Buffalo In A Misty Golden Gate Park

Larger than Central Park in NYC, the Golden Gate Park is the third most visited city park in the United States (after Central Park in New York and Lincoln Park in Chicago).

Bison have been kept in Golden Gate Park since 1891, when a small herd was purchased by the park commission. At the time, the animal's population in North America had dwindled to an all-time low and San Francisco made a successful effort to breed them in captivity.

Bison Paddock

In 1902, the parks commission authorized construction of two windmills to pump subterranean water to supply the park. The first one, on the north side of the park facing the Pacific Ocean, was completed in 1903 and became known first as the North Windmill and later as the Dutch Windmill; it is now paired with the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. The second, Murphy's Windmill, on the south side of the park, began operation in 1908. They operated for several decades, but fell into disrepair after the park switched to electric water pumps.

The 5 acres (2.0 ha) Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. The garden was designed by Makoto Hagiwara for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, including still-standing features such as the Drum Bridge and the tea house. Subsequent additions included a pagoda and Zen garden. It is one reported site of the introduction of the fortune cookie to America.

Time to say Good-Bye to San Francisco :-(

Alcatraz, view from the Treasure Island

Bay Bridge

SF Downtown

Castro Street

Bay Bridge, on the way to Oakland

American Motel in Oakland

"You Are Entitled To Food, Clothing, Shelter, And Medical Attention. Anything Else You Get Is A Privilege" Welcome to Alcatraz!!!

The Prison, the Fort, the Lighthouse & the mystery: ALCATRAZ!

The island was a highlight of our San Francisco visit. This was a place for inmates who had proven to be problems in other prison populations - escape risks and troublemakers - such as: Al "Scarface" Capone, "Doc" Barker, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Floyd Hamilton, and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz".

Of the 14 attempted federal prison-era escapes, the best known occurred in June 1962, when Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin slipped into the water. They used raincoats as flotation devices and were presumably bound for San Francisco. Although their bodies were never found, they are assumed to have drowned.

Alcatraz Island & Prison: The Dock, Guardhouse & Sally Port, Post Exchange/Officers Club, Military Chapel, Barracks/Apartments, Warden's House, Lighthouse, Cellhouse and The Gardens.

Alcatraz Dock. The sharks that swim in San Francisco Bay and around the island are not "man-eaters".

Alcatraz Recreational Area

There were no executions on Alcatraz, although there were five suicides and eight murders.

Prisoners remained on Alcatraz until they were no longer considered to be disruptive or incorrigible - an average of 8 to 10 years.

The exact location of Al Capone's cell is unknown. Part of his 4.5 years on Alcatraz were spent in a hospital isolation cell.

The Alcatraz lighthouse was the first on the Pacific Coast and has been in operation since 1854. The only service interruption happened in 1970, when fire destroyed the lighthouse keeper's quarters and disrupted power to the light.

There were no female correctional officers or prisoners on Alcatraz. The only females on the island were visitors and the correctional officers' wives and children.

The cellhouse was never filled to capacity. The average number of prisoners was 260, and the maximum was 302.

In 1962, three convicted bank robbers, Frank Lee Morris and two brothers, Clarence and John Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz in 1962 by putting dummy heads made of soap, toilet paper and real hair, and placing them in their bunks to fool guards.

The Mess Hall, considered the most dangerous place at Alcatraz.

Alcatraz Night Tour is over!

View from the boat.