Alcatraz and Muir Woods

Visiting Alcatraz is a bucket list item for me. It did not disappoint from the very first step on to Pier 33.

 Now this is how you set up a queue line! Beautiful floral planters at every post.

 Close up of a container with succulents.

"The Rock"

 Right off the bat, I was disappointed!!! As soon as we arrived, the park ranger was telling us what was going on for the day. Turns out, there was a garden tour---of the gardens that the inmates had along with the families of the guards. Apparently, the garden tour is a rare event. I think because everything is in bloom right now is why they were doing it. Anyway, I had to make a choice. I couldn't do the tour of the garden AND a tour of the prison since we had set a time to meet up with Walter and Chris.

 I don't know what this plant is, but it looks like giant Veronica.

 The showers inside.

 Typical cells.

You cannot understand the scale of these plants. The succulents are the size of dinner plates! So gorgeous!

We could easily have spent another 2 or 3 hours at Alcatraz. I just about started to cry because I wanted to do more. As a result, Butch made sure we did the San Francisco botanical garden first thing the next day! (That's tomorrow's post.)

 After Alcatraz, we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to walk across it, but we had too much planned.

 I think it's just a mile or a mile and a half across.

 We had a fabulous lunch here in Sausalito. We got to sit on the water---well, not exactly on the water,  but at a table open to the water!

 Next stop was Muir Woods.

Butch and I walked the half mile loop. It's so peaceful and quiet. The redwoods are spectacular. They are 1000's of years old. They are so tall that I felt I was in a "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" forest!

We didn't get back to our hotel until about 5:30. We went to a little bar for dinner and made it an early night.