June 23, 2026
Sausalito is a small waterfront town just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. With its Victorian buildings, laid back vibe and location across the harbor from a large city, it reminded us quite a lot of Devonport in Auckland. With its slight shabbiness and surrounding steep hills it also had more than a little hint of Wellington.
There is a nice view back to San Francisco
And also to Alcatraz, the infamous island prison.
Alcatraz started life in the 1850s as part of the defenses of San Francisco but quickly became a military prison in 1859. From 1934-1963 it operated as a federal prison housing some of America’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud, the infamous “Birdman of Alcatraz” . Although remembered for his pioneering writings on bird diseases, Stroud was also a convicted killer who spent more than five decades in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. The prison was famous for being escape proof. Officially, 36 men attempted to escape in 14 separate attempts. Of these, 23 were captured alive, 6 were shot and killed, 2 drowned and 5 were listed as missing and presumed drowned. From 1969-1971 the island was occupied by Native American activists, an event that became a landmark in the modern indigenous rights movement.
We may not have seen the Birdman of Alcatraz but we did admire this beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk, quietly surveying the scene.
Mal and Lauren 