Halloween special: Alcatraz - the night tour
The first time Jeff and I vacationed in San Francisco, we took the tour to Alcatraz. It was an excellent tour, so we decided to go back again on our summer of 2014 trip. John was with us, and we opted for the night tour this time around.
To prepare him, and to entertain ourselves, we watched Escape from Alcatraz. I had never seen it before, and I really enjoyed it. Actually, I hadn't seen a Clint Eastwood film before this....!
It was still light as we crossed the bay on the ferry. It was a pretty overcast afternoon so the city skyline wasn't as visible as we had hoped, but the ride was still enjoyable.
Dusk, then night came as we wove our way in and out of cell blocks, offices and dining halls.
An audio tour is provided for everyone in multiple languages, so everyone wanders around at slightly different speeds but it seems to work. The fact that the narrative features former inmates and corrections officers explaining the way the prison worked is extremely compelling.
This time the tour included the hospital wing. And it was exactly how you would think a prison hospital would look: scary surgical tables with straps, patient recovery rooms/cells, peeling paint, old x-ray machines - it was bleak and spooky.
The tour also visits cell block D, which was where the prisoners were taken to serve in solitary confinement, which I think is a horrible punishment. I was standing looking down the corridor at the cells, when someone touched my left shoulder. Turning around, I saw
Nothing.
No one.
I turned in a complete circle, and there wasn't any person standing near me - everyone else on the tour had moved forward into the space. So, I thought about it a bit, and decided that if it was a ghost who had touched my shoulder, it wasn't a scary ghost. I didn't even feel scared, just curious. The tap was more of a 'hey there' light pressure, not a scary shoulder clap.
It was a couple hours later before I told Jeff and John, and I appreciated that they listened to my story. And now I have shared it with you. Have you ever experienced any unexplained happenings?
To prepare him, and to entertain ourselves, we watched Escape from Alcatraz. I had never seen it before, and I really enjoyed it. Actually, I hadn't seen a Clint Eastwood film before this....!
It was still light as we crossed the bay on the ferry. It was a pretty overcast afternoon so the city skyline wasn't as visible as we had hoped, but the ride was still enjoyable.
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| The fun way to go to Alcatraz |
Dusk, then night came as we wove our way in and out of cell blocks, offices and dining halls.
 |
| Improbable escape |
An audio tour is provided for everyone in multiple languages, so everyone wanders around at slightly different speeds but it seems to work. The fact that the narrative features former inmates and corrections officers explaining the way the prison worked is extremely compelling.
This time the tour included the hospital wing. And it was exactly how you would think a prison hospital would look: scary surgical tables with straps, patient recovery rooms/cells, peeling paint, old x-ray machines - it was bleak and spooky.
The tour also visits cell block D, which was where the prisoners were taken to serve in solitary confinement, which I think is a horrible punishment. I was standing looking down the corridor at the cells, when someone touched my left shoulder. Turning around, I saw
Nothing.
No one.
I turned in a complete circle, and there wasn't any person standing near me - everyone else on the tour had moved forward into the space. So, I thought about it a bit, and decided that if it was a ghost who had touched my shoulder, it wasn't a scary ghost. I didn't even feel scared, just curious. The tap was more of a 'hey there' light pressure, not a scary shoulder clap.
It was a couple hours later before I told Jeff and John, and I appreciated that they listened to my story. And now I have shared it with you. Have you ever experienced any unexplained happenings?
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| Alcatraz searchlight |
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