Escape from Alcatraz

Even before the ferry docks, there is a chilling feeling that spreads across you.  The best words to describe this place is bleak and depressing.  That said Alcatraz is absolutely fascinating at the same time.  Imagine walking through the cells where infamous criminals such as Al Capone and Robert “the Birdman” Stroud were imprisoned.  Our trip included an audio guide which told interesting stories about the prison including the tale of the escape attempt in the 1960s and how life was on a daily basis for the prisoners – Very very hard.  The audio tour was great, with realistic sound effects that bought the prison alive.

One thing i do want to add – if you visit San Francisco you must visit Alcatraz – it is an interesting place, the historical factor was surprisingly overflowing with interesting facts and it has to be the best place for viewing the city of San Francisco.

My Alcatraz photos were difficult to pick from and to process.  I believe they all have a heavy sad feeling about them.   I just don’t know if i like them…I would love to know what you think?

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Last days in the USA

Scott and I had such an amazing time, saw so many amazing places and met some amazing people.

We are now back home in Australia from our road trip of California and Nevada. I hope you’ve enjoyed following us.  I have one more blog post of our trip which is all about our visit to Alcatraz.  So come back soon.

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Blazing Saddles in San Francisco {Canberra Family Photographer}

Scott and I decided a great way to see some of the San Francisco Bay area was by hiring a mountain bike.  We rode across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito where we enjoyed a lovely seaside meal.  When we retire or win the lotto we’re definitely buying a home here.  We continued along the Bay to the picturesque town of Tiburon, where we stopped to watch a little league game -We were a little sad when the day came to an end and we had to board the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf.  (But, we were definitely not riding back! – our butts weren’t up for another 30km of riding).

There were some strenuous but rewarding climbs, but the rest was easy pedaling – exploring the San Francisco Bay Area by bike is definitely something I would recommend.  We are completed exhausted, but we had an amazing day.

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Yosemite National Park {Canberra Photography}

The Yosemite National Park is breathtaking – you can’t imagine having so much beauty in one spot. We saw El Capitan, one of the world’s largest monoliths and a magnet for rock climbers.  Yosemite and Bridalveil Falls, beautiful.  For all the Ansel Adams fans, the walk to Mirror Lake is a highlight to catch the ever-changing  reflection of the Half Dome in the water. My favourite part of the Yosemite National Park would have to be the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias – the biggest trees we have ever seen.  The biggest is called the “Grizzy Giant”,  he is 2700 years old.  We couldn’t drive to the area because the roads were closed due to the snow, but the walk through the snow was definitely worth it!

Scott could not stop talking about bears.  I think it’s because he read the Lonely Planet guide before we headed into the park.  Here is a little excerpt from the California Lonely Planet Guide “If attacked – Black bears are naturally afraid of humans, but habituated or very hungry bears can become aggressive.  In the event that you are attacked by a bear:

• Never run from a bear, as this only triggers its instinct to chase, and you can not outrun a bear (well duh!)
• Sometimes a bear will ‘bluff charge’ to test your dominance.  Stand your ground by making yourself look as big as possible (eg waving your arms above your head). (yeah, because that is the first thing i’m going to do?)
• If that fails to stop an attack, drop to the ground, crouch face down in a ball and play dead, covering your back of your neck with your hands, and your chest and stomach with your knees.  As scary as it is, try not to resist the bear’s inquisitive pawing  – it may get bored and go away…(are they serious?)
• If the attack persists, fight back by any means possible” (I’m glad they mentioned that…)

You’ll be happy to know we did not come across a bear…

Well I hope you enjoy my images below – please leave a comment – i would love to hear from you!

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