Alcatraz

by Leonard Pickel

Recently Jeanne and I were at a convention in San Francisco, and had some time to play tourist. There was a tall ship, a few museums and shows, but what I wanted to see was Alcatraz. We had planned to take the boat ride out to the infamous island in the afternoon, when I noticed on the brochure that they offered an “evening tour.” It read, “See the sunset from the windows of Devil’s Island!”

Wandering through an old prison after dark was just the excuse I needed, and soon we were standing in line with several hundred people waiting to board the ferry for the short trip out into the bay. The tour started right off the boat, with the history of the island, a fort built in the Civil War that was obsolete before it was paid for. It sat vacant for years until the country needed a strong hold to contain its most notorious and troublesome criminals.

Still proud of their claim that no one ever escaped from Alcatraz alive, the audio tour provided with the price of admission, ($15 during the Day, $29 for the evening tour), spoke of what life was like in the prison, escape attempts, inmate uprisings and how cruel to be able to see the ocean, the city of San Francisco and sunset though the Golden Grate Bridge, but never have any hope of leaving “The Rock!”

After the audio tour we were allowed to roam the building and property, but unfortunately not as widely as is allowed in the day time tour, (rats!). The sun had set in a breath taking array of colors, and you wondered what it would be like not to be allowed to ever leave. After dark the mood of the island changes. The lights of San Francisco are beautiful, a stark contrast to the gloomy remnants of the warden’s once immaculate residence.

When the economics of the island made its use as a prison no longer cost effective, the island was once again left vacant and useless. For a short time native Indians claimed Alcatraz for themselves, but that ended when some buildings burned down to castle-looking ruins.

If I had it to do again, I would take the day trip, but it was fun once!