On our last full day in San Fransisco, Caleb and I spent the day in jail. Okay not actually locked up in jail, but we spent a few hours exploring Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Alcatraz is run by the National Parks Service after it was officially shut down as a prison in 1963. It was seriously one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. It was creepy, interesting, shocking, sad, etc.
In 1969 the island was occupied for over a year by Native Americans and they left messages like the one on the water tower and the front all around the island. As you can see from the workers' quarters the man made buildings are seriously deteriorating. This was the main reason the prison shut down. It was too hard to continue on with the up keep.
We took the self guided tour that they provide with headphones. At first we weren't going to do it because it takes about an hour to get through, but we were both so glad we decided to listen and follow along. We learned so much and it made the visit so much more interesting and enjoyable. If you visit Alcatraz, DO NOT pass this up.
Outfit details:
Dress (similar) - Banana Republic // Sandals (similar) - Target // Fedora - Target // Jacket (similar) - JCrew // Longchamp Large Le Pilage - Nordstrom // Sunglasses - Warby Parker
Dress (similar) - Banana Republic // Sandals (similar) - Target // Fedora - Target // Jacket (similar) - JCrew // Longchamp Large Le Pilage - Nordstrom // Sunglasses - Warby Parker
To get to and from the island we took the Alcatraz Boat Cruise. It's the only way to get out to the island and it's $30 a person. It really is worth the trip though. It is such a huge piece of American history and a great way to get your history fix in San Francisco if you're a history nerd like me! Plus it offers great views of the island itself and the San Fransisco skyline.
INTERESTING FACT: The very famous Al Capone was brought there in 1934. In order to ensure that none of this pals could devise a plan to help him escape, they transported the train car that Capone was on on to a ferry and brought him out to Alcatraz!
The main cell house...disgusting right?
As you can see from the many many pictures we took, it was a very interesting part of our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the island and the guided tour. The island is extremely windy though! So my fedora was not the best idea when we were outside.
Have you ever been to San Francisco? If so, what was your favorite thing in this amazing city?
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Follow me on Twitter to follow along on an YM trips! We always come up with a hashtag for everyone to follow along with!