California Fly-Drive

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Day 2

We got up to damp foggy weather so packed our water-proofs for the ferry- we were heading to Pier 33 to follow the damp journey of many of America's most wanted to its highest security prison on Alcatraz. This island which stands in full view of the inhabitants of peaceful freedom loving San Francisco had long been a prison and military installation but became infamous by design in face of rising crime in the 20s and 30s. The plan was to house the most infamous, the most unruly and those repeated escape artists in a place of extreme hardship to stand out in front of the public and be a deterrent to criminals. They used to say that if you break the rules you go to jail; break the prison rules and you go to Alcatraz.

The trip over was atmospheric, cold and damp. The guides welcomed us and instructed us on the rules. We made our way up to the prison accommodation and collected the recorded tour headphones. With this we were guided round the cell blocks, told stories of conditions, famous prisoners, the isolation wing and of course the famous escapes! After that we waited for a volunteer (ex teacher) to regale us with tales of famous prisoners - the Birdman and Al Capone.

It was a fascinating experience. Alcatraz was closed in 1968 in the face of negative public opinion after well publicised escape attempts but mainly due to financial constraints. The Island stands out in the bay especially in the evening sun and there is no doubt the residents of San Francisco resented it and many mothers lived in fear of an escaped maniac reeking havoc on the local population.



From Alcatraz we headed to pier 39 where we had a mexican lunch over-looking the marina and then had a disorientating stumble through the world of mirrors. We were then impressed by a street entertainer who was funny, had good balance and knew how to get the money in.



We returned on the street car to the hotel in time for happy hour and Ava had her deep bubble bath. We made plans for tomorrow and booked our bikes on line for the big day ahead

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