Island of Prisoners
We have all heard of Alcatraz, and even romanticized Sean Connery orchestrating an escape from the prisoned rock. When the Perins visited us, our first stop was this famed icon of San Francisco, and it turned out to be more thrilling and frightening than we anticipated. Because so much of it is true--the chilly isolation of the prison, the choppy waters of the bay, the men that were captive there. We walked through the cell blocks, gazed at Al Capone's confined home, listened to stories of the inmates, and the tragic escapes that they planned. Our feet stepped on cracks made by bomb squads, and our eyes reacclimated to the bright outside as we stepped further than many outside the confines of the prison. But there was beauty there too, which we did not expect. We met a woman who grew up on the rock, as the guards and their families lived in quarters separate from the prison. She would take the boat every morning to go to school in the city, and would be brought back at night. Their courts and playground still overlook San Francisco as you get a glimpse at an eerie and unique upbringing. And after Alcatraz was shut down, there was a peaceful protest for Indian Activists that directly affected the federal Indian policy, where close to a hundred Indians lived on the rock for over a year. Still, their red spray-painted signs are the first things you see when you arrive to Alcatraz!
Afterwards, we ventured through Fisherman's Wharf, and introduced Jane and Jim to In-N-Out burger and ate fried seafood from the market. On our way home, we zig-zagged down Lombard Street to experience a perfect end to a perfect day.
