Alcatraz and Angel Island

I sometimes fantasize about going to prison, where I'd have my own cell and no one to take care of. That is, until I went to an actual prison and it seems not super hygienic in there!

Cell house audio tour
Ruins of the officer's club.
Cot, toilet, sink. Everything you need.
Now a seabird nesting site. If the wind blew just right, prisoners could hear laughter and music from San Francisco parties.

I was surprised by the public access on the Alcatraz tour. We even tried out the solitary confinement cell.

Solitary confinement. It was small and dark.
Prisoners and guard families planted gardens on the island.

Our ferry also took us to Angel Island, the Ellis Island for Chinese Americans. There are no rabbits or squirrels on the island, but there are a lot of harbor seals.

Angel Island building where Chinese immigrants were detained.
Harbor seals living their best life.
Sausalito
Is the boat supposed to lean like that??!

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

Wildly expensive houses on Belvedere Island

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