Cruisin' the SF Bay

And for my final vacation installment...San Francisco!

My last day in the Bay Area was dedicated to the islands surrounding SF, Alcatraz and Angel Island specifically. First was Alcatraz, and my first time at a prison! I am a huge history person, so I was so thrilled to be at the prison that held Al "Scarface" Capone. It's "The Rock", the legend. It was quite eerie, almost like being in a haunted location. I know this is ignorant, but since I had never been to a penitentiary I had no idea just how small the cells are. Forget the other crazy inmates, you'd think the claustrophobia would be enough to make criminals think twice before committing crimes!

An operating prison from 1934-1963, there are no known escapes from the island. Called The Rock because it's a small island protruding from the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay, a few inmates got far enough as the water. The handful that got away were never found. Did they make it, or drown? Nobody knows...

We had a great time here! It's really a beautiful little isle. In fact those that worked for the prison lived here with their families, many of which had a fondness of their world known as Alcatraz.

Next we hoped on a ferry to Angel Island, also in The Bay. This is a smaller island, but is one that has a beach commonly filled with picnickers and sailboats when the weather permits. So adorable! For this tour we got on a tram with the history narrated to us. I learned that this place where people now camp for the weekend, was once the Ellis Island of the west. Many Asian immigrants came here upon their arrival in America. I had no idea!

It was so peaceful taking a trip around the island. We learned about times gone by, all while taking in amazing views.

If you are in the area, I recommend you visit both islands. At just over $50 for five hours it's well worth it. I even enjoyed the ferry ride from island to island. My hostess gets motion sickness and had to sit inside for the trips (the longest of which was just under an hour), but I spent my time standing on the deck admiring the SF experience.

Needless to say, my 3-day weekend was awesome! I had a fabulous time and am eager to go back. Next time I'll probably focus more on the city itself, checking out all of the neighborhoods.