Go Directly to Jail - Tourist Part 2

Meredythe wanted to spend two days in San Francisco touring a long list of places. So the first day, I suggested we take the Caltrain up as parking and driving in the city is NOT fun. Now, if you don't know Meredythe, let me fill you in on some of her endearing qualities. She LOVES to sleep. We discussed BEFORE she came out that she wouldn't see much if she slept the entire time she was here. So she made a tremendous effort to be up and ready to go at a reasonable hour most days. Unfortunately, our day to San Francisco by train was not one of those days. So we didn't get to the city until 1pm. We hiked over to Powell St and caught the cable car at the start of the route that goes through Union Square and over the hills to Fisherman's Wharf. I suggest that if you ever want to do the cable cars, do it this way. The line at Fisherman's Wharf is HUGE. We toured and tasted at Ghirardelli Square (delicious!) and walked through Fisherman's Wharf (pure kitsch!) and then hiked up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. And, yes, we saw and heard the parrots. And yes, we rode the creaky old elevator to the top of the tower to see the views. And yes, we admired the 1930's WPA murals on the walls in the base of the tower. And then it was time to jump on a bus and head back to the train station for the return to San Jose.
To complete the still-long list of places-to-see in the second day (and because we were staying in the city for dinner and a show), we drove. I dragged Meredythe out of bed, poured coffee into her and stuffed her in the car. We had tickets for the 11:30am boat out to Alcatraz and we had to find a place to park. So I wanted to get to the pier area early. We made it on the boat with time to spare. As you cross the 1.6 miles of cold windy water, you are greeted by empty derelict buildings clinging to the windy rocks. Alcatraz was first a military outpost to protect the bay. It was then used as a military prison until 1934 when it was turned into a federal penitentiary. It was closed in 1963. It also has the oldest lighthouse on the West Coast (which still functions today). As part of your entrance ticket, you get an audio tour with former prison guards as narrators.

Walking through the corridors of cells - which are VERY small - and seeing the narrow cot, metal fold-down table and seat, and toilet and sink was a bit unsettling. It is hard to imagine spending year after year in such a small space and having guards watch you sleep, read, and go to the bathroom. It made the Mouse House look very spacious and private. On the tour, you hear about the 1945 or 46 big shoot out - prisoners tried to escape, overpowered the guards and took several hostage. The Marines were called in and dropped tear gas and other explosive things (the narrator tells you to look at the cement floor in the space between the 2 corridors of cells to see the damage to the cement caused by the explosions). And you look into the cell where several of the guards were held captive by the prisoners. One prisoner started shooting into the cell and killed one of the guards. His photo and a vase of flowers are displayed inside the cell where he died. You also hear about the only "successful" escape from the island. In 1962, 3 prisoners made dummy heads, tucked them in their beds and crawled out the vents in the back of their cells. They made it over the roofs and to the beach. They planned to swim the 1.6 miles to the city. But they were never found or heard from again. The water temperature and very fast currents make the swim almost impossible.

Just when I thought that life for the prisoners was pretty bad, we arrived in D Block. These sets of cells were used when prisoners misbehaved. The bottom cells could be closed up so that they were completely dark. One prisoner stated that he would tear a button off his shirt, drop it on the floor and then hunt for it in the dark. When he found it, he would drop it again. The Birdman of Alcatraz was often housed here as he was very rowdy and hard to control.

While the cells were a bit depressing, the grounds were lovely. Prisoners were allowed out in an exercise yard. From this space, you have an amazing view of the Golden Gate bridge and San Francisco. It must have been hard to see and occasionally hear all the life and freedom and not have any. Some prisoners were allowed to create gardens. Along the western side of the prison, the space from the prison to just above the water has been turned into beautiful terraced gardens. The prison also had a library and prisoners could earn privileges allowing them to have books, paints and other recreational materials.

In 1969, after the prison had been closed, American Indians took the island over and held it for 19 months. They were protesting the treatment of Native Americans by the Federal government. This take-over is credited as the start of several other successful protests that led to the beginning of reform.
The island is now a national park and bird sanctuary. We were not allowed access to several places on the island as it was nesting time. The gulls, cormorants and egrets use Alcatraz as a major breeding site. We came across many nests in the areas we were allowed to go. The gull eggs were a beautiful green with brown spots. But, most interesting of all, was learning that the prison guards' families lived on the island with the guards. Apartments with utilities included were cheap and wives could take the boat into San Francisco making this a popular place to work. Children took the ferry to the mainland for school every day. And with the way the island is divided, the families had no access to the prisoners. When asked, families said that they felt safer here than in the city.
When the audio tour was complete, I looked for Meredythe (we got separated as her audio tour equipment wasn't working properly). I found a sunny bench and sat enjoying the view... and watching the birds..... and looking at my watch..... And then using the great modern invention of the cell phone, I tracked her down. She was able to join a group touring the upper floors of the prison where the hospital was. Apparently Al Capone had third stage syphilis and was very ill and very crazy. He spent quite a bit of time in a cell in the hospital ward. She finally showed up and wanted to see ALL the out buildings. So off we trudged to the derelict building where inmates had worked.... and the newer industries building where inmates worked.... and the social hall where families could go bowling and have a soda..... and the warden's house which is just a shell as it burned down..... and I looked at my watch and noted that it was 5:30. I suggested we head to the dock to catch a boat back. And as we headed there, we HAD to investigate the old military parts from the mid 1800's and look down the hole used as a jail and check out the cannons and take a picture of that amazing tree and wait - what about that building over there? And as we got to the dock, we watched the boat happily heading back to the city. Oh well. The last boat is still left.
I learned something more about Meredythe. She is a THOROUGH tourist. And keep the list of things to see VERY short. And pack a lunch and water and any other survival gear you might need. It could be a long day.