Other things to do while in San Francisco are ride the ferry to Alcatraz, see Chinatown and ride the cable car – and we did.
Originally Alcatraz was just a rock but in 1850 it became a fort for the U. S. Army after the military constructed all the buildings. More than 400 soldiers were stationed on the island. The Army decommissioned Alcatraz in 1907. In 1934 it reopened as a federal penitentiary for high-profile, maximum security inmates. The famous inmates there were Al Capone, Doc Barker, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Floyd Hamilton and Robert Stroud, “the birdman of Alcatraz”. (Note of interest is that Robert Stroud never was allowed to have any of his birds on Alcatraz and his real nickname was Bird Doctor of Leavenworth..) There are 336 cells on the island but the maximum number of prisoners was 302. There were 14 attempted escapes but best known escape was in 1962 when Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin slipped into the water, using raincoats as floatation devices. Their bodies were never found but they are assumed to have drowned. This attempt was later described in the movie “Escape from Alcatraz” with Clint Eastwood.
Families of the correctional officers lived on the island. Children would travel by boat to go to school in the San Francisco area. While we toured the island, there was a lady who lived on the island as a child as a guest to answer questions. She said she loved living there and was never afraid.
In 1963 due to increasing costs, Alcatraz was closed and left to the care of one custodian. In 1969 a small group of activists landed on the island and claimed it in the name of “Indians of All Tribes” and lasted for 19 months. In 1973 Alcatraz became part of the National Park Service, not because it was a prison, but due to it being a fort.
There are several modes of transportation in this town and we took most of them. Jack’s favorite was the cable car and wished he could have ridden it by hanging on the outside – as you see in many movies. It was so crowded that we were lucky to get on.
It was time to say goodbye to San Francisco and days later we drove south to San Jose to see the famous Winchester House. This place is amazing, unbelievable, and definitely bizarre. Mrs. Winchester was told by a Boston Medium that the spirits of those killed by the Winchester Rifle killed her daughter (6 weeks old) and years later her husband. As the legend goes, if she appeased these spirits she would live forever. She bought an eight room farm house and continually built for 38 years, 24 hours a day. As you all know, she had stairs leading nowhere, windows that opened to another wall, and then the famous door that leads to nowhere. Whether or not you believe in Mrs. Winchester’s superstition, you see many occurrences of the number 13 as you tour the house. Many windows have 13 panes; there are also 13 bathrooms with 13 windows in the 13th bathroom. There are 13 steps leading to that bathroom. The Carriage Entrance Hall floor is divided into 13 cement sections. These are just a few of the 13 things around the house. In her will she has 13 parts and signed it 13 times. She even had an Italian porcelain sink that had 13 drain holes put in. She was a very bizarre lady. It is said she paid her workers twice what the normal rate but you did not argue with her – if you did you were gone. The house contained 160 rooms, 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 2 basements and 1 shower. Unfortunately she never had anyone at this house other than her niece who lived with her. One time President Roosevelt came to the house but was sent to the servants’ entrance as he was not recognized. He was insulted and left, later calling to see Mrs. Winchester but she refused. Mrs. Winchester was not a recluse but she entertained at her other homes, not the Winchester House.
The house was built out of redwood but she would paint the wood to look like Birdseye maple. Termites would not eat redwood as it would kill them. She was bizarre but practical. Another example, she recycled the water in the North Conservatory where indoor plants were watered. Here the floorboards could be lifted up and the plants placed on the metal floor beneath. The excess water would drain toward the windows and into pipes to water the gardens below. She loved her gardens.
This is just a few of the things we learned on the tour. It is a must see for anyone in the area.
Next stop - Yosemite
