The Al Capone Suite

I'd known about Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa for years, but until recently, had never stayed there. It was definitely time to check this one off my bucket list. Naturally, I had to stay in the Al Capone Suite, which is supposedly where the gangster stayed when he visited the area.



When discussing Capone and Two Bunch Palms, there's a lot of "allegedly" and "supposedly" and "rumor has it." The 75-year-plus resort might have been owned by Capone who most likely used it as a hideout. Quite possibly Capone outfitted the suite with a sentry tower for armed bodyguards as well as the underground escape tunnels. Capone's bungalow features what are said to be bullet holes. Is it true? Who knows and who cares...I'll never turn away a good story.



Welcome! Here's a wide-angle shot of the living/dining room that awaits you when you enter Room 14.



The Master Bedroom:



I was pleased that the suite was generously furnished with period appropriate antiques:



Wow, a second bedroom!



Can you hear my heart flutter? It must be the vintage tile that still exists in both bathrooms.



As usual, the charm is in the details, like the AC initials in the dining room table. Could that stand for air conditioning? Huh...I think I sense an "allegedly" here...



Like this "bullet hole" in the dresser mirror in the Master Bedroom:



A closeup of the ornamentation on a chair:



The vintage ice box:



There are also rumors that the suite is haunted; other than a little static electricity, I didn't notice anything unusual. However, the light from the stained glass sure cast an eerie glow here:





I highly recommend visiting this oasis located in Desert Hot Springs, just minute away from the downtown area of Palm Springs. It's a great place to get away and relax.

More Two Bunch Palms photos at my main website.

Escape to Alcatraz, Pt. 2

I'm all for restoration and historic preservation, but somehow, I still enjoy seeing historic sites when they are in a state of imperfect decay. History seems more alive as opposed to when a building has been repainted and spruced up as if it were brand new.

You could almost imagine the goings-on in the Recreation Yard, which was a bright beacon of hope for the men who spent most of their days behind bars.



It was stressed that despite its dark reputation, Alcatraz was a clean and well maintained facility that served good meals.



Inside the Cellhouse:





I'm not big on audio tours, but in this case, I very much enjoyed it. Having your own audio device gave a sense of isolation, which fit perfectly with the experience. Some of the voices on the tour included those of former inmates, like the four shown here.



Some of the names of the sections of the Cellhouse seemed so ironic.



Displays showed some of the athletic events that occurred in the Recreation Yard:



The dreaded D Block:



Some of the more infamous inmates, including Al Capone and Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz. Ironically, Stroud conducted his famous bird studies when he was imprisoned at Leavenworth; his real nickname was "Bird Doctor of Leavenworth."



Isolation Cells:



We were allowed (and encouraged) to go inside one of the cells:





The marks of bullets from a botched escape attempt are still visible:



Cells displayed some of the hobbies that the inmates dabbled in to try to keep a vestige of their humanity:





Where visitors could talk to family:



This panel talked about the infamous "escape from alcatraz," which inspired the movie by Clint Eastwood.



The phony head in the bed that fooled guards. To this day, the bodies of the escapees have never been found.



The Dining Hall; surprisingly, utensils were allowed here...but carefully counted as the inmates left.



A sample menu:





This photo showed the last inmates leaving on March 21, 1963 when the prison was closed for good. Increasing maintenance and operating costs led U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to close Alcatraz in 1963. Prisoners were transferred to other federal correctional facilities, and Alcatraz was left to the care of a lone custodian.



If you decide to visit Alcatraz, I highly recommend getting on the first tour of the day, as the Island gets more crowded as the day goes on. You can book your tour with the official Alcatraz Cruise Company.

See more Alcatraz Prison photos on my Alcatraz web page.

Escape To Alcatraz, Pt. 1

In San Francisco on the opposite end of the spectrum of the Walt Disney Family Museum is The Alcatraz Penitentiary. This may be hard to believe, but I enjoyed both "attractions" equally for very different reasons.



Approaching the island in our boat was something like a scene from "King Kong." You could see the decay, even from a distance, and with its notorious history of isolation, it gave off a very eerie vibe.



Beginning in late 1969, Alcatraz was occupied by Native Americans as a protest that echoed the 1626 purchase of Manhattan Island, even going so far as to offer to buy Alcatraz from the Federal Government for $24 in beads, colored cloth, and other trade goods. With a lack of supplies and long term supporters, the last few protestors were removed by federal agents =in June 1971. There are still signs of the occupation on the island.



Believe it or not, a Garden Tour is offered on Alcatraz. Despite the crumbling concrete and the fact that this was a prison facility, there are still areas of beauty that exist here.



Both employees and their families as well as the prisoners contributed to the gardens and landscaping of Alcatraz. It was an attempt to add life and meaning to what otherwise could have been a very sad existence.



Hard to believe that this natural pop of color cohabitates with the ghosts of the Island's past.



There's not much left of the Warden's House, but there are still glimpses of its former grandeur.



I was digging this Arts & Crafts fireplace:



My zoom lens was doing overtime trying to capture the details:



Even though San Francisco appears to be a short distance away, I was assured that typically a swim from the Island to SF would be enough to stop your heart.



There was quite a variety of plantings on the island including succulents:





Cala Lillies:



Acanthus leaves, the inspiration for the famous Greek columns:





The tour guide was wonderful, and the signage/brochures were extremely helpful.





Tomorrow: a tour INSIDE Alcatraz!

See more Alcatraz Prison photos on my Alcatraz web page.