Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Alcatraz, San Francisco, CA

The second day of our vacation to San Francisco, we took the ferry over to Alcatraz to look around. We took the self-guided audio tour through the jailhouse and grounds. The place has an amazing story and it's truly an interesting place to check out.




View of Alcatraz Island from the ferry



The sign that greets you as the ferry pulls in




The family posing for a picture. I have no idea where Clara learned to pose...




The apartment building/school house




Looking down at the school house




The island housed many beautiful flowers and birds on the grounds




Jonathan stopped at these flowers and told me, "Take my picture, mom". So I sat him up on the wall and he immediately turned around and started sniffing the flowers...




...(click to enlarge this one) Apparently, he didn't think they smelled so great!




Finally, posing for the picture




View of Angel Island from Alcatraz




Another view from Alcatraz (that's still Angel Island up on the right)




Stairs up to the jailhouse




The Jailhouse




A couple of the cells




Looking into a cell




Looking up




Can you imagine only seeing that much daylight?...I feel claustrophobic in my house when all the blinds are closed!




Cell with a cot




Cot with no mattress -- doesn't look too comfy does it?




Block D -- Solitary Confinement




Jonathan on the potty in solitary!




Plaque that tells of the biggest escape attempt at Alcatraz




Pock marks in the floor from the canons fired into to Alcatraz as a result of that escape attempt




Visitation




Visitation Rules




Administration Office




Ironically, the views outside the jailhouse were phenomenal. This is the Bay Bridge.




Looking back at San Francisco. (If you enlarge it, you'll see how steep the streets are in San Fran).




The Golden Gate Bridge




I've never been to Chicago, but I can't help but wonder how it managed to beat out San Fran for the title 'Windy City'




Alcatraz Lighthouse




Water Tower




Warden's House




Posing in front of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge




Golden Gate Bridge in the background again.


As we were waiting to board the ferry to go to Alcatraz, they had this station set up where they took everyone's picture as a souvenir. They had the pics ready for purchase when we came back from the island. Ours turned out pretty good!

2 comments:

  1. During World War II my mother's brother, Robert Wimpling, was in teh marine Corps. He was an MP, and he looked like a typical Marine. He was tall and muscular. He was also a wonderful person and a very special uncle. I have pictures of him that to me Jonathan looks a like like him--I have always said Jonathan looks like the Wimplins. Uncle Bob was a guard at Alcatraz, and was there for one of the escapes. If you still have the "book" I made about my mother's family you can read in it about his time in the Marines and at Alcatraz. There are also some really cool websites online about Alcatraz that tell an amazing story about teh inmates and Warden Johnson.

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  2. it's a GREAT family pic! David & I went to San Fran for a day the year before Josiah was born. it was so fun - there was SO much to see. I was so surprised by how cold and windy it was - so strange! Glad you got to do it!

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