Alcatraz - The Rock

Posted by admine in California, California Travel, San Francisco on 09 23rd, 2005 | Read Comments(8)

San Francisco: For tourists this means Golden Gate Bridge and Cable Car, China Town und Pier 39. If you are sick of the hurly-burly , take the ferry and travel to a completely different world: Alcatraz, the island located 2 kilometers from the city in the bay of San Francisco. Once fortress, then prison and finally occupied from the Indians, the Island stands under nature protection today and is part of the Golden Gate National Park.

People, who visit Alcatraz, have to consider some rules: So for example eating and drinking is only allowed at the pier and visitors have to keep away from the locked off ranges. This is about the sea gulls, which breed between flowers, bushes and trees. The plants once where cultivated by the families of the prison guards and spread all over the island today.

Prison guards although than prisoners left Alcatraz more than 30 years ago: The prison was closed in 1963 about to high costs. But stories and myths about “The Rock” are still alive: Al Capone, “Birdman” Robert Stroud or the 14 attempts for outbreak: On a walk over the island and through the cell buildings the past and it’s myths becomes alive. And all this under the watchful view of the sea gulls. They are the new and probably also the last guards of Alcatraz….

	click pictures to enlarge!

Ferries to Alcatraz leave in San Francisco at Pier 41. The journey lasts only 15 minutes, but you should take minimum 4 hours into account for a visit on the island. In summer the ferries are completely written off. An internet-reservation in advance is advisable and helps to save time: You can pick up your tickets at ticket-machines and you have not to wait in the queue.

         

California on 4WD Chevy Blazer

Posted by admine in California, Cool Trips on 07 11th, 2005 | No comments yet - be the first one!

we have a car…California might have some good streets, but there are places where we need some extra grip and power… dead cities, deserts, dirty und dusty roads….

         

The Winchester Mystery House

Posted by admine in California, Cool Trips on 04 28th, 2005 | No comments yet - be the first one!

Actually I have to plan my sightseeing program for San Jose. In august Christoph will visit a conference and I will be hanging out during the four conference days.
Now I found some info about the Winchester Mystery House that sounds interesting: This 160-room Victorian mansion was designed and built by the widow Sarah Winchester. 38 years – from 1884 to 1922 – she was working on her construction project, even at night and on holidays. The result is a house of 2,500 square meters with 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, 40 stairs, 40 bedrooms, 6 kitchens and 3 elevators.
The reason for this strange behavior of Sarah Winchester was her believe in ghosts. She thought, the ghosts could be exorcized by building on her house and designing bizarre features, for example doors to nowhere or stairs that lead to the ceiling.
Today the house is open for visitors and they offer different tours. Check out details, rates and schedules here.

         

Ghost Towns in California

Posted by admine in California, Cool Trips on 04 11th, 2005 | No comments yet - be the first one!

Some more great tip for our California trip: A journey through ghost towns, expecially through Bodie, which is located in the Yosemite National Park, close to the Nevada border. In 1877 a gold rush transformed Bodie to a boomtown. In 1880, there where about 10,000 residents. The boom days lasted not long: The last residents left at 1942. Today Bodie is one of the largest and best preserved ghost towns in California. Over 170 buildings remain and what the California Department of Parks and Recreations calls a state of “arrested decay.” And it is a photographer’s paradise, as we can see in much internet-gallery’s, for example here.

         

Bodega Bay

Posted by admin in California, Cool Trips on 04 8th, 2005 | No comments yet - be the first one!

Great idea for our trip to California next summer: We will visit Bodega Bay, located on the Pacific Coast about 70 miles North of San Francisco. In 1963 Bodega Bay become known as the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. Check out some stills from the movie on this site.

         

Count the cars on the Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco with Google Satellite Maps

Posted by admine in California, Cool Trips on 04 6th, 2005 | No comments yet - be the first one!

Another great feature are the satellite maps Google integrated now…

see for yourself

go here

enter “san francisco golden gate bridge”

zoom in as you like

count the cars on the shot

Even more interesting in the GPS like feature “directions” for driver routing information online…

Beware: that applet crahes Opera 8 beta after the first click…

Note: still need to find out if my T-Mobile UMTS/3G works in California for the next trip – we can checkout our driving routes right from the wireless internet without using a car map anymore