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My Escape to Alcatraz

thetravelsista — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 23:42:45 +0000

I ended my trip along the Pacific Coast Highway with a stop in San Francisco. During my time there, I visited Alcatraz Island, the former federal prison nicknamed the Rock. As we left from Pier 33 for the 15 minute ferry ride across the San Francisco Bay, it quickly became obvious how the nickname came to be — it looks like a big rock in the middle of the bay. Once we arrived at the island, a park ranger provided a brief orientation and history lesson. We learned the name Alcatraz was derived from “Alcatraces”, the Spanish word for pelicans, and the island was so named by Spanish explorers because of the many pelicans then living on the island. We also learned about the island’s history as a military fort and prison, and its occupation by Native Americans protestors. After the orientation, we headed up to the main cellhouse for the self-guided audio tour, which was excellent. It’s available in numerous languages, and was the highlight of the tour for me.

The tour includes stops at the four jail blocks, warden’s office, visitation room, library, gun gallery, recreation yard, dining hall and kitchen. It’s narrated by former prisoners and correctional officers, with clanging doors and other sounds so life-like that it almost feels like you were really there. You’ll learn about infamous prisoners, such as Birdman, Al Capone, and Whitey Bulger, and hear about events such as escape attempts, “The Battle of ’46”, food riots, and solitary confinement. You’ll also hear and feel the strong winds, which give you a real sense of the harsh environment and isolation on the Rock. The prison was ultimately closed because of its high maintenance and operational costs.

Despite its storied history, Alcatraz Island is now a national park and popular tourist attraction. While there are several companies offering tours to Alcatraz (often at inflated prices), Alcatraz Cruises is the only official provider. The tours frequently sell out, so you should buy tickets in advance if you intend to visit. I bought tickets one week before and many times were already unavailable.

Have you been to Alcatraz? What did you think about it? Share your comments below.

Visit the photo gallery for more Alcatraz photos

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Pacific Coast Highway: LA to San Francisco

thetravelsista — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 03:30:01 +0000

I’ve always wanted to drive the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and finally did it in summer 2013. Although most suggest the north to south route (because you drive closest to the coast), my sister and I decided to drive south to north because we wanted to end our trip in San Francisco. We hopped on the PCH in Venice, where the highway takes you along Venice Beach and on through Malibu past waterfront beach cottages, million-dollar homes in the hills, and spectacular vistas. After about 2 hours, we stopped in Santa Barbara for lunch on Stearns Wharf.

Santa Barbara has a beautiful beachfront and a quaint downtown with boutiques, restaurants and other shopping. We walked around, had frozen yogurt at Yogurtland (amazing flavors, some the best I’ve ever had), then got back on the road and headed towards San Luis Obispo. Much of this stretch is inland, so you exchange water views for mountain views. But there are many wineries in the area, so it’s a good place to stop for a relaxing evening of dinner and wine. We stayed overnight at the Apple Farm Inn, a quaint, country-themed hotel not far from downtown San Luis Obispo. The next morning, we headed through Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey, which was the most beautiful (and at times scariest) portion of the drive.

There are many twists, turns, ascents, and descents on narrow mountain roads, so this part of the drive is not for the faint at heart. But the views are so amazing that they’ll dispel your fears, or at least serve as a good diversion. And if you need a break or want to take photos, there are several stops where you can park and enjoy the scenery. We did so, then drove on to Santa Cruz, where we stopped for some lunch and beachfront entertainment.

Santa Cruz has a cool boardwalk, with roller coasters, restaurants, a huge video arcade, and of course, a sandy beachfront. It was a fun, carefree afternoon — a final taste of the quintessential California lifestyle. Our trip on the PCH ended here, as we drove inland to San Francisco. But we enjoyed it so much, we’re considering a repeat trip this year. There are awesome views and great cities to explore along the way. If the PCH is not already on your bucket list, you might want to add it. You’re in for a treat.

Visit the photo gallery for more pics of the Pacific Coast Highway