Saturday, August 11, 2012

Alcatraz

Alcatraz was really cool!  I highly recommend the tour.  It was funny while we were sailing past it I saw places where movie scenes were filmed.  Most recent in my memory was "The Rock" with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery.  I was also fascinated by Clint Eastwood's "Escape From Alcatraz".  It's been awhile but I also remember Burt Lancaster is "The Birdman Of Alcatraz".

The tour starts with a talk by a National Park spokes person laying down the rules and a brief history.
( I flash to Nevada Barr and her Anna Pigeon novels!  She needs to set one of her novels here and also at Crater Lake!!!)

We started out watching a documentary on Alcatraz in the oldest part of Alcatraz.  It was not always a prison!  It has quite the history!

Next we walked up the hill to do the listening tour with headphones.  I like the headphones.  I am hard of hearing and I appreciate being able to hear ALL information.  What is frustrating are the people who won't get a move on and block the view!

Once we were in the cell block the thing that surprised me the most was how small the actual cell block  corridors really are!  In the movies they look so big!





It was an hour tour.  Then it was time to board the boat back to the main land.  It was a very interesting tour with lots of history.  We were tired on the way back and I kept having teacher moment where I wanted to chastise children for their unsafe behavior on the boat.

We waited for over 30 minutes for a cable car to arrive and take us back.  Ha!  That was in vain.  We walked for about a mile till we got to the Ferry building.  We browsed the Open air market and finally picked up a trolley at the beginning of the line to get back to the Mark Hopkins.  Yes we stood there and saw trolley cars just parked.  Maybe three trolley cars parked is the secret clue for picking up passengers!




We got back in time for the Mark Hopkins' "Happy Hour".  We had many beverages and good food.  There was sushi, smoked fish, delicious cheeses, wings, fruit, and vegetables.  We settled into the couch and watch the Olympics.  It was a binge moment but fun.  We slept very well that night.

The next day was North Beach: the Italian district!

I would so like to be in SF right now seeing the sights.  I'm coming back, SF!

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