTLEMENT AND EARLY GROWTH OF SAN FRANCISCO,

AND THAT HISTORY AND PIONEERING SPIRIT LIVE ON

IN ONE OF THE BAY AREA’S MOST REVERED PROFESSIONAL TEAMS.

IT’S 12:30 P.M.

AT LEVI’S STADIUM IN SANTA CLARA,

HOME OF THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ers.

OUT IN THE PARKING LOT,

IT’S A SEA OF RED, WHITE, AND GOLD.

WHEN THE TEAM WAS FORMED IN 1946,

IT WAS NAMED AFTER THE THOUSANDS OF GOLD SEEKERS

WHO SET OUT FOR CALIFORNIA

ALMOST EXACTLY A CENTURY EARLIER IN 1849.

FOR DECADES, THE 49ers WERE BASED HERE AT CANDLESTICK PARK,

SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO.

BUT IN 2014, AFTER A DISPUTE WITH THE CITY,

THE TEAM’S OWNER, JOHN YORK,

MOVED THE 49ers SOUTH TO SILICON VALLEY.

CANDLESTICK PARK WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2016

AND IS NO LONGER STANDING.

AFTER THE TEAM MOVED TO SANTA CLARA,

SOME SAID THAT THE 49ers

SHOULD REMOVE "SAN FRANCISCO" FROM THEIR NAME.

BUT LOYAL FANS STILL COME HERE, GAME AFTER GAME,

TO CHEER ON THE PLAYERS THEY KNOW AND LOVE SIMPLY AS 49ers.

WITH FIVE SUPER BOWL WINS IN THE 1980s AND ’90s,

AND LEGENDARY PLAYERS LIKE JOE MONTANA AND JERRY RICE,

THE 49ers HAVE YEARS OF PAST SUCCESS

TO KEEP THEIR FANS ENERGIZED,

AND ON GAME DAY, THEY COME OUT IN FORCE.

BUT SPORTS FANS IN SAN FRANCISCO STILL HAVE A WINNING TEAM

THAT PLAYS RIGHT HERE IN TOWN-- THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS,

WHO’VE WON MORE GAMES

THAN ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM.

AND, WHEN IT COMES TO COLLEGE SPORTS IN THE BAY AREA,

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE NCAA RIVALRY

OF CAL BERKELEY’S GOLDEN BEARS AND THE STANFORD CARDINAL,

WHO PLAY HERE AT STANFORD STADIUM.

STANFORD HAS FIELDED A FOOTBALL TEAM SINCE 1892,

AND THAT WAS ALSO THE FIRST YEAR

OF THEIR LEGENDARY MATCHUP AGAINST BERKELEY.

FANS OF BOTH TEAMS KNOW THIS ANNUAL EVENT AS THE BIG GAME.

IN EVEN YEARS, THE CARDINAL MEET THEIR ARCHRIVALS

HERE AT CAL’S MEMORIAL STADIUM.

BUT THE RUMBLE IN THE STANDS IS NOTHING

COMPARED TO THE SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS

THAT COULD EMANATE AT ANY MOMENT

FROM THE EARTH MILES UNDER THIS FIELD.

CAL MEMORIAL STADIUM HAPPENS TO LIE DIRECTLY

ON THE HAYWARD FAULT,

WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS EARTHQUAKE ZONES

IN THE NATION.

IT’S WHY THIS STADIUM

HAD TO GET A MAJOR SEISMIC UPGRADE IN 2012,

TO PROTECT THE MORE THAN 40,000 FANS

WHO CROWD IN HERE DURING ALMOST EVERY BIG GAME.

BUT GEOLOGISTS SAY THE CLOCK IS TICKING

FOR ANOTHER MAJOR BAY AREA QUAKE.

♪

IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE TWO MAJOR SEISMIC ZONES

THAT HAVE THE POWER TO DEVASTATE THE BAY AREA.

ONE IS THE HAYWARD FAULT.

THE OTHER IS KNOWN AS THE SAN ANDREAS.

IF YOU FOLLOW THIS FAULT LINE NORTH FROM CENTRAL CALIFORNIA,

IT PASSES JUST WEST OF SILICON VALLEY.

IT THEN HEADS OUT UNDER THE COAST,

CLOSE TO THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.

TO THE NORTH, THE FAULT LINE RUNS UNDER MARIN COUNTY

AND SERVES AS THE EASTERN BOUNDARY

OF ONE OF THE GREAT TREASURES OF THE BAY AREA--

POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, A 71,000-ACRE PENINSULA

THAT LIES JUST AN HOUR NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO.

♪

IF THERE’S ONE PLACE PEOPLE IN THE BAY AREA GO

TO TRULY GET AWAY, IT’S HERE,

ESPECIALLY ALONG THE OFTEN EMPTY TOMALES POINT TRAIL,

WHICH LEADS NORTH

TO THE VERY TIP OF THE PENINSULA.

♪

IT’S ONE OF THE ONLY STRETCHES OF CALIFORNIA COAST

THAT’S PROTECTED AS A NATIONAL PARK.

IN 1579, BRITISH EXPLORER SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

ARRIVED IN THESE WATERS IN A SHIP NAMED THE GOLDEN HIND,

WHICH WAS BADLY IN NEED OF REPAIRS

AND WAS OVERLOADED WITH SILVER

THAT DRAKE HAD PLUNDERED FROM SPANISH VESSELS IN PANAMA.

THE CREW DROPPED ANCHOR IN A SMALL INLET,

AND THAT’S WHEN DRAKE LAID CLAIM

TO WHAT’S NOW THE LAND OF CALIFORNIA

FOR ENGLAND.

AT THE TIME, A NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE CALLED THE COAST MIWOK

LIVED ON THE SHORES OF POINT REYES.

THEY WERE ONE OF DOZENS OF TRIBES

THAT INHABITED WHAT’S NOW CALIFORNIA.

THIS RECREATED COAST MIWOK VILLAGE

HERE AT POINT REYES OFFERS A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND

HOW THESE ORIGINAL CALIFORNIANS LIVED.

LIKE MANY OTHER NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS,

THE MIWOK WERE DECIMATED BY DISEASES

BROUGHT BY SPANISH AND AMERICAN SETTLERS.

MANY WERE FORCED INTO SLAVERY

OR LURED AWAY FROM THEIR VILLAGES

BY SPANISH MISSIONARIES

WHO HOPED TO CONVERT THEM TO CHRISTIANITY.

OTHERS ENDED UP ON RESERVATIONS

AFTER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT FAILED TO HONOR TREATIES

THAT PROTECTED THEIR LANDS.

TODAY, POINT REYES OFFERS A CHANCE TO IMAGINE

WHAT THE LAND AROUND SAN FRANCISCO WAS LIKE

WHEN ALL OF CALIFORNIA WAS STILL WILD

AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TULE ELK

ROAMED ITS GRASSLANDS AND MARSHES.

IN THE 19th CENTURY,

HUNTERS SLAUGHTERED ALMOST ALL OF THESE CREATURES,

AND BY 1874,

THERE WERE FEWER THAN 30 TULE ELK LEFT,

BUT TODAY, THANKS TO MORE THAN A CENTURY OF CONSERVATION WORK,

THERE ARE NOW CLOSE TO 4,000.

TULE ELK ARE SMALLER THAN OTHER SPECIES OF ELK,

BUT ADULT MALES CAN STILL WEIGH IN

AT UP TO 700 POUNDS.

AND JUST BEFORE MATING SEASON IN THE FALL,

THE ANTLERS OF THE MALES CAN REACH A SPREAD OF FOUR FEET.

♪

BUT IT’S POINT REYES’ WILD COAST

THAT LURES MOST PEOPLE HERE FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND BEYOND.

SURFERS COME TO RIDE

THE GIANT SWELLS THAT ROLL IN FROM THE PACIFIC,

EVEN WHILE BRAVING POWERFUL UNDERTOWS

AND RISKS OF BITES FROM THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS

THAT FREQUENTLY FEED JUST OFF SHORE.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CALLS THE COAST OF POINT REYES

THE WINDIEST PLACE ON THE PACIFIC

AND ONE OF THE FOGGIEST ON THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT.

OVER THE CENTURIES, MANY SHIPS HAVE MET THEIR FATE

ALONG THIS STRETCH OF CALIFORNIA COAST.

♪

BUT IN 1870,

THE WATERS AROUND THE ENTRANCE TO SAN FRANCISCO BAY

GOT A LOT SAFER,

WHEN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

CONSTRUCTED POINT REYES LIGHTHOUSE.

THEY PLACED IT HERE,

ON A REMOTE SPOT AT THE TIP OF THE PENINSULA,

WHICH EXTENDS OUT TEN MILES INTO THE PACIFIC.

MANY OF THE PARTS FOR THE LIGHT CAME FROM FRANCE.

AFTER SHIPS DELIVERED THEM TO A NEARBY BAY,

OX CARTS CARRIED THEM THE REST OF THE WAY

OUT TO THESE ROCKY CLIFFS.

THE REASON POINT REYES LIGHT SITS 300 FEET ABOVE THE WATER

AND NOT ON TOP OF THE ROCKS ABOVE IT

IS BECAUSE IT HAD TO PLACED UNDER THE FOG LAYER

SO SHIPS WOULD BE ABLE TO SPOT ITS LIGHT

NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER.

TODAY, PLEASURE BOATERS, FISHERMEN,

AND CAPTAINS OF THE LARGEST CONTAINER SHIPS IN THE WORLD

ALL USE POINT REYES’ NOW AUTOMATED LIGHT

TO NAVIGATE SAFELY INTO SAN FRANCISCO.

IT’S 12:56 P.M. BACK IN THE EAST BAY,

AND A NEW MODEL 3 TESLA IS BEING RUN THROUGH ITS PACES

ON THIS TEST TRACK, HERE IN THE CITY OF FREMONT.

BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK MAY BE THE PUBLIC FACE

OF THESE LUXURY ELECTRIC CARS TODAY,

BUT THE COMPANY WAS ACTUALLY FOUNDED

BY TWO LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

NAMED MARTIN EBERHARD AND MARC TARPENNING BACK IN 2003.

THEY HAD DREAMS OF BUILDING

THE WORLD’S FIRST MASS-PRODUCED ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR.

MUSK WAS AN EARLY INVESTOR,

AND IN 2008, THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS LEFT TESLA.

TWO YEARS LATER, THE COMPANY WENT PUBLIC

AND TOOK OVER A RECENTLY SHUTTERED AUTO PLANT

HERE IN FREMONT THAT WAS OWNED BY GENERAL MOTORS AND TOYOTA.

IT WAS RETOOLED AND REBRANDED AS THE TESLA FACTORY

AND WAS SOON PRODUCING THE COMPANY’S MODEL S.

IT’S NOW THE ONLY PRODUCTION SITE OF THE NEW MODEL 3.

BAY AREA CITIES HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES

OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE NATION,

BUT THIS IS STILL ONE OF AMERICA’S BIGGEST OIL HUBS.

IT’S 2:32 P.M., AND A TANKER LOADED WITH CRUDE

IS ON ITS WAY INTO PORT.

CREWS ON SHIPS LIKE THESE GET SPECTACULAR VIEWS

OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE FROM BELOW.

♪

WITH FIVE REFINERIES, THE BAY AREA

IS THE SECOND LARGEST OIL REFINING CENTER

IN THE WESTERN U.S., AFTER LOS ANGELES.

THERE ARE SO MANY TANKERS HERE,

SOME OFTEN HAVE TO DROP ANCHOR IN THE BAY

AS THEY WAIT TO BE CALLED INTO PORT.

EVERY DAY ON AVERAGE, TWO SHIPS LIKE THESE

DOCK HERE AT RICHMOND’S LONG WHARF.

AND TOWERING OVER THE WATER,

STORAGE TANKS FOR OIL AND GAS BLANKET RICHMOND’S HILLS.

TODAY, CREWS ARE RACING TO DOCK THEIR SUPERTANKER

AND CONNECT IT TO THE PIPELINES

THAT WILL CARRY THE CRUDE TO SHORE.

♪

KEEPING VESSELS, CREWS, AND PASSENGERS IN THE BAY

SAFE FROM TERRORISM AND OTHER THREATS

IS THE JOB OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD.

THIS FEDERAL AGENCY OPERATES

OUT OF WHAT’S KNOWN AS COAST GUARD ISLAND.

IT LIES BETWEEN THE ISLAND CITY OF ALAMEDA

AND THE CITY OF OAKLAND.

PERSONNEL, SHIPS, AND HELICOPTERS ON THIS ISLAND

SUPPORT U.S. COAST GUARD OPERATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IT’S 2:45 P.M., AND ON THE WESTERN END OF THE ISLAND,

AN AIRCREW IS PREPARING TO LIFT OFF.

WHEN THE U.S. COAST GUARD GETS A CALL

OF A POTENTIAL EXPLOSIVES THREAT

ON A SHIP IN THE WATERS OFF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,

IT CAN QUICKLY DEPLOY FROM THIS BASE

TO INVESTIGATE THE THREAT.

BUT THIS COAST GUARD TEAM ISN’T JUST MADE UP OF HUMANS.

COAST GUARD ISLAND IS ALSO HOME TO AN ELITE TEAM

OF EXPLOSIVES DETECTION K-9s.

THESE DOGS ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED

TO HOIST FROM HELICOPTERS ONTO MOVING VESSELS

SO THEY CAN SNIFF OUT EXPLOSIVES LONG BEFORE THE SHIP

GETS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

THIS DOG’S NAME IS RICKY.

HE’S A BELGIAN MALINOIS,

A BREED THAT’S OFTEN PREFERRED BY THOSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

BECAUSE MALINOISES ARE KNOWN

TO BE INTELLIGENT, HARDWORKING, AND OBEDIENT,

AND THEY LOVE TO PLAY.

BEFORE EVERY FLIGHT,

RICKY’S HANDLER, PETTY OFFICER JORDAN BROSOWSKY,

ALLOWS HIM TO PLAY WITH HIS FAVORITE TOY

SO HE KNOWS THERE’LL BE A REWARD AFTER THE MISSION AHEAD.

EACH OF THESE DOGS HAD TO BE

CAREFULLY MATCHED AND TESTED WITH THEIR HANDLER

TO MAKE SURE THEY’LL BE STRONG LIFELONG TEAMS.

THEY STAY TOGETHER FOREVER,

EVEN AFTER THEY BOTH RETIRE FROM THE COAST GUARD.

♪

AS SOON AS THE AIRCREW ON BOARD IS DONE WITH ITS SAFETY CHECKS,

IT’S TIME FOR THE DOGS TO GET ON BOARD.

SPECIALLY DESIGNED GOGGLES AND EAR PROTECTION

WILL HELP KEEP THEM CALM

FOR THEIR AERIAL ADVENTURE AHEAD.

USUALLY THESE OFFICERS AND THEIR DOGS ARE TASKED

WITH PROTECTING SAN FRANCISCO’S FERRIES.

TODAY, THEY’RE HEADING OUT

TO PRACTICE LANDINGS ON A MOVING VESSEL.

DOWN ON THE WATER,

THE TARGET IS ALREADY IN POSITION.

THE AIRCREW CIRCLES FIRST TO DETERMINE WIND SPEED,

WAVE HEIGHT, AND OTHER FACTORS

THAT COULD IMPACT THE SAFETY OF THE EXERCISE.

TODAY, PETTY OFFICER CORY SUMNER AND HIS DOG FECO

WILL GO FIRST.

THEY’LL BE TIGHTLY STRAPPED TOGETHER

THROUGHOUT THEIR VERTICAL DELIVERY ONTO THE SHIP.

FECO IS A HUNGARIAN VIZSLA,

A BREED THAT’S KNOWN TO HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY.

THEY ARE ALSO GREAT HUNTERS.

BUT AS SOON AS THEY START THEIR HOIST,

IT’S CLEAR THAT ONE OF FECO’S OTHER TALENTS

IS REMAINING COOL AS HE RACES THROUGH THE AIR

OVER THE CHILLY WATERS OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

IT TOOK ALMOST FOUR MONTHS OF TRAINING

TO GET FECO COMFORTABLE

WITH HOISTING FROM A MOVING HELICOPTER.

CORY PRACTICED WITH HIM FIRST ON LAND,

HOISTING FROM TOWERS,

BEFORE FECO’S PAWS EVER SET FOOT ON A SHIP OR AIRCRAFT.

IT TAKES AN EXPERIENCED PILOT TO DELIVER THESE K-9 UNITS

SAFELY ONTO THE DECK OF A VESSEL LIKE THIS ONE.

IF THEY GET TANGLED IN A BOAT’S RIGGING,

THE AIRCREW ABOVE COULD HAVE TO CUT THE CABLE.

CORY’S EXERCISE WITH FECO IS A SUCCESS.

NOW IT’S TIME FOR JORDAN AND RICKY.

ON THE WAY DOWN,

JORDAN REASSURES RICKY THAT HE’S DOING A GREAT JOB.

TODAY, THESE EXPLOSIVES DETECTION TEAMS

WILL MAKE TWO DROPS EACH

AS PART OF A REGULAR TRAINING ROUTINE

THAT KEEPS THEM READY TO RESPOND TO POTENTIAL THREATS 24-7.

♪

WHEN YOU SPEND A DAY IN THE SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO,

IT’S SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE PARTS OF THE CITY

AND ITS LANDMARKS,

THANKS TO SAN FRANCISCO’S FAMOUS FOG.

THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS FOG IS WHAT’S CALLED A MARINE LAYER.

WHEN COOL WET WINDS BLOW IN FROM THE PACIFIC,

THEY MEET WARMER AIR FROM THE LAND AROUND SAN FRANCISCO.

AS THAT WARM AIR RISES, IT SUCKS THE COOL WETTER AIR

INTO THE ENTRANCE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

THE TOWERS AND CABLES AT THE TOP OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

ARE OFTEN COMPLETELY OBSCURED BY FOG.

AND WHEN THE FOG ROLLS OVER THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO,

STRANGE THINGS CAN HAPPEN.

THE HILLS CAN BLOCK THE FOG

AND HOLD IT OVER ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR HOURS.

IT’S WHY SOME AREAS OF SAN FRANCISCO,

LIKE THE MISSION

OR THE CITY’S LEGENDARY CASTRO DISTRICT,

CAN BE BRIGHT AND SUNNY WHILE OTHERS ARE GRAY AND COLD.

THE SAN FRANCISCANS WHO SPEND THE MOST TIME IN THE FOG

LIVE CLOSEST TO THE PACIFIC, HERE ALONG OCEAN BEACH.

MUCH OF THE TIME, THIS BEACH IS COMPLETELY FOGGED IN,

AND THAT’S WHY, AS SOON AS THE SUN’S OUT,

SAN FRANCISCANS FLOCK

TO THIS STUNNING THREE-MILE STRETCH OF SAND.

IT’S A POPULAR SPOT FOR YOGA

AS THE SUN STARTS TO DROP OVER THE WATERS OF THE PACIFIC.

PARTS OF SAN FRANCISCO MAY BE FULL OF HILLS

AND TERRIFYINGLY STEEP STREETS,

BUT NOT OUT HERE,

IN A NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWN AS THE SUNSET,

WITH ITS LONG STRAIGHT AVENUES

LINED WITH HOUSES THAT SLOPE DOWN TO THE SEA.

BUT THIS PART OF SAN FRANCISCO ALSO HOLDS

ONE OF THE CITY’S GREATEST TREASURES--

A VAST PROTECTED AREA OF TREES, FIELDS, AND PATHS

THAT’S KNOWN AS GOLDEN GATE PARK.

IT COVERS MORE THAN 1,000 ACRES,

WHICH MAKES IT LARGER THAN NEW YORK CITY’S CENTRAL PARK.

AT ITS HEART IS THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

WITH ITS LIVING ROOF, IT WAS DESIGNED TO LOOK

LIKE A PIECE OF THE PARK HAD SIMPLY BEEN LIFTED UP

SO A BUILDING COULD BE PLACED UNDERNEATH IT.

AND INSIDE THIS HIGH-TECH SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE

ARE MORE THAN 20 MILLION SPECIMENS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

THAT DOCUMENT THE WONDER OF LIFE ON EARTH.

BUT GOLDEN GATE PARK ITSELF IS A WONDER OF ITS OWN.

IT WAS CREATED IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY

TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS OF THIS INCREASINGLY CROWDED CITY,

WITH MUCH NEEDED GREEN SPACE.

AT THE TIME,

THIS AREA WAS LITTLE MORE THAN DUNES AND SANDY SCRUB.

CREATING A PARK HERE REQUIRED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FRESH WATER.

TO GET IT CHEAPLY,

PARK OFFICIALS BUILT TWO WINDMILLS TO PUMP WATER

FROM AQUIFERS DEEP UNDER THE CITY,

WHICH SOON TRANSFORMED THE DUNES HERE

INTO ONE OF THE GREATEST URBAN PARKS IN THE NATION.

TO THE NORTH OF GOLDEN GATE PARK

IS A ROCKY COASTAL AREA

SAN FRANCISCANS KNOW AS LANDS END.

BEFORE THIS PART OF SAN FRANCISCO WAS DEVELOPED,

IT TOOK A FEW HOURS TO GET HERE FROM THE CITY ON HORSEBACK.

BUT WEALTHY DEVELOPERS SAW THIS REMOTE STRETCH OF COAST

AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

IT’S 4:24 P.M.,

AND TOURISTS ARE CLAMBERING OVER THE RUINS

OF WHAT USED TO BE

ONE OF SAN FRANCISCO’S MOST GLAMOROUS SITES.

IN 1894, ADOLPH SUTRO, A WEALTHY SAN FRANCISCAN,

BUILT AN ENORMOUS PUBLIC BATH COMPLEX

BELOW THE CLIFFS OF LANDS END.

HE NAMED IT AFTER HIMSELF-- SUTRO BATHS.

UNDER A TOWERING WOODEN AND IRON STRUCTURE COVERED IN GLASS

WERE SEVEN LARGE HEATED POOLS OF SEAWATER,

WITH DIVING PLATFORMS, SLIDES,

AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER ENTERTAINMENT.

IT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD 20,000 PEOPLE AT A TIME,

AND YOU COULD EVEN TAKE SUTRO’S OWN STREETCAR LINE

FROM THE CITY TO GET HERE.

ENTIRE FAMILIES OFTEN FLOCKED TO SUTRO BATHS ON THE WEEKENDS

TO RENT BATHING SUITS AND TOWELS

AND SPEND THEIR DAYS IN THE WARM WATER

PERCHED OVER THE PACIFIC COAST.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SAN FRANCISCO’S VERSION

OF NEW YORK CITY’S CONEY ISLAND.

BUT AFTER SUTRO DIED IN 1898, THE BATHS DECLINED

AND WERE EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO AN ICE SKATING RINK.

A FIRE IN 1966 DESTROYED WHAT STRUCTURES REMAINED.

IT’S NOW PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.

♪

IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SAN FRANCISCO AND ITS BAY

WITHOUT ONE PARTICULAR GROUP OF FERRIES.

EVERY DAY THEY HEAD OUT TO DROP OFF THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS

ON THE FORMER ISLAND PRISON OF ALCATRAZ.

NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHAT THIS ISLAND WAS USED FOR

HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO,

BUT NATIVE AMERICAN LORE CLAIMS

THAT IT WAS A PLACE OF EVIL SPIRITS

AND WAS TO BE AVOIDED.

IN 1848, AT THE END OF THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR,

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TOOK POSSESSION OF CALIFORNIA

AND SOON BUILT A FORT ON ALCATRAZ

TO GUARD THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO.

BUT BY 1861,

IT WAS BEING USED AS A MILITARY PRISON.

IT’S BEEN AMERICA’S MOST LEGENDARY LOCKUP EVER SINCE.

♪

EVERY DAY, THOUSANDS COME HERE

TO IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO DO TIME

ON THIS CURSED ISLAND.

LOOKING BACK FROM ALCATRAZ TO SAN FRANCISCO,

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW THREE PRISONERS HERE

MANAGED TO ESCAPE IN 1962

AND WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM

TO SURVIVE THE COLD WATERS OF THE BAY, IF THEY DID.

SO FAR, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN FOUND.

THE NEXT YEAR, IN MARCH 1963,

PRISON AUTHORITIES EMPTIED THE CELLS,

SHUT THE PRISON’S DOORS,

AND THEN DECLARED ALCATRAZ TO BE SURPLUS FEDERAL PROPERTY.

A FEW YEARS LATER IN 1969,

NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVISTS OCCUPIED THE ISLAND,

CALLING ON THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

TO PLACE IT BACK INTO NATIVE AMERICAN HANDS.

BUT FEDERAL AUTHORITIES EVENTUALLY REMOVED

ALL OF THE PROTESTORS,

AND ALCATRAZ WAS OPENED TO THE PUBLIC FOR TOURS IN 1973.

♪

ALCATRAZ MAY NO LONGER HOUSE INMATES,

BUT THERE’S ANOTHER NOTORIOUS PRISON

ON THE SHORES OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

IT’S CALLED SAN QUENTIN.

♪

SAN QUENTIN STATE PRISON IS WELL-KNOWN FOR HOUSING

SOME OF CALIFORNIA’S MOST FAMOUS CONVICTS,

FROM COUNTRY SINGER MERLE HAGGARD

TO CULT LEADER CHARLES MANSON.

MANY OF THE STATE’S MOST VIOLENT CRIMINALS END UP HERE.

♪

BUT THOSE ON GOOD BEHAVIOR

GET THE CHANCE TO PLAY COMPETITIVE SPORTS.

THE PRISON’S BASKETBALL TEAM

CALLS ITSELF THE SAN QUENTIN WARRIORS,

AFTER THE FAMOUS NBA TEAM FROM NEARBY OAKLAND.

PRISONERS HAVE TO PROVE THEY HAVE THE SKILL IT TAKES

BEFORE THEY CAN JOIN THE WARRIORS TEAM.

SOMETIMES THEY PLAY AGAINST TEAMS FROM OUTSIDE THE PRISON,

INCLUDING EVEN THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS THEMSELVES.

SAN QUENTIN INMATES ALSO COMPETE IN FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL

HERE ON THE THESE OUTDOOR FIELDS.

AND INSIDE, SOME PRISONERS NOW SPEND THEIR DAYS

PRODUCING THE AWARD-WINNING PODCAST "EAR HUSTLE,"

WHICH DOCUMENTS PRISON LIFE

THROUGH THE VOICES AND POWERFUL STORIES

OF THOSE DOING TIME HERE.

♪

SAN QUENTIN IS THE OLDEST STATE PRISON IN CALIFORNIA

AND DATES BACK TO THE DAYS OF THE GOLD RUSH,

WHEN SAN FRANCISCO WAS STILL A FRONTIER TOWN

FULL OF ROWDY PROSPECTORS.

THIS PRISON OPENED ITS DOORS TO CALIFORNIA’S CONVICTS IN 1852.

BUT NOT EVERY INMATE AT SAN QUENTIN

IS ALLOWED TO PLAY COMPETITIVE SPORTS.

MANY ARE CONFINED TO A MUCH SMALLER EXERCISE AREA

ON THE PRISON’S SOUTH SIDE.

SAN QUENTIN IS KNOWN TO HAVE

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SOLITARY CONFINEMENT UNITS IN THE NATION.

THE PRISON CALLS IT THEIR ADJUSTMENT CENTER.

MANY DEATH ROW INMATES AND FORMER GANG MEMBERS

SPEND DAYS AND EVEN YEARS IN SOLITARY.

WHEN THEY ARE ALLOWED OUTSIDE,

THEY ARE CONFINED TO INDIVIDUAL CAGES

ON THE PRISON’S EAST SIDE.

THEY CAN STILL EXERCISE HERE BUT ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO INTERACT

WITH THEIR FELLOW DEATH ROW INMATES VERBALLY

FROM A DISTANCE.

THERE ARE ROUGHLY 20 WOMEN ON DEATH ROW IN CALIFORNIA,

BUT THEY AREN’T HOUSED HERE AT SAN QUENTIN.

NEXT DOOR TO THE CAGES,

TUCKED INTO THE CORNER OF THE MAIN BUILDING,

IS THE STATE’S EXECUTION CHAMBER.

IT WAS COMMISSIONED, SECRETLY, BY ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

WHEN HE WAS CALIFORNIA’S GOVERNOR.

THE LAST EXECUTION HERE WAS IN 2006.

IN 2016, CALIFORNIA VOTERS REJECTED A PROPOSITION

TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY IN THEIR STATE,

WHICH MEANS THIS DEATH CHAMBER COULD GET USED AGAIN.

♪

WHEN THE SUN FINALLY SETS OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY,

ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO APPRECIATE

THE DAZZLING COMBINATION OF WATER, LAND, AND LIGHT HERE

IS FROM THE SKIES ABOVE THE BAY’S MARSHES AND WETLANDS.

♪

EVERY YEAR, THESE WATERY HABITATS ARE HOME

TO MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF MILLION MIGRATORY BIRDS.

SHOREBIRDS FROM ALASKA AND CANADA OFTEN WINTER HERE

BECAUSE OF THE BAY AREA’S MILD CLIMATE.

MANY OTHER SPECIES JUST STOP OFF HERE

ON THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATIONS SOUTH TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

♪

BUT THIS SHORELINE IS ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE OLDEST INDUSTRIES

IN AND AROUND SAN FRANCISCO--

THE PRODUCTION OF SEA SALT.

ONCE, MOST OF THE SHORELINE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY

WAS USED FOR SALT PRODUCTION.

TODAY, THAT FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO JUST 8,000 ACRES

HERE ON THE SHORES OF THE CITY OF FREMONT.

MUCH OF THE WORK THAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE SALT

IS DONE BY SUN, WIND, AND TIDES, NOT BY HUMAN LABOR.

FIRST, WORKERS FILL UP THE SALT PONDS WITH SEAWATER

IN THE LATE SPRING.

THEN, THEY LET WIND AND SUN EVAPORATE THE WATER

SO IT TURNS INTO A SALTY BRINE.

OVER THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOW,

THE BRINE IS MOVED FROM POND TO POND BY PUMPS AND GRAVITY

SO IT CAN EVAPORATE EVEN MORE AND GET SALTIER AND SALTIER.

THE BRILLIANT COLORS OF EACH POND ARE CREATED

BY THE UNIQUE MICROORGANISMS THAT INHABIT IT.

THE RED COMES FROM TINY ALGAE AND BRINE SHRIMP.

WHEN THE BRINE IS ABOUT 25 PERCENT SALT,

THAT’S WHEN IT STARTS TO CRYSTALIZE.

IN THE FALL, THE REMAINING WATER IS DRAINED AWAY,

AND THAT’S WHEN THE SALT IS READY FOR HARVESTING.

IT’S A MAD RACE TO GATHER ALL THE SALT

BEFORE THE RAINY SEASON,

SINCE RAIN WILL MELT THE CRYSTALS.

IT’S SCOOPED UP OFF THE FLOOR OF THE POND BY A SPECIAL HARVESTER.

♪

EVERY YEAR, CREWS HERE GATHER ABOUT A HALF A MILLION TONS

OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY SEA SALT.

TRUCKLOAD AFTER TRUCKLOAD MAKES ITS WAY TO A STORAGE AREA,

WHERE THE SALT IS COLLECTED IN GIANT MOUNDS.

FROM HERE, THESE CRYSTALS OF SEA SALT WILL BE WASHED

AND ULTIMATELY BAKED IN A KILN BEFORE BEING PACKED AND SOLD.

WHEN THESE SALT WORKERS FINALLY END THEIR SHIFTS AND HEAD HOME,

THEIR EVENING COMMUTE WILL LIKELY BE

JUST AS BRUTAL AS IT WAS AT DAWN.

FROM ABOVE, THE BAY AREA’S HIGHWAYS

LOOK LIKE PULSING VEINS.

BUT TONIGHT, SOME OF THESE DRIVERS

ARE HAPPY TO BE ON THE ROAD BECAUSE THEY’RE ON THEIR WAY

TO SEE THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

HEAD OUT ONTO THE COURT AND INTO BATTLE.

IT’S 8 P.M., AND COLORFUL MARQUEES AND SPOTLIGHTS

AT THE ORACLE ARENA IN OAKLAND HAVE BEEN SWITCHED ON.

THIS IS THE HOME STADIUM OF THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS.

THEY’VE ALREADY WON FIVE NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS,

INCLUDING A SPECTACULAR VICTORY IN 2017.

POINT GUARD STEPH CURRY IS THE WARRIORS’ BIGGEST STAR,

WINNING THE NBA’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER TWO YEARS RUNNING.

HE’S FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANOTHER WARRIORS LEGEND,

WILT CHAMBERLAIN, WHO LED THE TEAM TO VICTORY

WHEN IT WAS STILL A PENNSYLVANIA TEAM.

THE FRANCHISE MOVED TO THE BAY AREA IN 1962

AND CALLED ITSELF THE SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS

UNTIL 1971,

WHEN IT CHANGED ITS NAME ONE LAST TIME TO GOLDEN STATE.

WHENEVER THEY PLAY AT HOME, THE ENTIRE BAY AREA KNOWS

THAT THE WARRIORS ARE HEADING INTO BATTLE.

♪

BUT ONE OF SAN FRANCISCO’S BIGGEST NIGHTTIME SPECTACLES

DOESN’T REQUIRE TICKETS,

AND IT CAN ONLY BE SEEN FROM THE CITY ITSELF.

WHEN YOU LOOK UP FROM THE WATERFRONT AFTER DARK,

YOU QUICKLY REALIZE THAT THE LIGHTS

ON THE WESTERN END OF THE BAY BRIDGE

AREN’T ORDINARY BRIDGE LIGHTS.

THEY ARE ACTUALLY A LARGE-SCALE WORK OF ART

CALLED THE BAY LIGHTS

BY AN ARTIST NAMED LEO VILLAREAL.

THEY WERE FIRST INSTALLED IN 2013

TO COMMEMORATE THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAY BRIDGE

AND TO CELEBRATE THE STRUCTURE AND DESIGN

OF THIS SAN FRANCISCO ICON.

♪

THIS WORK WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE TEMPORARY,

BUT IT WAS SO POPULAR

THAT AN ARTIST ORGANIZATION IN SAN FRANCISCO

RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BRING IT BACK

AS A PERMANENT INSTALLATION STARTING IN 2016.

BUT SINCE IT REQUIRES AT LEAST 25,000 LED BULBS,

THIS LARGE-SCALE WORK OF ART

NEEDS A DEDICATED TEAM OF LIGHTING ENGINEERS

TO MAKE SURE IT’S ALL WORKING PROPERLY.

♪

IT’S 11:45 P.M.,

AND ON THE WESTERN SPAN OF THE BAY BRIDGE,

WORKERS ARE HEADING UP TO SERVICE THE BAY LIGHTS.

♪

SINCE THIS BRIDGE IS A KEY ARTERY FOR COMMUTERS,

THE BEST AND SAFEST TIME TO DO THIS WORK IS AT NIGHT,

SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO SHUT DOWN ENTIRE LANES OF TRAFFIC

DURING RUSH HOUR.

ON THE ROAD DECK, ONE TEAM IS USING A BUCKET TRUCK TO MOVE

FROM ONE VERTICAL STRING TO THE NEXT

TO CHECK AND SWAP OUT BURNT BULBS.

THEY USUALLY SPEND ABOUT SIX HOURS UP HERE

SUSPENDED OVER THE TRAFFIC BELOW.

BUT THE WORKERS TASKED WITH SERVICING THE LIGHTS

AT THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE NEED TO HAVE NERVES OF STEEL,

AND THEY HAVE TO BE SKILLED CLIMBERS.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE HIGHEST LIGHTS

IS TO WALK UP THE MASSIVE MAIN CABLES

THAT HOLD UP THE ROAD DECK.

EACH WORKER IS CLIPPED IN AT ALL TIMES

WITH TWO LANYARDS FOR SAFETY.

BUT THEY HAVE TO UNCLIP AND THEN RE-CLIP THEMSELVES

EVERY TIME THEY PASS ONTO A NEW SECTION OF CABLE.

IT GETS STEEPER AND STEEPER THE HIGHER THEY CLIMB.

ONE SLIP, AND THEY COULD END UP DANGLING BY A THREAD

NEARLY 50 STORIES OVER THE WATER BELOW.

FROM THE AIR, THEY CAN BE SPOTTED IN GLIMPSES

AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE DARKNESS

OF THIS SAN FRANCISCO NIGHT.

♪

WHILE MOST PEOPLE IN THIS CITY ARE ASLEEP,

THESE BRIDGE WORKERS ARE UP HERE,

RISKING THEIR LIVES HIGH IN THE SKY

TO MAKE SURE THE DAZZLING SPECTACLE

OF THE BAY LIGHTS KEEP BURNING BRIGHT.

♪

BY DAWN, WORKERS ON THE BAY AREA’S BRIDGES

HAVE HEADED FOR HOME.

AND JUST AS THE SUN COMES UP,

CAMPERS START WAKING UP ON A NEARLY DESERTED ISLAND

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

ALL OF ANGEL ISLAND IS A STATE PARK.

ONCE IT SERVED AS THE ELLIS ISLAND OF SAN FRANCISCO.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS

PASSED THROUGH THE IMMIGRATION STATION HERE.

NOW THE ONLY RESIDENTS OF ANGEL ISLAND ARE PARK RANGERS,

BUT EVERY NIGHT A FEW LUCKY CAMPERS,

WHO’VE MADE RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE,

GET THE CHANCE TO SPEND A NIGHT HERE, TOO,

AT ONE OF THE ISLAND’S 11 CAMPSITES,

AND AS SOON AS THEY PEEK OUT OF THEIR TENTS,

THEY HAVE A SPECTACULAR VIEW

OF ONE OF THE MOST CAPTIVATING CITIES IN AMERICA

AS ANOTHER DAY ON THE HILLS, WATER, AND BRIDGES

OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA BEGINS.

♪

♪