Located in San Francisco Bay and operational between 1934 and 1963, Alcatraz is arguably one of the

I mentioned our visit to Alcatraz in a recent post, but I thought it was about time I elaborated a little. As I said then, it was one of the few places I’ve been to that was exactly as I imagined it would be; shivers ran up and down my spine as I tried to ‘live’ the experience. I can’t begin to think what it would have been like to be incarcerated there, never mind trying (and usually failing) to escape.
Located in San Francisco Bay and operational between 1934 and 1963, Alcatraz is arguably one of the world’s most notorious penitentiaries. It has housed Al Capone, George Kelly, the Birdman, Robert Stroud, and Alvin Karpis, who spent more time than anyone new york hotel deals else at the prison. In its 29 years as a prison, Alcatraz Island saw no fewer than fourteen escape attempts. The most famous was on May 22, 1946; six prisoners, desperate for freedom, caused the Battle of Alcatraz, where two guards and three inmates lost their lives. Gripping stuff!
Previously the island housed a military garrison and prison, so you can imagine how much there is to learn in just one visit. There are a number of tours in operation, helping you to get the most of your trip. The Cellhouse Audio tour is stunning, and definitely one for the history buffs.
Following its stint as the notorious prison, Alcatraz new york hotel deals housed a group of Aboriginal people, and then became the national recreation area that it is today. The sense of history is immense; everywhere you go you feel so connected with the island’s past. It’s truly haunting, and not necessarily in a bad way. I can’t wait to take Kaley and Kyle with us next time. I just know they’d get so much out of a guided new york hotel deals tour, and I love building on their appreciation of our nation’s past.
These days Alcatraz Island is as known for its beautiful flora and fauna as it is its infamous past. The beautiful rare flowers, sea birds, and burgeoning plant life are much more mine and Jimmy’s cup of tea, and we came away with endless photos of the things we’d seen. Nobody would believe us when we told them where the pictures had been taken; they obviously held our previous belief that Alcatraz was nothing new york hotel deals more than a haunted shell these days.