San Francisco 9-23-2009

After we checked into our room we decided to walk over to Pier 39 and see some of the sites. We enjoyed walking through many of the stores and eating at a few of the restaurants/eateries (Boudin Bakery and Cafe, which serves sourdough breads, sandwiches and salads; and Maui Wowi, that has wonderful Hawaiian smoothies.) The store Chocolate Heaven was amazing, they had chocolate from all over the world, plus some from the Sweet's Candy Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. However it was over priced, so we didn't buy anything.

One of the attractions at Pier 39 is the sea lions, I was amazed by how many there were! They are quite a noisy and stinky bunch, unfortunately we could smell them, even before we saw them.

In the afternoon we took the tour to Alcatraz Island. I did not know that it had been a military fort long before it was ever a prison. The prison closed in 1963, and the island was dormant for six years. In November 1969 American Indians seized the island and claimed it as Indian Land. By June 1971 the remaining Indians on Alcatraz were removed by Federal marshals. I had no idea that Alcatraz Island had such a history other than being a prison.

We saw quite a bit of Alcatraz, but I wish we would have had a little more time there to view other areas other than the Cellhouse. We stayed on the island as long as we could, but had to leave to catch the last boat back to shore, and so we were not able to see the Gardens of Alcatraz. However while there we did listen to the Cellhouse Audio tour which makes the history of the prison all the more real. I would have hated to be a prisoner there, it would have been awful! The tour contains the actual voices of correctional officers and inmates who lived on the island while it was a prison, and was very interesting.


The famous sea lions of Pier 39.


My mom with a view of Alcatraz Island in the background.


Alcatraz Island. Indians occupied the island for about 19 months, beginning in Nov. 1969.

A Tommy gun.

Outside the Cell House Tour entrance.

One of the cells in Alcatraz.


A cell in D-Block (the Segregation or Treatment Unit).

Looking towards San Francisco from Alcatraz Island.

The Warden's House. It was built in the 1920's, and was originally the home of the military prison commandant. In 1970, fire swept through the abandoned building, leaving the shell, pictured below.

Road from the cell house to the dock.


Post Exchange/Officers' Club. When Alcatraz Island was a military base, this building housed the Post Exchange (PX) or "Soldiers' Clubhouse". Built in 1910, when Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934, the PX was converted into a recreation hall and officers' club. The building was one of of the several destroyed by fire in June 1970.