Surprising tranquil ocean views
I like this shot. The peaceful building perched on a cliff overlooking a tranquil bay. Looks like it could be a peaceful village in France or part of a monastery in Italy.
Well, it’s not either. This lovely scene is in California. Not Santa Barbara or Monterey, it’s San Francisco. The bay to be exact. A little island with a wonderful view. It has lots of daily visitors, but no longer has any permanent residents. Not since 1963, when the last full-time living residents departed. That’s the date Alkatraz was closed.
Yep, this lovely place was home to one of the most notorious maximum security prisons in U.S. History. Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and the Birdman called this home for a large portion of their incarcerated life. And to think for a few minutes each day they got to see views like this.
Honestly, I can’t think of a more crueler prison. It’s said the prisoners could hear the sounds of San Francisco, especially on special occasions like the fourth of July and New Years Eve. To be locked up, unable to do anything in your little five by nine foot cell but lay there and hear freedom just over a mile away. It had to have been hell. But it was hell with a lovely view. At least for the guards, which stayed in this building.
This entry was posted on Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 9:37 PM
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