The name Alcatraz comes from the Spanish Alcatraces. In 1775, Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala was one of the first to sail to what is now known as San Francisco Bay. His expedition mapped the bay and named one of the three islands - Alcatraces, which eventually became Alcatraz. Although there is still debate about the etymology of this word, it is believed that the word "Alcatraz" means pelican or strange bird.
By the end of the decade, the first military prisoner appeared on the island. Over time, Alcatraz's defensive function decreased (by the way, the island never had to use its weapons in action), but it acted as a prison for more than 100 years.
In 1909, the army demolished the fortress, leaving the basement level to be used as the foundation for a new prison. From 1909 to 1911, prisoners built the prison building, which belonged to the Pacific Division of the US Army Disciplinary Barracks. It was this building that later became known as the Rock
The army used the island for more than 80 years: from 1850 until 1933, when Alcatraz was transferred to the custody of the US Department of Justice, or rather, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The government decided to organize a well-guarded maximum security prison there with the most minimal rights for prisoners. And thus show the public that the federal government is serious about reducing the crime rate that plagued the United States in the 20s and 30s.
As a prison, Alcatraz was not the "American Devil's Island" as it is portrayed in books and movies. Typically there were 260-275 prisoners in the prison. And although it was designed for 336 people, its capabilities were never fully used. Alcatraz housed less than 1% of the country's total prison population. Many prisoners noted decent living conditions in Alcatraz (for example, the fact that there was only one person in each cell). The conditions were better than in other federal prisons, and some prisoners even asked to be transferred to Alcatraz.
Prisoners
The most famous prisoner of Alcatraz was Robert Stroud, nicknamed the birdcatcher. In fact, Stroud never raised birds in Alcatraz, and indeed, he spent most of his time not in this prison at all. He also wasn't the sweet uncle Burt Lancaster portrayed him in Birdman Of Alcatraz (1962).
In 1909, Stroud was imprisoned for robbery. But while he was serving his sentence in a Washington prison, he attacked a fellow inmate. He was transferred to a Kansas prison. But in 1916, he killed a guard there, for which Stroud was sentenced to death. However, then then-President Wilson, at the request of Stroud’s mother, replaced the execution with a life sentence. In 1942 he was transferred to Alcatraz. There he began studying birds, which he had been interested in since childhood, and even wrote two books about canaries and common diseases among them. Seeing such keen scientific interest, the prison administration allowed Stroud to study birds in the wild. But Stroud did not betray himself, and items prohibited in prison were often found in bird cages. He spent only 17 years in Alcatraz - 6 years in "block D" and 11 years in the prison hospital. In 1959, he was sent to a federal prison facility in Springfield, Missouri, where he died in 1963.
Prison routine
While such famous criminals as Al Capone, George Machine Gun Kelly (Public Enemy N1), and Arthur Doc Barker spent time in Alcatraz, most of the 1,576 prisoners held there at various times were not famous gangsters. However, these were prisoners who refused to comply with the rules established in other federal prisons, that is, especially dangerous and prone to escape.
In Alcatraz, prisoners had 4 solid rights: food, clothing, shelter and medical care. The prisoner must earn everything else for himself. Working prisoners received privileges related to visiting hours, visits to the prison library, and the opportunity to relax, paint or play music.
Attempts to escape
During the 29 years (1934-1963) that Alcatraz was used as a federal prison, 36 people (including two who attempted to escape twice) staged 14 escape attempts. Twenty-three were caught, six were shot, and two were drowned. Two of those who were caught were subsequently executed in the gas chamber at California State Penitentiary at San Quentin. They were executed for their participation in the murder of a prison officer during the famous riot of May 2-4, 1946, called the Battle of Alcatraz.
It is officially believed that there was no successful attempt to escape from the Rock, but to this day five prisoners from Alcatraz are listed as "absent, presumed drowned."
April 27, 1936 - Joe Bowers, who was assigned to burn garbage that day, suddenly began to climb the fence. The guard gave him a warning, but Joe ignored him and was shot in the back. He died from his wounds in the hospital.
December 16, 1937 - Theodore Cole and Ralph Roy, who worked in the store, decided to escape through the iron bars on the window. They managed to get out of the window, after which they ran to the water and disappeared into San Francisco Bay. Despite the fact that a storm broke out on this very day, many believed that the fugitives managed to reach land. But officially they were considered dead.
May 23, 1938 - James Limerick, Jimmy Lucas and Raphas Franklin, working in a woodworks store, attacked an unarmed security guard and killed him with a hammer blow to the head. The trio then climbed onto the roof and attempted to disarm the officer guarding the roof of the tower, but he opened fire. Limerick died from his wounds, and the surviving couple received life sentences.
January 13, 1939 - Arthur Doc Barker, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, Henry Young and Raphas McCain escaped from the isolation compartment into the building where the cells for prisoners were located. They sawed off the bars, climbed out of the building through a window and headed to the water's edge. The guard discovered the fugitives already on the western shore of the island. Martin, Young and McCain surrendered, and Barker and Stamphill, who refused to obey orders, were wounded. Barker died a few days later.
May 21, 1941 - Joe Kretzer, Sam Shockley, Arnold Kyle and Lloyd Backdall took several of the guards they were working under hostage. But the guards managed to convince the prisoners to surrender. It is significant that one of these guards later became the third commandant of Alcatraz.
September 15, 1941 - While clearing garbage, John Bayles tried to escape. But the icy water in San Francisco Bay forced him to return to shore. Later, when he was brought to federal court in San Francisco, he tried to escape from there. But again without success.
April 14, 1943 - James Borman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton and Fred Hunter took two guards hostage in an area where prisoners were working. They climbed out through the window and jumped into the water. But one of the guards managed to signal the emergency to his colleagues, and the officers, who set off in the footsteps of the fugitives, overtook them only at the moment when they were already sailing away from the island. Some of the guards rushed into the water, others opened fire. As a result, Hunter and Brest were detained, Borman was wounded and drowned. And Hamilton was pronounced drowned. Although in fact he hid in a small gorge for two days, and then returned to the territory where the prisoners were working. There he was captured by guards.
August 7, 1943 - Charon Ted Walters disappeared from the laundry, but was caught on the shore of the bay.
July 31, 1945 - one of the most elaborate escape attempts. John Giles often worked in the prison laundry, which also washed army uniforms, which were sent to the island especially for this purpose. One day he stole a full set of uniform, changed clothes and calmly left prison and went to lunch with the military. Unfortunately for him, the military was having lunch that day on Angel Island, and not in San Francisco, as Giles had assumed. In addition, his disappearance from prison was immediately noticed. So as soon as he arrived on Angel Island, he was arrested and sent back to Alcatraz.
May 2-4, 1946 - this day is known as the "Battle of Alcatraz." Six prisoners disarmed the guards and seized a set of keys to the cell block. But their plan began to go awry when the prisoners discovered that they did not have the key to the door leading to the recreation yard. Soon the prison administration suspected something was wrong. But instead of surrendering, the prisoners resisted. As a result, four of them returned to their cells, but not before opening fire on the guards who had been taken hostage. One officer died from his wounds, and a second officer was killed while attempting to regain control of the cell block. About 18 guards were injured. American sailors were immediately called in to help, and on May 4 the mutiny ended with the murder of three prisoners. Subsequently, two “rebels” received a death sentence and ended their days in the gas chamber in 1948. And the 19-year-old rioter received a life sentence.
July 23, 1956 - Floyd Wilson disappeared from his job at the dock. He hid among the rocks for several hours, but when he was discovered, he gave up.
September 29, 1958 - While clearing debris, Aaor Bargett and Clyde Johnson subdued a prison officer and attempted to swim away. Johnson was caught in the water, but Bargett disappeared. Intensive searches yielded no results. Bargett's body was found in the San Francisco Bay two weeks later.
June 11, 1962 - This is the most famous escape attempt thanks to Clint Eastwood and the film Escape from Alcatraz (1979). Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin were able to disappear from their cells, never to be seen again. A fourth man, Allen West, was also involved in planning the escape, but for unknown reasons remained in the cell the next morning when the escape was discovered. The investigation revealed that the fugitives prepared not only fake bricks to cover the holes made in the walls, but also realistic dolls in the beds, stuffed with human hair, to hide the absence of prisoners during the night rounds. The trio exited through a ventilation pipe adjacent to their cells. The fugitives climbed the pipe to the roof of the prison block (they had previously unbent the iron bars in the ventilation). At the north end of the building they climbed down a drainpipe and thus reached the water. They used prison jackets and a pre-made raft as a means of floating. As a result of a thorough search in the cells of the fugitives, tools were found with which the prisoners used to hammer the walls, and in the bay they found one life jacket made from a prison jacket, an oar, as well as carefully packed photographs and letters belonging to the Anglin brothers. A few weeks later, the body of a man wearing a blue suit similar to a prison uniform was found in the water, but the condition of the body made it impossible to identify him. Morris and the Anglin brothers are officially listed as missing and presumed drowned.
Closing
On March 21, 1962, Alcatraz prison was closed. It is officially believed that this decision was made due to the growing cost of keeping criminals on the island. For the further use of the prison, restoration work totaling $3-5 million was required. However, these figures did not include the daily maintenance of prisoners - and Alcatraz prisoners cost the budget three times more than any other federal prison. For example, in 1959, the daily cost of holding a prisoner for Skala was $10.10, compared to $3 in the Atlanta prison. The high cost was explained by the fact that literally everything - food, fuel - had to be delivered from the mainland. The island did not even have its own drinking water, and about a million gallons of water had to be delivered to Alcatraz every week.
Since the prison's closure, many ideas have been discussed for the future use of the island. For example, it was proposed to build a UN monument here as the West Coast's answer to the Statue of Liberty. Businessmen tried to take the island for hotels and shopping centers, and the Indians - for the cultural center of the indigenous population of America. In 1969, a group of Indians actually took over the island, gaining enormous public support among a wide range of American society - from opponents of the Vietnam War to hippies and Hell Angels bikers. However, the Indians could not maintain order throughout the island, and in June 1971, by government decision, they were expelled from Alcatraz. In 1972, Congress approved the creation of Golden Gate National Park, and Alcatraz became one of the park's properties. In 1973, the Rock was opened to the public and has become one of the most attractive places in the National Park - about a million tourists visit Alcatraz every year.
San Francisco
Our journey began in the state of California from the city of San Francisco. Despite the cool and damp weather, which is generally unusual here for February, I immediately liked the city, so I want to talk a little about it. Perhaps this will be useful to those who follow our example.
The city was founded by the Spaniards in 1776. Thanks to the California gold rush in 1848, the city began to grow rapidly. After an earthquake and fire in 1906, it was destroyed and practically rebuilt.
We booked a hotel in the area near Fisherman's Wharf, which was formerly a fishing yard on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Getting from the airport to the hotel is easy with a taxi ($50-55). The location of the hotel is very convenient in all respects: it is located next to the embankment and sea piers on the bay, where life is in full swing around the clock, it is always crowded, there are many restaurants, shops, entertainment, etc.
We had 2 days to explore the city. We decided to spend the first day according to our program, and on the second we agreed on an excursion with a Russian-speaking guide. It should be noted that, in addition to the desire to see the city, we were not sure that our luggage would not get stuck somewhere during the flight, because we had to fly from afar, in winter, from places with difficult weather conditions. My fears were justified: my suitcase arrived only in the middle of the second day. Can you imagine what I would do on a two-week sea cruise without my things?! At the airport, having promised to find my luggage, they only gave me dental supplies and a nightgown...
According to travel guides, San Francisco is a global tourist destination, known for its cool summer fogs, steep hills and mix of Victorian and modern architecture.
One of the attractions of San Francisco is the cable or cable tram. Since its turning circle was very close to our hotel, we decided to start exploring the city with a trip on this tram to the downtown area. The cable tram itself has been in use in San Francisco for approximately 140 years. There is a pulling rope running between the rails under the road, to which the tram is attached using a special device. The city is located on the hills, and in earlier times horses could not cope with the transportation of passengers, as a result the tram won the competition with the horse-drawn horse. Now, of course, this is not the main form of transport in the city; it carries mainly tourists like us. The rules allowed driving on running boards in order to carry more passengers; These rules have not been canceled. But we drove from the ring and settled down completely safely. On oncoming trams we saw people hanging on the steps, where else is this possible! Nothing interfered with taking photographs (the speed of the tram is low, no more than 20 km/h), and the steep descents and ascents of the street leading down towards the sea aroused delight and surprise.
I immediately liked the city very much: the people are friendly, the city is beautiful, on the hills; walking is hard, but good for health, there are fewer overweight people than you usually see in America. Perhaps it just seemed that way to me, or maybe they don’t walk.
After the tram ride, we decided to walk around the city, trying to keep in the direction of the Fisherman's Wharf, i.e. our hotel. We walked along Market Street - the main street of the city, looked a little at the skyscrapers of the business center, walked, drank coffee and looked at the exhibition of local artists in the central Union Square.
Another attraction of San Francisco is Chinatown or the Chinese district. The area became a major settlement site for Chinese immigrants arriving in the United States in the 19th century via the Pacific Ocean. Most Chinese at that time worked for large companies that needed cheap labor, for example, in the construction of railways. The population of the area was predominantly male due to existing immigration restrictions. The Chinese brought women illegally, they were chained to beds in underground bunker-brothels (someone, apparently, made good money from them).
The 1906 earthquake almost completely destroyed Chinatown, there were many casualties, and these unfortunate women remained underground. Despite heated discussions about moving Chinatown to another part of the city, the area was restored to its original location. In total, the Chinese now make up about a fifth of San Francisco's population.
After Chinatown, we walked through the Italian district with many cafes, restaurants, etc. Interestingly, all the lampposts in this area have the Italian flag painted on them. Having gone down Columbus Avenue, rested a bit and had a snack, we went to explore the immediate surroundings of the Fisherman's Wharf. The San Francisco Bay Boardwalk was within walking distance of our hotel. Along the street along the sea there are shopping arcades and restaurants. San Francisco is considered one of the capitals of crabs; they are caught somewhere nearby in the bay and served in various forms in all restaurants.
There are all types of transport here: tram, bus, cable tram, which I have already written about in detail, I even saw a pedicab. I can’t imagine how they climb the slides, because there are slopes of about 30 degrees!
San Francisco Bay is considered the largest bay in America. From the embankment you can see Alcatraz Island, famous for its prison. It housed famous criminals such as Al Capone, and is now a museum that is included in the list of the city's main attractions. We don’t understand the popularity of prison, but Americans love it. I was told that there is a souvenir shop on the island, and some ex-convict, after serving his allotted time, published a book about his imprisonment (someone probably helped him write). Now he sells the book in the museum gift shop with his autograph, they say there is a queue for him. The prison was really not quite ordinary: it was very strict, the guards sat on the island for 3 years, so that they could not be bribed. Even in summer, the water here in the bay is icy (7-8 degrees), sharks swam around the perimeter (between the stretched net and the island). It was believed that it was impossible to escape from there. But there is a known case of the disappearance of three prisoners; it is still not known whether they remained alive. They offered a million dollars for information about them, but so far no one has come forward.
One of the goals of our evening walk was to visit the famous Pier No. 39. It turned out that this is a whole small city on stilts: with shops, restaurants and bars, a carousel, attractions, etc. Down there is a rookery for a good hundred sea lions, some call them seals. They have been resting here for many years; they first appeared after that devastating earthquake at the beginning of the last century. Nobody touches them, they don’t feed them, they swim and hunt freely in the bay, and come here to lie down and rest. For this purpose, special platforms were built for them.
Another highlight of the Fisherman's Wharf area is the historic Boudin Bakery, where French pastries (and more) have been baked since 1849. The bakery has a small cafe and a museum where they conduct excursions and teach those interested in the intricacies of baking. We accidentally met and chatted with a Russian-speaking girl standing behind the counter, had a snack in the cafe and looked at buns in the shape of various animals, for example, a life-sized crocodile.
The next day we had a planned excursion with a Russian-speaking guide Elena. Exactly at the appointed time, she arrived at our hotel in her minivan, in which four tourists were already sitting. The mood was spoiled, because we were unlucky with the weather; it had been raining since the very morning and it didn’t stop almost all day. They say that before this there had been no rain for more than a month. But the climate in the city is usually mild, very healthy, the air is good for asthmatics and heart patients. And in winter the flowers bloom, the planted palm trees grow. Summer is also not hot, the average temperatures in winter and summer do not differ very much.
The excursion began with a rainy ride to Treasure Island along the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco to Oakland. This city is home to a large cargo seaport. The bridge is huge, two-tiered, its total length is more than 7 km, the height of the supports is 160 m. We drove to the island along the lower road, and back along the upper one. We looked from the island through the veil of rain at the city and the bridge itself, waved to a passing sea lion (seal) and went once again to see the colony of his same friends at pier No. 39. Oddly enough, these animals felt great even in the rain. After the pier, we drove through the most famous places in the city, through downtown, along the most winding and steep street in the world - Lombard Street. It is impossible not to pay attention to the homeless people who live in the center, they sleep and sit with their belongings in the most crowded places, they are all registered, receive some kind of benefits, behave quietly, although many prefer to sleep on the street rather than in shelters for homeless. The police don't bother them because they don't violate public order.
After driving around downtown, we passed through the Castro district, where predominantly sexual minorities live. We even saw the church where they get married. I was very impressed by the view of San Francisco from the observation deck 330 m above sea level, where we were taken in accordance with the excursion program. I took a lot of photos there with a bird's eye view of the city and the bay.
On the way to the Golden Gate Bridge, we stopped at the largest city park - Golden Gate Park. We immediately noticed the riot of greenery, many flowers, space and tranquility, and yet it is located almost in the center of the city. There are several artificial lakes there. I paid attention to Canada geese, ducks, coots and other birds, this is where they fly from Canada to spend the winter...
We looked with great interest from the car window at the Richmond area, where Russians traditionally lived; now young people have gotten back on their feet and moved to live in more prestigious areas, and the Chinese have come to take their place. Many older people stayed here. Firstly, we are used to living here, and secondly, public transport is well developed here, and it is convenient. Going to visit your children is not a problem. The street, or rather boulevard, is called Geary Blvd, but Russians often call it Giribasovskaya.
No excursion around the city is complete without visiting its main attraction - the Golden Gate Bridge. It is thrown across the exit from the bay into the ocean - the Golden Gate Strait. The bridge is a unique engineering structure, built in 1933-1937, its length is more than 2.7 km, a record length between supports is 1280 m, the height of the supports is more than 220 m, and the roadway hangs over the water by more than 67 m, which allows passage all ships existing in the world today. Nearby you can see a fragment of a cable-cable, almost a meter in diameter, on which the bridge is suspended; more than 2700 metal rods in one tube. The piece exposed on the shore weighs 8 tons.
The Golden Gate Bridge is also notorious as the world's most popular suicide spot. Over the seven decades of the bridge's existence, more than 1,200 people committed suicide by jumping into the water from it. The California Highway Patrol removes about 70 people from the bridge a year who are planning to commit suicide. The guide said that she herself saw three times a crowd of onlookers and a policeman persuading the man on the other side of the railing not to jump.
After crossing the bridge, we stopped in the small beautiful town of Sausalito. Here we had lunch in a small cafe, walked around the city, visited several art and other galleries and moved on.
Driving along winding mountain roads, we arrived at the Muir Woods National Monument. This forest is 12 miles north of San Francisco and is named after environmentalist John Muir.
Muir Woods Preserve is located in a gorge off the Pacific coast. The tallest trees on Earth grow here - Coast Redwood, or sequoias in Russian. Their needle leaves are able to take moisture from the air, which is necessary for such tall trees (they can reach a height of 120-130 m), because their root system is not able to lift enough water to a height of more than 100 m.
Sequoia evergreen is the tallest living creature in the world. It can only grow in the coastal fog zone of California. Many trees are over 1000 years old. Trees in the reserve are sometimes burned for their development, because sequoia is not afraid of fires, practically does not burn, but it needs this to maintain the immune system. Sequoia 150 million years ago grew everywhere, but now it is preserved only here. The tree is very valuable, almost does not rot, has a beautiful reddish color, is durable, so it has always been cut down very actively.
The creator of the park, William Kent, a prominent businessman and member of the US Congress, decided to preserve at least part of these unique trees, bought these lands and donated them to the Federal Government, i.e. to the state. President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 gave the forest the status of a National Wildlife Refuge, and no one could or will be able to change the laws signed by the President under the Constitution.
Despite the continuously drizzling rain, wet feet, and difficulty taking photographs due to poor lighting, our spirits were high. The feelings we experienced in this forest are unforgettable. I remembered one of our friend’s statements that this forest for him has always been and will be the best place on Earth. It even seemed to me that I improved my health during this approximately two-hour walk. It is no coincidence that more than 1 million visitors come here every year.
In the ocean on the Big Princess
After intense and eventful days in San Francisco, we finally stepped onto the deck of our (15 days) ship. Less than an hour after arriving at the pier, we were already in our cabin, and a couple of hours later our suitcases were brought. As usual, before departure, all passengers on the ship were gathered and given instructions: where to go and how to use life jackets in the event of an alarm.
Our ship was called Grand Princess, it is really huge, although I imagined the princess to be graceful and fragile. The company has about 15 such Princesses (I saw the list): there are Gold, Sapphire, Diamond, Solar and other Princesses. They differ only in the first word and different displacement. Our princess turned out to be large, but not the biggest. Displacement, for those who understand that this is the most important characteristic of a ship, is 109 thousand tons. Length - about 250 m. There were 2,600 passengers and 1,300 crew members on board, including maintenance personnel.
Before the first stop in Hawaii, the ship sailed for 4 days, I was worried that this voyage would be boring and tiring. But it turned out not. You can lead a varied life and always find something interesting for yourself. Every day there were dozens of activities offered here to suit every taste. As usual, on cruises you live like under communism - everything is included. Eat as much and as you want, I have already accepted that I will have to gain weight. Lots of entertainment, incl. variety of shows. Movies are shown daily on local TV and on the big screen. When the ship is in the ocean, you can listen to lectures on various topics. For example, on the first day of sailing, in the morning we went to a lecture about the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu, and my wife attended a lecture-auction in an art gallery. We listened to a musical concert - a string quartet played. Two violins, viola (viola) and cello. The level of performance was high, they played mostly serious music - Mozart, Bach, Dvorak... I then approached them, found out that they were from Ukraine, thanked them for the concert, said that I immediately understood that they were from the former USSR (after all, they were not at all smile). They said it was difficult to play, noisy, and they obviously took their work very seriously. Maybe for the first time on such a contract, we’re not used to it yet.
There are a lot of Ukrainians and Russians working on the ship: waiters, dancers, and musicians. I talked with the waiters - many from Dnepropetrovsk, some from Yalta, there was a guy from Moldova, many with an Inyazov education, they speak English well. Of course, their work is more stressful than that of musicians and dancers: they get up at 5 in the morning and go to bed late. But dancers must always be in shape. I often met one of the dancers on the walking path, where you can even run, she needed to lose weight. The cleaners are Filipino men. There were few Russian-speaking passengers, mostly former Soviet citizens. In general, there was a specific contingent here, perhaps it was a cruise of pensioners. There were almost no children. It seems to me that the average age of passengers was 60 - 70 years old. There were very ancient old women and old men, mostly they travel in pairs. There are a lot of disabled people in wheelchairs, I thought with sadness about our pensioners and disabled people. What did they fight and hunch over all their lives!?
On the ship the food is as if for slaughter, tasty and plentiful. You can order any number of dishes in the restaurant. There is a large selection, no need to pay. Service at the highest level. Lunch, let me remind you, is our dinner; we had it on the second shift at 19.45 ship time. The ship is constantly moving and crossing time zones. In Hawaii, the time is 2 hours different from the time in San Francisco and 13 hours from Moscow. Our table was at a restaurant called Botticelli, and there was a couple from Texas sitting at the table with us, about our age. They always travel on Princesses and believe that the service here is the best.
From morning to morning there was various entertainment on the ship: lectures, performances, movies, shows, night discos, etc. Every evening we went to music shows. It is interesting to note that the program takes into account the interests of the public, because they are mainly pensioners, so there is a lot of American music of the 60s, which has already become classics. The people are elderly but active, they sing along and react noisily.
Our ship had to stop at the 4 main Hawaiian Islands. We understood that there would clearly not be enough time there to get acquainted, although this is not bad for the first time. We learned, for example, that there is an island in this archipelago that is rarely visited by tourists. There are no hotels, no cars, no electrical networks, they speak only Hawaiian, tourists are not even allowed to spend the night, we will not sail there.
To better prepare, we did not miss naturalist Shahan’s lectures about the Hawaiian Islands. We attended daily lectures on the geography of Hawaii, the history of the islands, and about the flora and fauna. It turned out that there are almost no wild animals in Hawaii, only rats (arrived with ships) and mongooses. They hunt at different times of the day and do not interfere with each other. There are no snakes here either. But there are many chickens that live independently of humans. There is an opinion that Hawaii is a tropical paradise on Earth, so I thought, why not, since no one is threatening you.
There were other general education lectures, for example, about tsunamis, about earthquakes, about science and the education system, about World War II in the Pacific, about digital photography, etc. I tried not to miss these. Considering the age of the passengers, there were many lectures on health, rejuvenation, proper nutrition, weight loss, etc. I did not go there, but my wife sometimes attended them.
On the third day of the journey, people noticed a whale, it was the first whale on the trip, but I did not have time to film it. He appeared from under the water for one or two seconds. At a lecture about animals, the naturalist promised to return the money for the cruise to those who do not see whales. They wouldn’t have returned it to me, because I saw a whale, and what I didn’t have time to film is my problem. But later I saw dozens of them and photographed some.
During the voyage (days at sea), the ship's captain twice invited everyone to balls - evenings with champagne. For such an occasion, it is necessary to dress beautifully, smartly, and already in the afternoon, more and more people were seen in tailcoats, long elegant dresses and diamonds. We also got ready and managed to take good places in the center of the ship. They served as much champagne as we wanted, of course we drank a little, I think there were 8 glasses between us. In the center there was a beautiful pyramid fountain made of champagne flutes. The captain opened the evening and those who wished could take pictures while pouring champagne from another bottle onto the top of the pyramid.
Big Island or Hawaii
After four days of sailing across the Pacific Ocean, early in the morning we arrived at the Big Island. In general, the Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago, a chain of twenty-four islands of volcanic origin. These islands are the fiftieth state of the United States. Big Island is one of the eight main islands of the archipelago. It is the largest of the US islands, its area is more than 10 thousand square meters. km. Thanks to active volcanoes that periodically erupt hot lava, the Big Island continues to grow. For example, from 1983 to 2002, lava flows increased the island by 220 hectares. The main city of the island is the city of Hilo, home to 40 thousand inhabitants.
Captain James Cook was the first European to arrive in Hawaii (1778), then he named them the Sandwich Islands after the Earl, the inventor of the sandwich - a sandwich with a bun on both sides. The first time Cook was received well on this island, but when he arrived here for the third time, the islanders killed him here and, they say, ate him.
We chose the bus tour, which we felt would give the most insight into the Big Island in one day. At 8.15 in the morning we set off, we met a very cheerful bus driver, who is also a guide. After each of his sentences, he laughed contagiously, although we did not find it funny, probably due to his poor knowledge of English. I realized that Hawaiians are fun people.
Hawaii is called the Island of Flowers; the variety of exotic plants here is truly amazing: orchids, plumerias, hibiscus, etc. We noticed that along the road there were brightly flowering trees, as we were told, they grow wild, but they greatly decorate the island. Bananas, papayas and other fruits grow near the roads. The roads are good, you can drive fast. I would still like to note that beautiful houses were rare; rusty metal roofs were often visible, because it is warm and rainy here. Many roofs have solar panels; electricity is expensive. Fuel for power systems must be delivered by sea. Gasoline, I noticed, is also 10-20% more expensive than on the mainland. There are problems with clean water; people in their homes collect rainwater in special containers and then purify it using filters. I remembered this when in one of the tourist centers near a regular water tap I saw a sign - rain water.
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis occur here. The most destructive tsunami was with a wave height of 18 m. What I mean is that it is unlikely that local residents themselves consider this place a paradise, as most residents of the northern regions of America and Europe think.
The first place we visited was at a farm called Mauna Loa where Macadamia nuts are grown and processed. Walnut tree plantations stretch for kilometers. The walnut is very hard; the factory has special machines for processing them. The factory was closed that day (a holiday), and I looked at the processing line through the windows. The line is long, but it didn’t impress me much; it looks like this equipment is decades old. There is also a souvenir shop where you can buy and try these nuts in a variety of packages. You can buy nut butter. They say these nuts and butter are very healthy, although not cheap. Macadamia is considered the most expensive nut in the world.
We liked the small botanical garden at this farm, full of beautiful tropical flowers. For the first time I touched sugar cane there. It was more than 3 meters high, but in fact it is no longer cultivated on the island. This has become economically unprofitable; it is more profitable to grow nuts, papaya, coffee and pineapples.
The next bus stop was at Rainbow Falls. They say that there is usually a rainbow hanging near it, but we were probably unlucky, even though it was a sunny day. We didn't see a rainbow, but we liked the waterfall and the tropical forest.
After wandering around the area and admiring nature, visiting the black sand beach, we moved towards the National Volcanic Park, stopping at an orchid garden along the way. We have never seen such a sea of orchids of various colors, shapes, and sizes at the same time; there were hundreds of them. And everyone is different. If you wanted, you could buy any, but you were not allowed to bring live plants onto the ship. Therefore, tourists bought souvenirs right there in the store: beads, wreaths, hairpins made of artificial flowers.
The main attraction of the island is the volcanoes. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park was founded in 1916 and covers an area of more than a thousand square kilometers. The main attraction here is Kilauea Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes currently active on Earth. Its last major eruption occurred in 1983, and it still continues in a sluggish mode. In the immediate vicinity of Kilauea there is the still inactive huge volcano Mauna Loa, reaching a height of 4170 m above sea level.
Kilauela Volcano has a crater 4.5 km in diameter. There is a museum and volcano observation center on the rim of the crater. We were not allowed to come close to the crater and look into it, because... sulfur dioxide gases were intensely released. I wanted to see it, because according to legend, the goddess of volcanoes, Pele, lives on the Kilauea volcano. Previously, Hawaiians brought gifts to this fiery goddess, throwing them directly into the crater.
In the Volcano Park, on the slopes of the craters you can see real jungles; giant tree ferns surprise you with their size. You walk along the path and it seems that a toothy dinosaur is about to jump out of the thicket.
One of the main reasons we chose this excursion was the interest in the promised trip through the lava tube. During a volcanic eruption, lava flows down from the top and gradually cools on the outside, as if a crust is formed. Hot lava continues to flow under the crust even after the eruption ends. As internal molten streams flow out, tubes and cavities are formed. Lava tubes can be up to 15 meters wide and lie up to 15 meters below the surface. Moreover, the length of lava tubes can be very large and reach several kilometers. At the Mauna Loa volcano, one of the lava tubes formed during the 1859 eruption emerges into the ocean 50 km from the eruption site. We managed to walk along it a couple of hundred meters in an accessible place equipped with stairs. The walls are smooth, almost black, somehow twisted. Damp, water dripping in places. We were not there for a long time, it seemed that we felt the breath of the underworld.
Oahu & Honolulu
The ship arrived at the port of Honolulu on the island of Oahu early in the morning, departure was scheduled for late evening, so we had a day to get to know the city. Already from afar from the ship it was clear that this was a large modern city. Honolulu is the capital of the 50th American state (it became a US state in 1959). The city is located on the third largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago, although more than 70% of the state's population lives on the island: about 950 thousand inhabitants. The average temperature in winter is 22-25C, the hottest months are August-September - about 30C. Therefore, many tourists prefer to come here in winter.
The Polynesians were the first to appear on the islands; the peak of their migrations occurred in 1200. They lived in almost isolation for a long time, which affected their development and culture.
Our ship stood next to the most famous building in the city - the Aloha Tower Marketplace. The tower was built in 1926 and until the 60s it remained the tallest in the city. Everyone who has visited Hawaii knows the word Aloha; it means greeting, farewell, and good wishes.
Since we only had one day at our disposal, we decided to spend it exploring the city and its surroundings, as well as visiting the beach. There were, of course, other options, for example, sailing in a submarine, where, in addition to rich marine life, you can see sunken ships and an airplane at a depth of about 40 m. Those interested in history can visit the Arizona Memorial and the Pearl Harbor military base, where in 1941 the Japanese unexpectedly attacked and destroyed the American fleet based on the island. Also one of the tourist attractions on the island is the Polynesian Cultural Center, where you can see a variety of shows in the national style. Famous attractions on the island also include Waikiki beaches, Hanauma Bay, Iolani Palace, Diamond Head Crater, and a giant aquarium with more than 2,000 species of marine fish and animals.
However, we limited ourselves to “Hop-On & Hop-Off” bus excursions, i.e. in and out. These are double-decker and single-decker buses, called Trolley here, they periodically run along their routes and you can get off and on at any stop. The red bus line starts right from the pier and the Aloha Tower and passes through historical places, along the way the driver, who is also a guide, talks about what he saw. The bus passes Chinatown, past the only palace in the United States - the residence of the Hawaiian kings, bearing the poetic name Iolani (Palace of the Bird of Heaven). The bus passes through a number of shopping centers and along the city's famous Waikiki Beach. Waikiki means "flowing fresh water" and there are many springs, streams and swamps that separate Waikiki from the rest of the island.
In the Waikiki area, you can take the Green Line bus, which passes the zoo, a giant aquarium, then along the Southeast coast, makes sightseeing stops near and inside the crater of the long-extinct Diamond Head volcano, passes through the outskirts and suburbs of Honolulu. From the coast you can climb to the observation deck of this volcano, from where they say unique views open up, but this requires time and good physical preparation. Driving along this line through the city, we were surprised to see a huge building that looked like it had been brutally bombed. It turned out to be a local film studio. The island was the location for the filming of famous films such as Lost, Pearl Harbor and several others.
The third line, Pink Line, runs along a number of shopping streets and luxury hotels in the vicinity of the Waikiki area. All three bus lines intersect, which allows you to change them periodically to better familiarize yourself with the city.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to describe in words or even list everything that we saw.
Naturally, we couldn't help but visit the beach. We got off the bus at Waikiki Beach, where there is a Starbucks Cafe nearby, i.e. where you can use free internet. We drank coffee there, checked our emails and sent some travel notes to our friends. But my wife was eager to get to the beach, and we crossed the road there. The beach area is separated from the ocean by a dam, warm water, sandy bottom, so this is an ideal place for children to swim; for adults, in our opinion, there is not enough depth. You can swim behind the dam into the ocean, but there are a lot of reefs and waves there, and it’s not safe to swim. It was impossible to walk on the sand barefoot, it gets so hot in the sun. Along the coast there are monuments to famous people of Hawaii, on the other side of the street there are many shops, etc. One of the most famous statues is that of Duke Kahanamoku - the father of modern surfing. He was a world record holder, three-time champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist in swimming (1912 and 1924). He later became a famous actor, businessman and politician. But he always paid his main attention to the development of sports. Noteworthy is the monument to Prince Kuhio, the heir to the throne, who after the overthrow of the monarchy became a famous political figure and even represented Hawaii in the US Congress.
To get back to the ship, we again took the Red Line bus, which went through the old part of town, past government buildings, the Capitol, and through the area where President Barack Obama grew up and studied. In the evening we went for a walk around the Aloha Market Tower, where we could buy souvenirs.
Kauai (Kaua"i)
The third island of our trip was Kauwai (Kaua'I). It is the oldest (6 million years old) and northernmost island in the Hawaiian Island chain. Its population is about 60 thousand inhabitants, i.e. less than other large Hawaiian islands. Sometimes it is called a garden island, it is very green, there are many flowers, those who want privacy and peace come here to relax. Traditionally, many come here for a wedding ceremony and/or honeymoon.
King Kamehameha of Hawaii never conquered the island and King Kaumualii achieved autonomy for his country without war. Russians also visited here; they first appeared in 1804 with the expedition of Krusenstern and Lisyansky. A little later, a representative of the Russian-American company, the very enterprising doctor Georg Schaeffer, a Russian citizen, treated the king and members of the royal family, and therefore acquired great authority here. Under Schaeffer's leadership, with the help of the islanders, Fort St. Elizabeth and two other fortresses were built. Initially, they were going to establish a Russian colony here. There was even a period when the king of the island, fearing a war with the Hawaiian king, was ready to annex the island to Russia, but already in the summer of 1817, Kauai was abandoned by the Russians under pressure from the Hawaiians and Americans. Officials of the Russian Empire (during the reign of Alexander I) showed no interest in such distant lands. Currently, the Elizabeth Fortress is a historical park, where only ruins remain.
In the center of the island is Mount Waialeale with a huge volcano, which gave birth to the island. The island is famous for Waimea Canyon; Mark Twain called it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Our daughter, who had been here earlier, saw it from a helicopter and was amazed by its beauty and grandeur. She was the one who recommended us to watch it. Helicopter excursions, despite the high price, have already been sold out. So we purchased a bus tour and hit the road early in the morning.
After two hours of travel with short stops, we arrived at the top of the mountain to the observation deck of the Waimea Canyon, but our plans to admire the canyon did not come true, it was raining. Then we learned that here is the wettest place on Earth, with 450 inches of precipitation (more than 1 m) per year. However, we went to the observation deck, the canyon was in fog, almost nothing could be seen. I can imagine how insulting it was for those who bought the helicopter excursion.
After descending from the mountain, we drove along the ocean and stopped in the southern part of the island at Spouting Horn. Here, jets of water, similar to geysers, periodically fly up 10-15 meters. But, as I understand it, their nature is determined by powerful ocean waves and cracks-channels in the coastal lava. Hawaiians used to believe that these noisy bursts of water were the evil roar of the Lizard Goddess Kaikapu.
The weather improved, even the sun came out. There was a beautiful view of the rocky ocean shore. Chickens and roosters walked around like owners. This is not a poultry, here they have enough natural food, and there are almost no natural enemies; unlike other islands of the archipelago, even mongooses are not found on Kauai. There are thousands of chickens here, they can be found anywhere on the island.
As usual, after 4 hours of excursion we were taken for lunch to a small cozy restaurant near Poipi Beach. We didn't have time to go to the beach, although it is considered the main pearl on the island. This place is very popular among tourists. There are an abundance of flowers growing around the restaurant, and it was nice to take a walk in the time left after lunch. Here I also found a Starbucks cafe with the Internet, checked my email, it was nice to read letters from friends on a distant island.
Having driven a little away from sunny Poipi Beach, we again found ourselves in the rain. The next stop was the Wailua River for a guided tour and cultural program on boats. Fortunately, the boat was large with a roof, so the rain did not bother us.
We moved up the river, admired the river, the landscapes, a group of local musicians performed Hawaiian music and songs; girls in national dresses danced and taught Hawaiian dances to those interested. You can get some idea of Hawaiian music and girls from my photos in the music slideshow:
The boat took us to Fern Grotto Park, where we walked along a narrow path through the impenetrable jungle to a small waterfall and grotto cave. There, on a small wooden platform, we were shown the musical performance “Hawaiian Wedding Songs.” The drizzling rain did not disturb the performers, but the audience tried to hide under umbrellas.
Since there are no snowy mountains or glaciers in Hawaii, the power of the waterfalls depends on rainfall. Apparently on this day there were few of them in this place; the waterfall was not impressive. The guide said that the heaviest rains here are in the spring, and in March-April they rain non-stop.
There were many strange tropical plants around, and there were also wild bananas. Bananas grow everywhere here; local residents used to pick them green and cook them like we do potatoes. Due to the unique nature of the island, a number of films were filmed, for example, “Jurassic Park” and “Indiana Jones”.
On the way back, the bus made a short stop at a relatively small canyon and the picturesque Opaekaa Falls. These waterfalls are very beautiful, and we admired them a little.
Of course, one day is not enough to see everything that interested us. But it’s better to see it at least once than never. Of course, I would like to stay here longer.
Tomorrow the next island of Hawaii awaits us - Maui, they promise good weather there (although they also promised it here), we have again planned a bus excursion, we will go to see the giant crater.
Ensenada, Mexico
After three days of sailing back, full of shows and other entertainment (I was more interested in educational lectures), we stopped briefly in the Mexican port of Ensenada. This port city began to grow and develop after the Mexican cities of San Francisco and San Diego ceded from Mexico to the Americans as a result of the war with America in 1848. Ensenado is now the most important port in northern Mexico. Sometimes called the Cinderella of the Pacific, it is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, with many hotels, casinos and other entertainment options. Moreover, the distance from the US border is a little more than 100 km. There are beaches popular with surfers.
The mountains, the city, the ocean amaze with their beauty even when approaching the shore. Gray whales from Alaska come here to spend the winter, and in the spring they go back. There is a unique geyser somewhere nearby, but we were not even offered an excursion there - there was little time. But excursions to winemaking were offered. This region is famous for its vineyards and wines. Climatic conditions are close to Mediterranean.
It turned out that the main scientific forces of the country are concentrated in Ensenada; the number of scientists here is the maximum in the country per capita. Many fields of science are developed, such as biotechnology, medicine, physics, astronomy, etc. Russians also visited here; at the end of the 19th century, Russian refugees - Molokans founded the city of Guadalupe here, they were engaged in growing olives and grapes. They mostly moved to California in the 20th century. Every year in August, at the beginning of the grape harvest, the Guadalupe Valley and the city of Ensenada celebrate the wine harvest with great pomp. This event attracts people from all over the world. This region produces 90% of all Mexican wines.
Our ship arrived at the port at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, it sailed at 7.30, which did not allow for long trips around the city. There was only enough time for a quick acquaintance with several central streets, especially since at 6 o’clock it was already getting dark. There are buses from the ship to the city center; they will take you there in 5-10 minutes. The population is about half a million people, the entire center is continuous shopping malls designed for guests.
It caught my eye that in places where tourists gather there are a lot of poor people, they ask to buy some beads, bracelets and other trinkets. Children run around with plastic cups and beg for money. Women sit with small and even infants and also hold out glasses. At first it amazes you, then you get used to it. Merchants invite people into stores, offering various goods and services, including “priestesses of love.”
After the walk, we were glad to find ourselves back in the familiar surroundings of the ship. The wife said: “How wonderful it is that there are still 36 hours of unforgettable paradise on the ship ahead! There is live music everywhere (even in the swimming pools), concerts and various shows, sales fairs, lotteries, casinos, auctions with free champagne. And, of course, a festive gourmet dinner with lobsters and a waiter show with cakes with candles, and a farewell ball with champagne and other drinks from the captain, with a wonderful orchestra, games, dancing, attractions until the morning... A real holiday!” But, if you want, you can calmly lie in your cabin and watch the ship sail, listen to the sea and write these travel notes - this is also so cool!
A day later, early in the morning, we arrive at the final destination of our journey in San Francisco. Before midnight, you need to pack your things and put your suitcases in the corridor in order to receive them when you go ashore at the port. The end of our wonderful journey was approaching. How good it was!
Nestled in the oceanfront hills, San Francisco, with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. The city has a rich history, beautiful beaches, parks, museums and a lot of entertainment.
Among some of San Francisco's most famous landmarks is the historic Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf. In the center of the city is Golden Gate Park - a huge green area where you can walk for hours. San Francisco's Chinatown is considered one of the largest in North America, and historic cable cars stop at most of the city's major landmarks.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a California icon in the San Francisco Bay and the most photographed place in the city. The bright bridge looks harmonious against the background of blue water and clouds hanging above it. At night, the entire structure is illuminated by floodlights and looks especially striking.
Connecting San Francisco to Marin County and other areas to the north, the Golden Gate Bridge has been recognized as one of the most beautiful views in the United States. Opened on May 28, 1937, the bridge took four years to build and at the time of completion was the longest suspension bridge in the world. If you want to visit the Golden Gate Bridge, Hwy 101 and SR 1, with walkways on either side of the bridge, are open to pedestrians and cyclists. For a great view of the bridge and a good photo, there are many ideal vantage points. On the San Francisco side, this is the Nob Hill area, known for its chic old mansions. On the opposite side of the bridge in Marin County, Golden Gate National Recreation Area is another great spot. Additionally, the Alcatraz tour offers a special view from the island.
Alcatraz Island
The historic and infamous Alcatraz prison is located on the island of the same name in San Francisco Bay and is one of the most famous prisons in America. It operated for nearly thirty years, closing in 1963 and reopening as a San Francisco landmark in 1973. America's most notorious criminals were Alcatraz prisoners, including Al Capone and Birdman. You can take a ferry to the island and tour the prison with a unique audio guide recorded by former prisoners and prison guards. This is not just a boring list of facts, but an interesting tour with many details.
During its 30-year existence, the prison housed a total of 1,576 criminals. Despite having 450 cells, there were never more than 250 prisoners, and the number of guards and staff sometimes outnumbered the number of criminals. Although most people come here for the former prison's history, Alcatraz Island also attracts many nesting seabirds. One of the easiest and most economical ways to explore Alcatraz and most other San Francisco landmarks is with a dedicated United City Tour. It covers Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge and several other interesting places. It is better to book the excursion in advance, as Alcatraz is in great demand.
Fisherman's Wharf
One of the most popular tourist areas in San Francisco is Fisherman's Wharf. If this is your first visit to the city and you only have a day or two to see the sights, the Fisherman's Wharf is the perfect place to start your trip. This historic area is known for its shopping, dining and beautiful waterfront ambience. It's a fun place to walk and get a feel for the rhythm of San Francisco. From here you can also take a sightseeing cruise to other San Francisco attractions.
Among the most interesting places in Fisherman's Wharf are Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Ghirardelli Square.
Restored 19th- and 20th-century ships are berthed at the Hyde Street Pier, part of the San Francisco Maritime History National Park. The USS Pampanito is also a National Historic Landmark, as is a World War II submarine. Pier 39 attracts tourists with more than 130 shops and unique restaurants serving the freshest seafood. From here you have a beautiful view of the city.
San Francisco Cable Car
Cable car cars were introduced in 1873 to help local residents negotiate the many hills on which the city is based. Today, the few remaining cable car cars offer tourists a great way to explore San Francisco's historic sites. Since 1964, this unusual transport system has been declared a historical monument of the city. Mason Powell and Powell Hyde are considered the most scenic cable car routes. The cable car takes you to the city's main landmarks, including Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the ferry station, Nob Hill and winding Lombard Street. If you are planning more trips and will be exploring the city of San Francisco over several days, it is worth considering purchasing a pass for all types of public transport.
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is a stunning green space in the heart of San Francisco, often called the "lungs" of the city. Before the park was founded in 1871, this was an area of arid dunes. But today it is home to a large network of hiking trails, bike paths, more than 5,000 plant species, several lakes, museums and even a buffalo pen. Among the main attractions of Golden Gate Park are the De Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences Museum with the Steinhart Aquarium, the Japanese Tea Garden and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Golden Gate Park is one of those places where you can easily spend a few hours or a few days. The best way to explore the park is by bicycle, which you can rent. Alternatively, you can arrange a segway ride with a local guide.
Chinatown
You may have been to Chinatowns in other cities, but San Francisco's Chinatown is a completely different experience. It is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest Chinatown in North America. Almost completely destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, Chinatown has been rebuilt in traditional style and is even more attractive than before the devastating disaster. With its many temples, theaters, merchants, kiosks, antique and souvenir shops, tea rooms and traditional pharmacies, Chinatown has become one of San Francisco's top attractions. If you find yourself in San Francisco during an important Chinese holiday or event, you can attend a massive celebration with carnival and fireworks. Chinese New Year celebrations are considered the best in North America. The main street in Chinatown is entirely dedicated to tourists - this is Grant Avenue with the Chinatown Gate.
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is an architectural marvel and a multifaceted museum. What stands out in this modern green building is the Living Roof, covered with native plants and even the rolling hills, completely in keeping with the natural environment. The roof has solar panels that supply electricity to the building, and the walls are made of glass, allowing as much natural light as possible.
Inside is an incredible Natural History Museum, planetarium, aquarium, rainforest and much more. Steinhart Aquarium contains approximately 38,000 inhabitants and a coral reef at a depth of 8 meters. The rainforest with all kinds of animals and amphibians is another stunning place. You can take a glass elevator down to the deepest depths and walk through a clear acrylic tunnel while watching the fish above. The Kimball Museum of Natural History displays T. rex and blue whale skeletons, along with many interesting exhibits.
de Young Museum of Art
Golden Gate Park has another popular San Francisco attraction - the De Young Museum. This art museum is one of the largest public art institutions in San Francisco. His exhibitions cover a variety of periods and territories. And although the De Young Museum is predominantly focused on North American art, there are also many exhibitions from Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Middle East. British artistic and folk art from Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands is also well represented.
Modern Art Museum
After extensive renovations, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopened in the spring of 2016. Following the renovation, the museum now has 170,000 square feet of exhibition space, nearly three times its previous size. The museum now has 10 floors, with the largest first floor open to the public for free. In addition to new interiors, the museum also acquired thousands of new exhibits. In addition to the museum's permanent collection, it also hosts a number of temporary exhibitions and other events.
Twin Peaks
These two unique uninhabited hills, about three hundred meters high, are not actually the tallest of San Francisco's 43 hills, with the record held by Mount Davidson, which is 10 meters higher. But Twin Peaks offers the most beautiful views of the city and bay. In addition, excursions along the routes of the northern and southern peaks are constantly held here. Twin Peaks are the only undeveloped hills in San Francisco that remain in their original state. The Spaniards nicknamed them "Los pechos de la Chola", or the Breast of the Indian Virgin. Even on warm days, strong cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean prevail here, so it is recommended to take warm clothing with you.
Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum is undeniably one of the most important museums in San Francisco. The museum opened in 1966 based on the art collection of Avery Brundage. Brundage created a private collection and in 1959 proposed to the city of San Francisco to bridge the gap between East and West. A new museum building was built, and after the death of the patron in 1975, the museum received the rest of his collection in the form of a legacy.
The Asian Art Museum is a popular San Francisco attraction with an extensive collection of sculptures, paintings, bronzes, ceramics, jade carvings and architectural fragments from Japan, Korea, China, India, Iran and other Asian cultures. The work covers a period of more than 6,000 years. The museum plans to significantly expand with the creation of a new pavilion.
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is an incredibly popular Science Museum with interesting exhibitions for children and adults. A huge variety of exhibitions and interactive attractions cover many different areas of learning and entertainment. The Exploratorium delights children with a variety of experiments they can take part in. But even if you are traveling without children, this place is definitely worth a visit. The Exploratorium is located on Pier 15 and welcomes guests throughout the year.
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco is the last surviving structure of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the classic building sits picturesquely on the lagoon, mirrored on the surface of the calm water. The palace was restored and today hosts art exhibitions and events. The Palace of Fine Arts Theater seats approximately 1,000 visitors. This is one of those must-see attractions in San Francisco.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area should not be confused with Golden Gate Park, described above. The recreation area covers 600 square miles in Marin County and is home to a myriad of attractions and an ideal place to enjoy nature and relax. Hiking and biking trails, campgrounds, picnic areas and beautiful beach areas are just a few of the wonders of the Golden Gate Recreation Area. A number of its beaches offer fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the park is home to the historic Fort Baker, a former early 20th-century American Army post.
AT&T Park
A baseball stadium and home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park is a popular San Francisco attraction. Even if you can't attend the game, you can always take a tour of the back streets of the stadium. During the tour, you can learn about historical events and explore the architecture. Tours do not run every day, so check the calendar online in advance.
Ghirardelli Square
Ghirardelli Square is a popular area with shops, galleries and restaurants in restored industrial buildings. The square opened in 1964 and was the first in a series of projects to revitalize abandoned factory complexes. The old red brick Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory has been converted into a shopping complex, attracting lovers of shopping, art, entertainment and good food. Its 1916 bell tower is modeled after the Château Blois in France. Later additions included rose gardens with fountains and terraces.
Trip to Napa Valley
The Napa and Sonoma Valleys are two of the most famous and extensive wine producing areas in California. Located at the southern end of the valley approximately 80 kilometers from San Francisco, Napa is one of the largest California cities north of San Francisco. These are incredibly beautiful places with a drier climate than the coastal areas. The city was founded in 1848 and is named after the indigenous Napa Indians. Mountains to the west and east protect the valley from storms and create an ideal climate for growing grapes.
Where to Stay for San Francisco Sightseeing
If you plan to see the main attractions of San Francisco, it is best to stay in a hotel near Union Square. You will find many upscale shops, restaurants, galleries, theaters and hotels here. San Francisco's famous Chinatown is within walking distance, as are a number of other interesting places. Since Union Square is a major transportation hub, you can easily get to your desired destination using public transportation. Fisherman's Wharf is also a popular place to relax, with a more relaxed atmosphere in the evenings. Below are some great hotels in convenient locations:-The Loews Regency Hotel is a 10-minute walk from Union Square. Located in the financial district, it is one of the city's finest hotels with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and city skyline.
-Other luxury options near downtown include the chic Four Seasons Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton in a historic building on exclusive Nob Hill.
-Chancellor at Union Square offers superior quality in the heart of San Francisco, while the Cornell de France boutique hotel exudes Parisian style in a convenient location between Union Square and Nob Hill.
-At Fisherman's Wharf, the Courtyard by Marriott is a fantastic option especially for families looking for accommodation in this popular tourist destination.
To the question Where is it located? what kind of building? given by the author YOSAN the best answer is Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock,” is an island in San Francisco Bay. Administratively owned by the state of California.
The island was used as a defensive fort, later as a military prison, and then as a high-security prison for especially dangerous criminals and those who attempted to escape from previous places of detention. The prison has now been disbanded and the island has been turned into a museum, accessible by ferry from San Francisco from Pier 41.
In 1775, the Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala was the first to enter San Francisco Bay. His team mapped the bay and gave the name La Isla de los Alcatraces to one of the three islands, now known as Yerba Buena. It is widely believed that the name could mean "Pelican Island", due to the abundance of these birds on the island. However, according to reports from ornithologists, there are no colonies of pelicans or gannets, either on the island or nearby, but there are many different species of cormorants and other large waterfowl.
In 1828, the English geographer Captain Frederic William Beechey mistakenly transferred the name of the island from Spanish maps to the neighboring one, currently known as the site of the famous prison, under the name Island Alcatrazes. In 1851, the US Coast Guard surveyor shortened the name to Alcatraz.
As a result of the gold rush, there was a need to protect the bay. In 1850, by order of the President of the United States, they began to build a fort on the island, where more than 110 long-range guns were installed. The fort was subsequently used to house prisoners. In 1909, the army demolished it, leaving only the foundation, and by 1912 a new building was built for prisoners.
On March 21, 1963, Alcatraz prison was closed. According to the official version, this was done because the costs of maintaining prisoners on the island were too high. The prison required approximately $3-5 million worth of renovations. In addition, keeping prisoners on the island was too expensive compared to a mainland prison, since everything regularly had to be imported from the mainland.
After the closure, many ways to further use the island were discussed - for example, it was proposed to place a UN monument there. In 1969, a group of Indians from various tribes moved to the island, effectively capturing it. This was done thanks to the federal Indian Free Removal Act of 1934. While living on the island, the Indians burned large fires in the buildings and painted the walls. Due to the fires, the security rest house, a quarter of the coast guard barracks and the prison warden's house were severely damaged, and many apartments in residential buildings on the island were also significantly damaged. However, the Indians did not stay on the island for long, and in June 1971, by decision of the US government, they were expelled from Alcatraz. The writings on the walls can still be seen today. In 1971, the island was made part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 1973, the island was opened to tourists, and now about a million tourists visit it annually.
Alcatraz is a famous island located in San Francisco Bay, California. Translated from Spanish, Alcatraz means “pelican”. The island also has another name - The Rock, which it received thanks to the 1996 Michael Bay film of the same name.
Alcatraz is one of the top tourist attractions of this port city. Perhaps this place is so attractive due to its interesting, but rather dark history. Alcatraz is never empty. Travelers from all over the world come to the island to see with their own eyes the place, “glorified” in many films, television programs, literature and even music.
History of the island
The first to enter San Francisco Bay was a Spaniard named Juan Manuel de Ayala. This happened in 1775, and at the same time he and his team compiled a map of the bay. One of the three islands, which today is called Yerba Buena, was named La Isla de los Alcatraces. It may have meant "Pelican Island", but this is just a guess. The fact is that there were no birds of this species nearby at all.
Later, in 1828, English geographer Frederick Beechey made a mistake when transferring island names from Spanish maps. Thus, the neighboring island received the name Island Alcatrazes. Subsequently, by the decision of the US Coast Guard topographic service, the name was shortened to what we know today - Alcatraz.
The Gold Rush brought about a number of changes to the island. For example, in 1853 a lighthouse was installed on Alcatraz, and three years later a bell was installed, which was used in the fog. Then the need arose to protect the bay. To achieve this, in 1850, construction began on a fort with more than 110 long-range guns.
Prisons in Alcatraz
Due to its location, the island was in true natural isolation. Icy water, the middle of the bay and strong sea currents were the reasons that pushed the US Army to look at Alcatraz from a new point of view. This place was ideal for holding prisoners of war, and from 1861 to 1898 their number increased to 450 people.
In 1934, the Ministry of Defense decided to close the prison - too much money was spent on its maintenance.
However, this did not end the history of prisons on the island. The Great Depression brought a new wave of crime, and the government decided to reopen Alcatraz, this time as a federal prison. Now dangerous criminals are located here. Later, reconstruction was carried out, and the prison turned into a completely impregnable place with tear gas canisters in the cafeteria and other means to “tame” prisoners.
It is interesting that the courts did not sentence him to serve time in Alcatraz. Prisoners who had managed to “distinguish themselves” in their previous place were brought into the walls of a world-famous prison. So the myth that Alcatraz was filled entirely with the most dangerous criminals is not entirely true - those who showed waywardness and disobedience also visited here. Of course, famous and dangerous criminals also managed to visit Alcatraz - just look at the name Al Capone or Machine Gun Kelly.
Alcatraz today
These days, the prison has long been disbanded, and the entire island is a museum. You can get there by ferry from Pier 33 in San Francisco.
Alcatraz Tours
Departure time: 8:45, 9:10, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:05, 13:35.
Tour price: for adults - $46.35; for children - $31.50.
Night tour: 3:50, 4:45.
Price: for adults - $53.50; for children - $35.05.
You shouldn’t miss the chance to see the famous Alcatraz with your own eyes, so if you find yourself in San Francisco, visit this famous island. In this city you can see a lot of interesting things; you should definitely visit the beloved Pier 39, once the home of fur seals.
Alcatraz on the map of San Francisco
Alcatraz is a famous island located in San Francisco Bay, California. Translated from Spanish, Alcatraz means “pelican”. The island also has another name - The Rock, which it received thanks to the 1996 Michael Bay film of the same name.
Alcatraz is one of the top tourist attractions in this region..." />
