"The Rock"

Saturday, we visited Alcatraz, AKA, "The Rock".  It was my third time on the island but a first visit for the girls.  It's not something anyone does more often than once per decade so we wanted to make sure the kids were old enough to remember and appreciate it.

They were pretty impressed with this big "jail" (as they called it).  But I don't think they can really grasp what it would be like to live here for many years.  But few adults could probably manage to grasp that!

Gwen was eager to try a cell on for size.  She liked it.  Maybe even too much.  It oughta be against the law to be this beautiful!  I almost never do black and white photos and since I posted this on Wednesday (backdated to Saturday when we actually went to Alcatraz), I'm going to use it as my Black and White Wednesday photo.  :)

 

Here's Maddy thinking "Time Out" here might not be so bad if she had her iPod with her.

But let's not forget this is a prison. 

 

The Agave plant.

These plants are everywhere!  Planted originally to provide a natural disincentive to prisoners who were contemplating escape, they serve a mostly cosmetic purpose 40 years later.  Can you imagine having to run through these?

This is, perhaps, my favorite photo from the trip.  I cracked up when I read this sign in the gift shop and had to ask Gwen to pose with it.   Good thing we have much more lenient rules in the little penitentiary we like to call "home".  :)