Escape to Alcatraz

One thing we simply had to do in San Francisco was visit Alcatraz. How do you get there? Commiting a murder or two is always an option, but these days it's simpler to catch the ferry, which only takes about 10 minutes.
I knew the tour would be fascinating, and it was. An audio tape gives explanations and stories from former inmates, as well as brilliant sound effects of the gates closing, guns being cocked, etc. It was a cold and creepy place, but what I hadn't realised was how beautiful a place it is too.
The prison takes up an entire island in the San Francisco Bay. There are gorgeous trees and flowers around it, and the views from the top of the hill, spectacular.
There are barred windows around the prison so you can see the views. This may sound a little odd, but the idea was that the prisoners could see what they were missing. Apparently, they could sometimes hear the sound of music coming across from the city, particularly on New Year's Eve. Quite what effect this had on hardened criminals like Machine Gun Kelly I don't know, but it seemed quite poignant to us.