No Thursday Thoughts!?!? I know, it’s crazy! But I just have so much going on with my traveling that I had to share! And for those of you who are bored to death of my travel recap posts, don’t worry, this is the last one!
Thursday was more of a scheduled day here in San Francisco, with two big adventures: Alcatraz and Muir Woods, both national parks!
Several people recommended that I tour Alcatraz while in San Francisco, so I bucked up, paid for a ticket and showed up for the 9:30 boat to the park. The ride was only 12 minutes since the island is just over a mile away from downtown San Francisco.
P.S. it was COLD! Despite my puffy coat my fingers and feet went numb while touring the island!
I started out by watching the orientation video. After that, I followed the audio tour, which most everyone seemed to do. It’s a 45 minute tour that guides you around the cell block, telling you the history of the island. It actually started out as a fort, then it housed war prisoners, and eventually became the federal prison that it is most famous for until that was shut down in the 1960s.
I loved hearing about the prisoners, especially some of the escape attempts. Did you know that three men managed to escape by opening up the air vents in their room with spoons? They are the only people who were never found or returned after trying to escape, no one knows if they died trying to swim back or made it to freedom. I like to think they made it and started new lives somewhere else.
Another interesting thing is that the officers’ families also lived on the property, little kids called this island home! They showed an interview with a woman who had lived there as a little girl and she said they barely thought of the prisoners, and they loved it because it was like living in a small town and then they got to take a boat to school. Haha I’d be creeped out.
After the audio tour I walked around the island, which was actually quite beautiful!
It also had some gorgeous views of the area.
I love this picture, because you can see the main streets going up hill!
After Alcatraz, my friend picked me up (she was at work) and we headed out to see the redwood forests! After getting some gluten free pizza for lunch, we headed to Muir Woods National Park.
I’ve always wanted to see the giant redwoods, so this was definitely checking off a bucket list item for me! Not as much commentary with this trip, I think the pictures speak for themselves!
It was a beautiful hike and a great last day in San Francisco! Today I’m on my way back to Kansas City and then back to Chicago because it’s almost time for school to start up again!
Do creepy and historical places like Alcatraz intrigue you?
Where is your favorite place to hike?
The views from the island are amazing! I’d be creeped out living there as a kid, even an adult, with all of the prisoners though.
I think I’d be more creeped out as an adult because I know better!
Great photos! I also found it to be realy creepy that families lived there.
I’ve been to SF a couple times and never visited Muir Woods. It’s definitely on my list for next time. It looks gorgeous!
My favourite place to hike is in Jasper National Park. We’re only a 3.5 hr drive, so we try to get there as often as possible.
It was only an hour outside the city! And that’s nice you’re so close to such a huge park!
Wow your adventures just look amazing! I’ve been to both of those spots and loved it just as much as you! Muir Woods is just phenomenal. It’s crazy to think how long some of those trees have been there. Oh and don’t think I didn’t notice those Mizuno Wave Riders! Yeah, girl!! 😀
Haha LOVE my Mizuno Wave Riders!
I love reading your travel recaps. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, I absolutely love learning about different cultures.
I’m glad! I was worried people were bored of it since my stats were down!
What pretty photos! It looks like it was a gorgeous day. I’ve only ever been to San Fransisco once, and it wasn’t nearly long enough to see all that I wanted to see. I’d love to go back in the near future. I absolutely love the redwood forests – SO beautiful!
There are just too many things to see! I didn’t even see everything I wanted in my two days!
Absolutely love these pictures. For me, one of the best parts of traveling is seeing the natural beauty of places. I went to Portland, Oregon over the summer and was in awe- I’m from the East Coast and so it’s just entirely different than what I’m used to.
Oh I SO want to go to Oregon and Washington!
I’m glad to see you’re loving San Fran! I only live about an hour away (I’m in Davis) but it’s so dang expensive to get there with gas, tolls, and especially parking. I so wish I could go more often because, although I used to live ~20 mins away as a kid, there’s so much I haven’t explored!
oh it’s SO expensive! My friend says she pays $5 EVERY DAY to drive into the city for work!
So jealous of your trip to Alcatraz, I’m dying to go there… it’s just so creepy and interesting!
It was SO interesting! I’m glad I did the audio tour!
I have always wanted to see those trees. I mean I would just love to visiting San Fran – I have never been.
It was definitely a bucket list item to see a redwood forest, so beautiful!
Oh man, I’d love to visit Alcatraz…and see redwoods…and just replicate your trip in general. I’ve been living vicariously through your posts for the past couple of days, and I’m seriously ready to just grab the first cab I can find and get to O’Hare rightnow so I can go to San Francisco haha.
Haha GO FOR IT! I did!
Wow I am so jealous you went to Alcatraz. I would absolutely love to go there. I love touring historical places and creepy ones are always more interesting!
I went to Alcatraz and also went through the redwoods forest when I was in San Francisco. I loved being in the redwoods because it was so serene and peaceful. It made me feel like an ant compared to the gigantic trees.
So glad you made it to Alcatraz! Totally worth the trip. It’s one of my favorite places to visit.
After your recommendation and a couple other people, I had to check it out!
Oh my goodness! I LOVE the views! You’re right–seeing the main streets go UP is pretty awesome. And those trees?!? WOWWWWW
Seriously, the whole area was so pretty and different!
I love history but places like alcatraz definitely creep me out too…i don’t think i would have liked living there very much! And those redwoods look amazing! I really want to see those one day too
Haha I definitely wouldn’t want to live there!
We went to San Francisco in July and visited both places and loved them both. Great pictures!
My husband’s cousin went to Alcatraz a couple of years ago and she said it felt so eery! What a cool experience, though!
Wow! It looks like you’ve been having a great time in San Fran. I’ve been there a few times now. I visited Alcatraz when I was 17 and was thoroughly creeped out. I didn’t really explore the rest of the island though. The view is pretty awesome. It’s cool, the streets going up like that.
Ah look at the trees! I absolutely love national parks. I think my favourite place I have ever hiked was in Lake Louise, Alberta. Totally amazing and beautiful.
The Alcatraz tour looks so interesting! I love creepy historic stuff, so that would be right up my alley.
I remember going to Alcatraz on a school field trip in elementary school and being SO freaked out haha!
Fun!! My husband and I recently moved up to the Bay Area and are having a lot of fun exploring the area like tourists. We’ve yet to hit up Alcatraz, but that’s definitely on the to-fun (better and more accurate than to-do) list! 🙂
I remember a girl who lived on my floor at college last year telling us that her great uncle escaped from Alcatraz! So I guess he made it 😉 I thought that was pretty neat.
well the only three people who “made it” were never actually heard from, everyone else died or was captured.
Amazing pictures! They make me want to go visit San Francisco. The trail and forest looks beautiful!
It was gorgeous! I had no idea there would be parks like that!