Alcatraz

The fog and drizzle added to the eeriness of today’s excursion to Alcatraz, the decommissioned island prison. It was cold in the concrete structures and the faulty rain gutters caused water to drip and gather at various spots throughout the tour. I could imagine the somber mood that would have been present here as the prisoners were tortured with glimpses of freedom, only to realize there was no escaping the island. Many tried, but the swim to shore was too daunting. 
I was handed an old newspaper article that told the story of one of the many sad, failed attempts. Within the newspaper includes your next crossword puzzle answer.

 Scroll down for a hint:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
You’ll need to research and find the original article to find the secret password.

Popular posts from this blog

Haight-Ashbury

Image
The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was delightful to visit. I was a bit surprised by all the great restaurants and shopping since I was visiting to explore the site that is so synonymous with the birth of the hippie movement. After grabbing some Thai food, I made my way to Hippie Hill at the Golden Gate Park and listened to the drum circles and admired the sights. An older man with long graying hair and a tie-dyed poncho walked over to me as I strolled along to get my attention. He was wide-eyed and confused. His friends had just given him a logic problem that he was at a loss to solve. “Can you help me?” He asked. “Star and Aspen together have 13 flowers in their hair while Star and Paisley have 15. If Star and Cloud have 12 flowers as does Aspen and Paisley, how many flowers does Cloud have in her hair?” I had to really think this one through!
Read more

Fisherman's Wharf

Image
Fisherman’s Wharf was a lot to take in! Restaurants, museums and historical sites make it an exciting place to spend time. I strolled down the pier and checked out the SS Jeremiah O’Brien and the USS Pampanito which were both built and battled in World War II! Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum was interesting too. My favorite spot, though, was the Aquarium of the Bay. It is home to more than 20,000 creatures of the sea. Large tanks and beautiful animals made the experience a delight. My favorite area was the moon jellies. So hypnotic! The aquarium was so large I started to wonder how all of the tanks and exhibits were coordinated. Noticing my inquisitive look, an aquarium attendant walked over and handed me an unusual map of squares that had some connecting areas.  “It’s easy,” he declared, “every row and column of tanks has a unique number one through six! The ones connected share animals, though so they have the same number.” I didn’t have time to figure it out while I was sti
Read more

Exploratorium

Image
My inner-child ran wild at the Exploratorium science museum today. So many curious displays and contraptions to tinker with. The exhibition about “seeing” was naturally my favorite. The human body is amazing, especially the mind. While exiting the Exploratorium, I wandered through the gift shop (of course). I found a brilliant t-shirt that I just had to have. It illustrates the significance of a unique perspective (and the Exploratorium’s crossword puzzle answer.)
Read more