Visiting the clink
I've always been a fan of Sean Connery, but it pains me to tell you that he is not part of the Alcatraz United States Penitentiary tour. This came as quite a blow, but I was able to recover. CW & I got tickets in advance of our latest San Francisco trip. I made us miss our designated boat (I thought the walk would be nice & short; turns out it was nice & long). We were still able to catch the next boat, and finally check out what is probably the most famous prison in U.S. history.
The island itself has seen several uses. It was originally a military fort, charged with protecting the fair city of San Francisco. Nobody ever really wanted to attack the city, so the soldiers mostly lolled about firing canons into the bay. The reason that Alcatraz is so well known, of course, is because it was a prison, and held some names like the Birdman and Al Capone. After the prison was closed in 1963, it was used by some Native Indian tribes to stage a protest for several years.
For now, I shall let the pictures do the rest of the talking, though they may not have a lot to say.
![Bay bridge](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0547_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![I don’t know what it is, but it makes me quiver](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0549_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![The far off Golden Gate](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0554_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Alcatraz Penitentiary](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0557_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Approaching the Rock](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0561-thumbnail.jpg)
![The ’welcome’ sign](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0562-thumbnail.jpg)
![CW looks on](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0563-thumbnail.jpg)
![Map of the island](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0566-thumbnail.jpg)
![Random dude above us near the cell blocks](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0567-thumbnail.jpg)
![It’s vintagetastic](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0568-thumbnail.jpg)
![Canon balls from Alcatraz’ days as a fort...](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0569_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![...And the gun responsible for lobbing them](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0570_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![CW looking fairly non-goofy](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0572_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Seagull perched on the old housing](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0575_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Guard tower overlooking the dock](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0576_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![The approach to the cell blocks](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0577-thumbnail.jpg)
![The lighthouse on the city-side of the island](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0578_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![The hills and streets of San Francisco](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0579-thumbnail.jpg)
![The flag unfurling in the wind](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0580_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![I’m visiting CW!](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0582_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Rules for visitations](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0583_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![I need a visit badly](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0584_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![The cell blocks](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0586_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Reminiscent of Nova Prospekt](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0588_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![A deluxe jacuzzi room for two](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0590-thumbnail.jpg)
![Someone had issues with the plumbing](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0592_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Isolation](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0598-thumbnail.jpg)
![AH LEMMME OUTTA HERE](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0599_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Enjoying the big house entirely too much](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0600_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Breakfast on closing day](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0601_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Off-limit stairs](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0603_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![Hmmmm](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0607_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Odd flowers with green blossoms?](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0610_1-thumbnail.jpg)
![Who knows?](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0611_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Mossy bricky texturey](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0613_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![The lower areas near the museum](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0614-thumbnail.jpg)
![The guard tower again](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0615_0-thumbnail.jpg)
![Outside the museum](https://woltman.com/media/posts/90/gallery/img_0616_1-thumbnail.jpg)