ca e's: alcatraz & fleet week = BIG goosebumps

As I said on my last post, Blake Amon (graduated with him) and his girlfriend Kara made a trip out from ND for a visit. It was a relaxing 5-day weekend, where they only watched us have two minor newlywed snags - Andrew used my towel twice and I wouldn't let him drive Janice after giving me attitude :) Like I said: minor.

*On a side note: One of the recent articles that I've read mentioned some steps to take to maintain my

independence and upkeep a "level playing field" in our new marriage. One step was not allowing

him to drive everywhere we go, which in their mind-set meant that I was letting him decide when I

come and go. I disagree with this, but at the same time it has some advantages with my struggles with

motion sickness. Thus, I drive Janice (the CRV) and he drives Beyonce (the car).

Anyways, here are some photos from the major trip that we took: Alcatraz. The first construction on the island took place right before the Civil War and was designed as a Fort, complete with canons, that monitored the entrance to the Bay. Next came the most widely known use for "The Rock" as a prison. With famous prisoners, such as Al Capone, "Creepy" Karpis, and Robert Stroud, it was a maximum-security facility that had some interesting and deadly escape attempts in its history. After the prison closed due to cost issues, it was selected for activists to make national awareness of Native American issues. After this was all resolved, the government began bulldozing a number of the buildings (starting with the former correctional officers' residential apartments), until Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area - making it a National Park.

Hope you enjoyed a brief outline by yours truly - bring on the pictures! Mostly it was a chance for me to try be artsy fartsy with the camera, and overuse the black/white effect - it was a prison after all! Enjoy.

The tour boats flag, which also includes a live seagull that pooped on this poor women...Blake almost fell victim when it struck again...

Pulling into "Sally Port" (no joke!) and getting our first up-close glimpses of The Rock:

I was intrigued with some of these little doors. What could possibly be behind them?

Blake, Kara, and Andrew making it up the hill to the main building:

One of the watch towers:

A random building. I fell in love with the detail of the architecture on some. I mean it was a Fort and a high-security prison! Some of the families of the correctional officers lived on the island, so perhaps some were houses?

This was noted as one of the correctional officers apartments half-torn down:

The showers used by the prisoners:

Out in the activities yard for the prisoners:

Kara enjoying the soothing voice of one of the correctional officers on the audio tour:

One of the basic cells:

The "gun rack key," which hung up by the hallways on the second and third levels. None of the officers walked with guns on the main level down by the cell blocks, but instead were only carried on the second and third levels. This was key during the deadliest escape attempts in the prisons history - google it to find out more :)

Back out to the activities yard:

I can't imagine being imprisoned in this yard and having to look across and see the Golden Gate every day...

Andrew being intrigued with another description of a deadly escape attempt:

Known as a "black hole cell" - the really naughty and unstable prisoners had to go here for hours or days until they were transported back to a regular cell. One of the prisoners that is still alive described the feeling on audio, and said that he used to tear a button off his overalls and throw it up in the air, spin himself around, and then try and find it. He would continue this for hours/days -- of course, they always lost track of time in the darkness.

Another view of the old correctional officer apartment buildings with the GG Bridge in the distance:

Me going to check out the view:

San Francisco off in the distance:

It was Fleet Week 2010 in the Bay, so there were hundreds of boats on the water! There were 8 million spectators last year, and it said that it was bigger this year. Traffic was RIDICULOUS going into the city when we left - suckers.

Blake and Kara - I included two pictures to show of the professional I'm becoming. HA!

The main building entrance. You can't see it, but the red/white stripes under the eagle were changed to the word "FREE" when the Native Indian protesters inhabited the island.