Jacob, my mother, my father, and I took the train to San Francisco on Monday. Jason was supposed to go to but he is off fighting fires again. Well, actually, I just spoke with him and they are doing the difficult job of standing by at a spa in Mendocino County. Wish I were there! Anyway, back to the subject. Jacob has never been to Alcatraz so I promised him this summer we would go. It was great weather and we had a nice time.
Here is a new fact I learned while there...this is copied from the national parks website: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/alc.htm
The first European exploration of the site was by Juan Manuel de Ayala's expedition which sailed the Spanish frigate San Carlos into the San Francisco Bay in 1775. Making cartographic observations by small boat, his Lieutenant, Canizares, described an island "so arid and steep there was not even a boat harbor there: I named the island de los Alcatrazes because of their being so plentiful there." Alcatrazes is archaic Spanish for cormorant, a seabird noted for its long neck, wedge shaped tail and a hooked bill. By 1826 the name Alcatraz was applied to the island.
Nana, Jacob, and Popie on the way to the Alcatraz Cruise.
Jacob on the ferry with Alcatraz in the background.
Popie takin care of business the convict way. (I was so afraid it was gonna crumble because it is so old!)
(the toilet, not Popie)
Jacob listening to the headphones for the self guided tour of the cell block.
After the trip back, at the end of Pier 39, Alcatraz in the background.
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