Once you reach the prison on the top of the island they give you head phones for an audio tour.
Entering the Main Prison door.
This is Bradley with his head phones taking the tour. It was nice because you can push stop and stay in one area longer if you would like. This allows you get all the info about the tour at your own pace. It also kept Bradley busy. He felt so big having his own head phones. (I think they gave him one in Chinese.) This is in one of the cell blocks.
This is one of the regular cells. It is really small! The solitary confinement cells are much bigger.
During the tour they talked about some of the escape attempts. This one shows how three prisoners made wax heads to fool the guards, then they widened the hole for the vent and escaped through the maintenance area to the roof. They never saw or heard from them again. The guards thought they drowned in the bay, but the inmates think they went to South American.
This plaque talks about another escape attempt where some guards where killed. Some of the prisoners who planned the escaped where killed after a long stand off with the military, and the remaining prisoners where tried and executed.
This shows the most famous prisoners who were sent to Alcatraz.
This is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge on the left and Alcatraz on the right as we were leaving on the ferry. Alcatraz is only about a mile out from San Francisco. I can understand why the prisoners tried to escape by swimming. The prisoners could hear the sounds of the city especially at night or on New Years. It must have been hard for them to hear people laughing and enjoying life while they were stuck on the "Rock!"
Alcatraz Island or the "Rock!"
Alcatraz is behind my large head! I don't know why the boys wouldn't smile they really did have fun on the boat ride.
After our trip to Alcatraz we explored Pier 39. Our favorite thing were the seals! They were just camped out there sun bathing. Some of them were really big!! That speed boat in the background is actually a tour boat. It will take you all around the bay.
Bradley looking out at the seals.
Daniel was mesmerized by the seals. He cried when we made him leave.
Looking down at San Francisco Bay from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Starting to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is at a park on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge looking back south.San Francisco definitely has some thing about it that draws you to it. If it weren't for all those people! We enjoyed our trip and plan to go again.
3 comments:
Looks and sounds like you had a fun time. I hope you ate some yummy sourdough bread!
This is one of those places I have always wanted to go! It is so neat. I have been to several places in CA, but not to San Fran. I'd love to visit the "Rock." It has such an interesting story to tell. And how fun to ride the ferry!
What a fun trip! I want to go see that prison! Paul has been wanting to take me to San Francisco forever, now we have to go! That was interesting seeing there escape attempts, especially since Paul just worked at a prison. His wasn't as cool as that though!
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