[JasonParis]

As continued from Part III...

Not exactly urban, but pretty cool anyway. This was my eccentric room in San Francisco's Hotel des Arts which is located in the French Quater, just north of Union Square.

Hotel des Arts (cont.)

Alcatraz island is run by the National Parks Service and isn't the tourist trap you might think it is.

Arriving at Buliding 64.

Building 64 (cont.)

Inside Building 64.

Alcatraz has had many incarnations. Fort Alcatraz, a Civil War-era artillery post, was converted to a military prison in 1907. In 1934 it became a federal maximum-security penitentiary, inspiring films and folklore that have continued long after its closure in 1963.

Eighty-nine American Indian protesters occupied the island in 1969–71, claiming it as Indian land.

Alcatraz (cont.)

Inside the Cellhouse.

Some of Alcatraz's most famous inmates included Robert "birdman" Stroud, George "machine gun" Kelly, Al Capone and Henry Young.

A typical Alcatraz cell.

This part of Alcatraz cellhouse was considered prime real estate due to the unobstructed sunlight.

Alcatraz cellhouse (cont.)

Solitary confinement.

Alcatraz cellhouse (cont.)

Grenade blasts on the floor mark one of many failed prison uprising attempts.

Alcatraz cellhouse (cont.)

Alcatraz Island (cont.)

San Francisco from Alcatraz Island.

Alcatraz Island (cont.)

The Golden Gate Bridge from Alcatraz Island.

San Francisco from Alcatraz Island (cont.)

The cellhouse's Administration Building.

Made famous by Clint Eastwood in the movie Escape from Alcatraz. This is one of the infamous cells of the 3-man escape attempt in 1962. All are assumed to have drowned in San Francisco Bay.

The cellhouse's eating hall.

Alcatraz Island (cont.)

Departing Alcatraz Island and heading back to Pier 41.

The Bay Bridge and the financial district from the Alcatraz ferry service.

San Francisco from the Alcatraz ferry service.

A tanker ship in San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco from the Alcatraz ferry service (cont.)

Pier 39, Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower) and the Transamerica Pyramid.

Tanker ship in San Francisco Bay

Tanker ship in San Francisco Bay (cont.)

The annual lighting of the Christmas tree in The Castro.

The annual lighting of the Christmas tree in The Castro (cont.)

Powell Street BART and Muni Metro Station as I head back to SFO.

...and that was my disco in Frisco!

I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Long Island Mike]

Good Alcatraz (and other SF) pics!

DK416: Good Alcatraz pics! I never made it there during my late 2000 stay. I noticed many people on the tour wearing headphones-were they for a on your own tour? You can call yourself "Darkstar 415" also-SF's Area Code.

Did you do much riding on BART or the MUNI Metro at all? I learned to buy a weekly pass for $9 on my late 2000 trip-I swapped it with my host to borrow his monthly-which was valid on the Cable Cars as well as BART between Embarcadero and Balboa Park-in the City of SF only. Yes-SF is one fascinating city! LI MIKE

 

[Zephyr]

What a shame to end on a downer - Alcatraz for the most part.

I guess I am a bit biased in favour of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz. I once dated a Native American woman who also participated in this occupation.

One of the odd things about Alcatraz, before it was a maximum security prison, and before it was officially converted to a military prison in 1907, it was occasionally used to imprison Native Americans. There are many bitter tribes, with relatively recent oral histories, that agree on this particular point. Based on what these histories tell us, these actions go back at least as far as the early 1870s, and perhaps before.

In all fairness, Native Americans themselves ostracised individuals, and sometimes small groups, to Alcatraz for periods of time - not quite like prisons, but rather places of enforced isolation. Perhaps you could call this a milder precursor of things to come.

Alcatraz carries many bad memories for those that have had to stay there. The so-called "Rock' has many ghosts, and many horrors to tell.

Final thanks for all your posts on San Francisco.

 

[ShonTron]

Memories.

I'm glad you covered somewhat different ground than I did, where I covered the south Bay waterfront redevelopment, Muni and F-Market more and other nabes, while you got to get out to places I didn't. (And got a better pic of Alamo Square and the over-photographed vista).

Did you get to see the TTC-coloured PCC? I'm not sure if it is running yet.

 

[smuncky]

wow Alcatraz looks like a photographers dream. i love the old buildings. looks like the prison that i went to in philadelphia. and i had no idea that al capone was jailed in there as well.

thx again for the pics.

 

[JasonParis]

DK416: Good Alcatraz pics! I never made it there during my late 2000 stay. I noticed many people on the tour wearing headphones-were they for a on your own tour? You can call yourself "Darkstar 415" also-SF's Area Code.

Did you do much riding on BART or the MUNI Metro at all? I learned to buy a weekly pass for $9 on my late 2000 trip-I swapped it with my host to borrow his monthly-which was valid on the Cable Cars as well as BART between Embarcadero and Balboa Park-in the City of SF only. Yes-SF is one fascinating city! LI MIKE

I could get used to Darkstar415, but heart will always be the 416.

Yes, the National Park Service gives you headphones (that can be programmed to various different languages) for the tour of the cellblock. It's pretty descriptive and sort of fun to follow along as it tells you to "turn right at the thrid cell on the left, take three steps and look up to the window..." I only got lost once, but was able to rewind back and figured it out from there.

Memories.

I'm glad you covered somewhat different ground than I did, where I covered the south Bay waterfront redevelopment, Muni and F-Market more and other nabes, while you got to get out to places I didn't. (And got a better pic of Alamo Square and the over-photographed vista).

Did you get to see the TTC-coloured PCC? I'm not sure if it is running yet.

I looked for it constantly, but never saw it. I don't think it's in service yet, but was really hoping to see it.

thx again for the pics.

No probs, glad you enjoyed!

 

[JasonParis]

Woops, missed this one...

Did you do much riding on BART or the MUNI Metro at all? I learned to buy a weekly pass for $9 on my late 2000 trip-I swapped it with my host to borrow his monthly-which was valid on the Cable Cars as well as BART between Embarcadero and Balboa Park-in the City of SF only. Yes-SF is one fascinating city! LI MIKE

I only felt the need to ride BART twice (to and from SFO). It' not very useful in the city, but I quite enjoyed it as something inbetween a GO Train and a TTC subway. I only rode the MUNI Metro a few times as well as it's quite easy to just explore the city by foot. I was also a fan of the F-line historic streetcar line along Market and The Embarcadero. I purchased a 3-day MUNI pass that was good on all MUNI vehicles (including the cable cars). It doesn't include BART though, although I think there's a more expensive version that does if one is interested.

If I had a few more days I would have taken BART out to Berkley and Oakland and explored some more. I'm also sad I didn't make it out to "wine country" but that only gives me another reason to go back at a future point!