Damkier's Travels

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Alcatraz Island Night Tour - December 2014

Alcatraz Island in Black & White

The last time I visited "the Rock" was back during college with some friends during a summer trip to San Francisco. Over a decade later, I decided it was time to return, but this time I took a special night tour of Alcatraz Island during the winter when there was more darkness. The clouds had returned by the time we arrived, but I felt that seeing the historic prison in black & white seems even better.

Alcatraz Clipper Ferry

This is the only way to visit the island. Fortunately, handcuffs and chains are optional on the trip. The ferry takes passengers on the short trip in relative comfort on a very green ship. The cruise operator worked with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to install exhaust after treatment and electric shore power on the boat. Combined with on-board solar panels and windmills, the system emits 80% less ozone-forming pollution and burns 20% less diesel fuel.

Old Guard Tower and Historic Truck

The ferry disembarks at the main docks where you meet your tour guide and head up the hill to the main prison. The United States government has used Alcatraz Island for many years as a military base, military prison, and federal penitentiary. Early military prisoners enjoyed a cell that was 3 feet wide, 5 feet long, and 5 feet high. Later prisoners would enjoy much nicer accommodations.

Prison Shower

Time for a shower. The line for audio tours snakes around the communal shower that makes most dorm showers look like a five-star spa. Inmates were allowed two showers per week. Most of the tourists could use one too.

During the night tour, there are various special tours and demonstrations. Above is a video of the cell doors opening and closing. They did not use keys to unlock the doors. Remote mechanical releases would allow the guards to access the cells. I also had the opportunity to take a night walking tour around the island which was pretty awesome on a still, clear night. The guide told us about several escape attempts while a buoy bell tolled in the distance. That and the amazingly awesome San Francisco night skyline all lit up for the holidays!

Prison Dining Room

Most of my fellow "inmates" throughly enjoyed their sentence on Alcatraz. After the audio tour, you can move freely around the prison and even buy a few souvenir tin cups. Alcatraz was a prison for prisoners which meant you had to break the rules while in prison to end up here. Inmates had a mixed life playing baseball one minute and under lockdown the next. The facility has a unique history and is a fun trip for anyone living in or visiting Northern California.

The ferry back to San Francisco was quick, but gorgeous. The San Francisco skyline is always impressive, but at night it truly shines. Unfortunately, the camera cannot do this place justice. The above video attempts to capture the essence of the voyage, but you really need to do this in person to catch the true feeling.

Christmas Tree at Pier 39

The night tour returns to Pier 33 around 7:00 PM which is perfect timing for shopping and dinner at nearby Pier 39. This tourist trap is open nightly with a huge sparking tree visible from Alcatraz and made a perfect ending to a long day. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.

Alcatraz Island with San Francisco Skyline

Prison Powerhouse with Graffiti

Main Dock at Alcatraz

"Welcome" Sign with Graffiti from Native American Occupation

Original Prison Building

Main Prison Entrance

Interior Cellblock

Solitary Confinement Cell on D Block

Recreation Yard

Interior of Main Cell with Typical Personal Effects

Entrance to Administration Building

Walkway between C & D Block - Seedy (C-D) Street

Main Prison Building at Night

Interior Cellblock at Night

Prison Cells with Escape Mannequins

Prison Guardhouse with Light

San Francisco - December 2014

San Francisco Panorama

Driving to the California Coast from the Central Valley is always interesting. During the summer, it is common to have clear skies and heat in the valley and hit cold, grey fog on the coast. In the winter, you can often find clear skies on the coast with inland fog. It makes for a very interesting drive, especially when your destination is the great city of San Francisco. I have visited many times and always get a special feeling driving over the Bay Bridge and peeking out of Yerba Buena Island seeing the city skyline.

Golden Gate Park Benches

I began my day at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. On this trip, I drove my car to and through the City just to remind myself why I hate driving in San Francisco. After paying more for parking than the museum admission, I spent the morning seeing the various exhibits and artwork at the museum. I highly recommend seeing the collection if you are in the City. On a sunny day, the park is green and luscious with families and joggers dotting the landscape. It is almost as pretty as the paintings inside the museum!

Delicious Platha Bread

San Francisco is definitely a foodie town with may excellent restaurants representing many different global cuisines. On this trip, I had lunch at Burma Superstar - a Burmese restaurant in the Richmond District. This place rocked! I had Chili Lamb with an amazing fry bread called Platha. The spicy lamb was hot and tender and complimented the flaky crust of the fry bread. It is a popular restaurant with horrible parking, but worth the effort!

Pacific Ocean Wave

San Francisco is a peninsula with one side directly on the Pacific Ocean. Having a car does make it easier to see the coast, especially the Sutro District of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. This area on the northwestern tip of San Francisco has steep cliffs overlooking the ocean and its beauty. Coastal cypresses and hiking trails allow visitors a convenient escape from the urban jungle. The location used to house the Sutro Baths, a historic bathing area with pools and other facilities.

AT&T Park with Port of Oakland in Background

Right smack dab in the center of the City is Twin Peaks - a small mountain overlooking the entire region. At the top of a long and winding road - often featured in car commercials - there are several overlooks underneath the massive Sutro Tower. On a clear day like I had, you can see all the bridges and San Francisco landmarks. With a zoom lens, you can even see AT&T Park - home of the 2010, 2012, and 2014 world champion San Francisco Giants! The panorama shot at the top of the page was taken from here.

Sunset over Golden Gate

With the day quickly coming to a close, I headed to the pier to catch my cruise to Alcatraz Island for my night tour. That will be the subject of my next blog post, but please enjoy the rest of my San Francisco pictures below.

Hiking Trail near Sutro Baths

Rock with Hole near Sutro Baths

Ruins of Sutro Baths

Bird with Graffiti

Stowaway Bird on Alcatraz Ferry

Chili Lamb Dish

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Seattle Aviation Museums - November 2014

Panoramic Douglas DC-3 at Historic Flight Foundation

This post is devoted to the aviation museums in the greater Seattle area. The aerospace industry is very big in Washington centered around the Boeing Company. There are several massive museums dedicated to airplanes and various aircraft, and over several trips I have visited most of them. I have always loved airplanes, especially commercial aircraft like the Boeing 747 or the Concorde. Even today I still feel like a kid when I enter the plane and feel the exhilaration of taking off and landing. On my most recent trip, there was a bit of snow which allowed me to take the unique picture of the DC-3 shown above.

British Airways Concorde at Museum of Flight

Speaking of Concordes, they have one at the Museum of Flight. Located in south Seattle, this massive museum houses many special airplanes including the Concorde, and early 747, and an old Air Force One. This museum houses a large number of commercial aircraft in addition to an extensive display of military aircraft. They even have several spacecraft and a replica of an early airplane workshop. If you are headed to or from the SeaTac Airport and have a few hours, this is a great place for all ages.

Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk at Flying Heritage Collection

The Flying Heritage Collection is another museum in the northern suburbs of Seattle in Everett. Several museums and exhibits have developed around Paine Field which is also home to the Boeing assembly plant making new commercial aircraft. The FHC houses primarily military aircraft with a focus on World War II. A surprising amount of enemy aircraft is on display. Some of the collection can be seen flying during regular events. Tanks and rockets are also available for your viewing pleasure. They also sell pretty good wine too!

Aircraft under restoration at Museum of Flight Restoration Center

Just around the corner, the Museum of Flight Restoration Center not only works hard to restore classic aircraft, they also are open to the public. This is rather unique to see the inner workings of the aircraft and the work necessary to keep them in operational condition. Donated aircraft come here for restoration efforts with volunteers happy to answer questions about their labor of love. There is even a cat wandering around the workshop keeping an eye on the "birds"

Welcome Sign at Historic Flight Foundation

The Historic Flight Foundation is only a short distance from the Flying Heritage Collection, but you must leave the airport and drive all around the perimeter to find the museum hiding in plain sight. The FAA really does not like people driving across the runway! This museum is on the main road to the ever popular Boeing factory tour, but I do not think most people notice. They pack a massive amount of beautifully restored aircraft into a rather cramped hangar. This sounds overwhelming, but you can really get up close and personal with the collection - including a few bumped heads if you are not careful! Outside, they have a lovely DC-3 that you can enter as long as the door is not iced shut.

Paine Field from Future of Flight Tour Center

Finally, there is the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour. They have a tiny museum, but the real draw is the factory tour to see the massive commercial jetliners being built. I went here several years ago just as the new Boeing 787 were introduced and saw several at various stages of construction. The facility is massive, requiring special environmental controls to prevent rain clouds from forming inside! Unfortunately, photography was prohibited during the factory tour portion. This is disappointing due to the astonishing number of leprechauns, unicorns, and dragons used during the construction process. Just kidding, they really just do not want people to see all the hamsters running the jet engines.

Really cool picture

If you are really into lift and accept drag with your flaps held high, you will love visiting the various aviation museums in the greater Seattle area. Even a bit of snow and ice will not impact your visit. There are plenty of coffee and food options for you all over! Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.