Day 4 pt 2 Alcatraz

Hello readers. Sorry for the day off, I actually had all of the pictures loaded up for this entry yesterday, but found myself too tired to write in the captions. I end up writing a lot of these posts at times that should be past my bed time, and as a result they tend to be filled with typos galore.
Anyway, lets continue where I left off, shall we?
The official Alcatraz experience begins as they unloaded the boat (which is rocking in the current as they unload it) onto a wharf. Adjacent to this wharf is a basement level entry to an older building that dates back to the civil war era. Part of this is dedicated to a bookstore, and visitors center. A guide greets us when we arrive giving us a brief synopsis of the history of the island. The guide was a young college aged man, and Kate made the comment that she couldn't imagine having to give the same speech over and over again all day long. In a typical response for me, I said I didn't think that it seemed like that bad of a gig, especially for a student/ summer job. But then of course I usually washed dishes or was a cashier at a grocery store. One story in the colorful history of Alcatraz is made very evident by graffiti on the side of this older building proclaiming "This is Indian Land". Apparently in 1969 an 18 month occupation of the abandoned island occurred when Native Americans took a stand there as a political statement.

Moving along we made a hike up a snaking road to the entrance of the prison which was further up the hill. There was actually one of those golf-cart pulled trains that was available to help senior citizens make the trek. Here we entered the prison in what was the showering area (yes entering through the showering room, just like in Shawshank Redemption). We picked up our complementary audio guide headphones which the guide claimed were available in "every language". I was partially tempted to ask for Swahili or perhaps even Romanian to test this, but then I thought better of it.
The first cell we saw. No bed for whatever reason. Dull green walls, this place has the same kind of decor as the Catholic school that I attended grades K through 3rd at (sans chalk board and God themed Bulletin board of course)!

This cell block (That's a nice shade of pink isn't it? Then again, perhaps it is more of a peach)
was named "Broadway" by the prisoners. There was another area with a clock featured prominently on the wall that prisoners deemed "Times Square". A guide came out and demonstrated the mechanism that allows them to open and close the cell doors from a remote location. It is done with a series of complicated pulleys and was pretty impressive to say the least. The doors make a large clink when they shut, and when they shut all at once it is nearly deafening. It is believed that the nick name for prison "the clink" may have partially originated from this system in Alcatraz which is thought to be unique. Really interesting is how different combinations of doors could be opened and with a seemingly simplistic set of levers at the end of a hallway.

Here is a cell with a bed. I don't know what would be worse, staying in this tiny room, or not having much in the way of privacy. I suppose after a while you might stop caring about that.

This is the recreation yard for the prisoners where they would play horseshoes, baseball, etc. It actually was sort of pleasant out there, and I could see why the prisoners would value it so much.

These cells housed some of the criminally insane prisoners. Ironically they were considered to be nicer cells due to the sunlight that comes in. I believe this is the area that both Al Capone and The Birdman "Robert Stroud" did some time in. Stroud had a private holding room that I've seen featured on several TV programs (Including Ghost Hunters) that I did not get to see. I'm assuming it was closed for repairs/cleaning etc.

This was taken from inside a solitary confinement cell. The complete cell is behind a cinder block wall and windowless door. This is from within looking outwards.

Kate is here chilling in the library. I think the library needs some prop books. The guide said that prisoners during Alcatraz's days of operation tended to read the classics, as opposed to now days when I think of prisoners reading smutty magazines or cheap paperback novels. Or perhaps just watching Jerry Springer or something. Hopefully that isn't the case, but I wouldn't be at all surprised.

This cell has some prisoner's art work to provide an exhibition of how someone might personalize their cell over the years.

The lighthouse on the island is quite imposing and seems to match the severe nature of the island, which is not much more than a large rock jutting out of the San Francisco Bay.

The audio guide spent a great deal of time going into detail about the two escape attempts. This paper mache dummy seen above was actually made by prisoners in the second escape attempt which is rumored to have been successful, as the five men who fled in a hand made raft were never found. Some people liked to claim that they would have drowned in the waters, but it is likely the actual dangers of the waters were greatly exaggerated to serve as good PR for the prison and make San Francisco natives feel safe. Support for this theory can be taken from the many people who swim to Alcatraz now on a yearly basis, usually for charitable causes. A guide apparently said even a few children made the trek last year.

It may not seem so with a cursory glance, however this picture does have a purpose. The first major escape attempt ended up in a violent standoff where several prisoners essentially took control of the compound taking several guards hostage. Known as the "Battle of Alcatraz" it lasted two days and was only ended when the Marines showed up to intervene. The picture above shows some pock marks created by grenades that the Marines had strategically dropped in during the battle to take back control.

This area is outside the officers quarters. It was gorgeous outside and I took 20 minutes or so to just take it all in. It also shows again, how close the city is.

The audio guide described how the sounds of San Francisco would occasionally waft into the prison. A favorite time of year for the prisoners was said to be New Years Eve because they could hear the celebrations on the water front. Prisoners were said to join in, making music with their cups and silverware on the bars of their cell. A couple of the occupants actually took up instruments during their imprisonment. Guards were said to occasionally overlook strict curfews regarding music for such an occasion.

Looking out at Bay Bridge through the ruins of some Civil War era structures.

This is taken in the mess hall. The canister that you see in the center of this photo is a tear gas tank, just in case things got out of control. It is my understanding that they were never used. The mess hall was said to have good food (surprising right?). One prison riot was actually started over prisoners being particularly unhappy with an unpopular spaghetti dinner. Control was quickly acquired when a guard on duty discharged his gun through a window, breaking it, to get the attention of the prisoners and show that he meant business.

This was on the way out. We actually headed into the older building that I described earlier (and I included a photo of it in the prior post). It held some exhibits regarding the history of the island prior to the prison that it is famous for. There were a couple of films to watch here, however Kate and I (Kate is above with her hat on) decided to prioritize our time and head back into San Francisco. We had spent a couple of hours there and we had a lot more exploring to do back on shore.

The boat ride back was gorgeous. We sat on the top deck to get the most out of the journey. The weather couldn't have been better, and it served as a great break before we would inevitably be climbing the hills of San Francisco again.