We had an early start today to make it to Fisherman's wharf in time for our trip to Alcatraz. We allowed plenty of time for the train and bus there, which turned out to be a good thing because we didn't foresee me nearly fainting on the train, which was an unexpected experience. After some breakfast I had recovered enough to walk the rest of the journey to the pier.

Our first destination on our trip was Angel Island which is an island further out than Alcatraz and is home to another former army barracks and also a former immigration detention centre. We had an hour long tram ride around the island which was very informative and the island is really beautiful with great views of the bay and tall forested areas. We then got the ferry again to Alcatraz Island. It was very strange to see a prison as a tourist attraction and you could see the many ways the island had been used, from an army station, to a state penitentiary and after as a an Indian protest ground. We took an audio tour around the prison building which again was very informative if not a little eerie as we learnt all about the escape attempts and living conditions of the prisoners.

After our tour it was time to head back to the main land. The first stop was the Hard Rock Cafe where we treated ourselves to some big milkshakes and burgers :) and after a long day we headed back home.