ALCATRAZ ISLAND - THE ROCK

Alcatraz Island, in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, has loomed large in urban legend and California history. Now a historical landmark, Alcatraz has gone from prison fortress to tourist attraction, and remains a vital piece of history.

Named in 1775 for its pelican population, Alcatraz has a long, illustrious history. Originally a lighthouse at the peak of the Gold Rush, Alcatraz serves as a beacon to guide the many ships that came to the northern California coast. The first lighthouse in West Coast history, the first of two lighthouses was lit in the summer of 1853. One of the Alcatraz lighthouses was torn down in 1909 to allow for the Alcatraz prison to be built. Also in the mid 1850s, a military garrison was built on Alcatraz. Thought it received no major action in its duration as an army garrison, it was later to serve as a military prison, leading to its most famous occupation: that of prison.

Alcatraz is naturally isolated. It sits in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, cradled by freezing water and strong currents. It was considered ideal for holding prisoners, and so a large cell block was constructed on the central crest. The maximum prisoner capacity was 302, and by the late 1920s capacity was nearly reached. Alcatraz had a reputation as a hard prison. Prisoners were exposed to harsh conditions and strict discipline. When the prison complex was taken over in the 30s by the Department of Justice, it underwent a long series of renovations and improvements in an attempt to make the facility escape-proof. The installation of tool-proof bars, gun galleries, and electricity, amongst other improvements, combined with Alcatraz's natural isolation, made Alcatraz an ideal place to keep the nation's most dangerous and incorrigible prisoners. A number of factors made Alcatraz one of the harshest prisons in the Federal system: amongst them, the unrelenting cycle of each day, the high warden-to-prisoner ratio, the strict system of privileges and punishments, and the silence policy. Perhaps the most effective, it is said that the extreme degree of silence on the island drove several inmates insane. In Alcatraz's 29 years as a prison, no successful escape was ever undertaken. Over those years, 34 prisoners were involved in 14 attempts. The most famous escape was made by Frank Morris and the brothers John and Clarence Anglin in 1962, made famous by the movie Escape from Alcatraz. Many famous prisoners did time on Alcatraz. Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz spent 17 years on Alcatraz. Al Capone was on Alcatraz for 4 years, and George "Machine Gun" Kelly spent a long time on Alcatraz boasting of several crimes he didn't commit. Despite the media storms these men generated, they were never once given preferential treatment. Alcatraz's unforgiving nature was never once compromised by these dangerous media darlings.
Once Alcatraz was closed down in the early 60s, it became an important site for the preservation of local marine life. Alcatraz was home to a number of animals, like the California slender salamander, Brandt's cormorant, Herrmann's gulls, and deer mice, amongst others. Plant life is also an important feature on Alcatraz. The gardens once planted by the families of the prison guards have now become overgrown, and are a bird nesting habitat. Both the natural and man-made features of Alcatraz have becomes important to the plant and animal life on the island. Both have created vital nesting grounds for unique species of bird, mammal, and local plant life.

Today, a number of San Francisco Bay cruse companies offer ferries to and tours of Alcatraz. Alcatraz is a hugely popular tourist attraction for San Francisco, and ferries leave daily from Fisherman's Wharf. Alcatraz remains a figure of mystery and intrigue for thousands. Alcatraz is a popular image in movies and video games, inciting fear and curiosity, and visitors to the island speak often of feeling trapped and panicky on the tours of prison cells. The island of Alcatraz is fairly quiet besides the tourists. Animals run rampant on the island now, and the prison block is the main attraction. But there is still a definite air of mystery about it. There is still something that brings tourists flooding in every year, and it is definitely an interesting, somewhat spooky way to spend an afternoon.

Missions of California

Missions of California

Missions of California

Alta California is home to 21 historic Missions located along highway 101 and Pacific highway1. That’s why this road is called El Camino Real. That means the highway king where the Spanish padres built a California missions under the Spanish flag back in the 17th century. 

Here are the missions of California:
• Mission San Francisco Solano, in Sonoma
• Mission San Rafael Arcángel, in San Rafael
• Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores), in San Francisco
• Mission San José, in Fremont
• Mission Santa Clara de Asís, in Santa Clara
• Mission Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz
• Mission San Juan Bautista, in San Juan Bautista
• This particular mission featured in Alfred Hitchcock move called “Vertigo” staring: Jimmy Stewart & Kim Novak.
• Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, south of Carmel
• Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, south of Soledad
• Mission San Antonio de Padua, northwest of Jolon

• Mission San Miguel Arcángel, in San Miguel
• Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, in San Luis Obispo
• Mission La Purísima Concepción, in Lompoc
• Mission Santa Inés, in Solvang
• Mission Santa Barbara, in Santa Barbara
• Mission San Buenaventura, in Ventura
• Mission San Fernando Rey de España, in Mission Hills
• Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, in San Gabriel
• Mission San Juan Capistrano, in San Juan Capistrano
• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, in Oceanside
• Mission San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego
The missions were founded by a group of Franciscan priests along what is called the El Camino Real, or "The Royal Highway" or "The King's Highway." The Spanish Franciscans, after gaining control of Baja California in what is now Mexico, decided to colonize the then-untouched California under the leadership of Father Junipero Serra (whose pioneership earned him several namesake roads throughout California). Intending to both explore, colonize, and spread the Christian faith, the Franciscan groups took a route up the coast, founding a new mission every 50 or so miles. The monks, who donned grey robes and the typical shaved head in emulation of St. Francis of Assisi, worked their way up through the unexplored California countryside, bringing Christianity to the Native Indian people as they progressed.

Unfortunately, this progress also had some unintended consequences. Despite that it did allow the Spanish to colonize California and pave the way for what we now know as the official state of California to be recognized as part of the United States, the Indian populations that had been coexisting in the state for hundreds if not thousands of years. The colonists also brought disease and hardship for the tribes, who were made to work as part of their conversion and involvement with the church. The Indians tended to the gardens and grounds of the missions as labor, theoretically aiding the monks but, in the end, they too often ended up being exploited.
However this does not get rid of the historical value that the missions give to visitors today. The long stretch of 21 missions prove an interesting destination for any visitors wishing to get a better idea of what California's rich history was. For the missions eventually ended up turning into not just church centers but also military outposts and sites of some of the most significant events in California's timeline. In fact, the official surrender of California to the United States as represented by Commodore John. D. Sloat took place at the Monterey Mission.

The missions are a wonderful place aesthetically, as well. Almost all of them are in perfect or near-perfect condition thanks to an extensive state program that has kept them rehabbed and established as long-standing California state landmarks. Typical "mission-style" architecture involves white stucco walls with rounded corners, red, layered brick roofs, and wooden support beams sticking out of the walls. There is always a large church that forms the focal point of the front of the mission, which usually has a bell tower. Then, to either side there are the low-lying, one-story walls that stretch into a u-shape or square, which makes up the body and main cultural center of the mission. What was once open land to be cultivated has now mostly been sold off and turned into housing in the more urban missions. Regardless, the beauty and historical tradition of the missions stands through as one of the most beautiful sets of attractions available to visitors of this majestic state. 

The last mission in California is Located in Sonoma Valley famous for its old wine country

How champagne was first discovered? Why we call it sparkling wine in the USA?

 

How Champagne is Made?

How champagne was first discovered?

Why we call it sparkling wine in the USA?

History of Champagne:Champagne was first introduced to the wine industry by France. Champagne became to be known as Champagne back in early 17th Century. It was named champagne after a French wine growing region known as Champagne where it was first discovered and developed.

The history of Champagne dates back before the 17th century but has never been developed before the 17th Century. It was in Reims , the Royal City of French monarchs and the Capital of the Champagne wine growing region where a monk at the Abbey of Hautvillers ,near the city of Reims discovered Champagne for the first time.

Dom Pierre Pérignon ( 1638-1715) was a French Benedictine monk who lived in a wine growing region dominated by classic red wines. One day, Dom Pierre Pérignon was in the process of fermentation of his wines before bottling and corking these new bottles, but for some reason he didn’t process the fermentation properly and left in the wine caves. 

Few months later and after a winter , Pérignon’s fermentation that remained dormant, began reacting to springs and gradual warming temperature , thus the fermented wine of the monk start producing carbon dioxide that was trapped in the bottles. This chemical reaction doubled the pressure inside the bottles and caused the explosion of these bottles of wines within the caves.

One morning, the French Benedictine Monk, Dom Pérignon, was surprised when he opened his wine cave and found out! The monk gathered other monks and opened one bottles that resisted the pressure and didn’t expose. That’s how the monks found out & realized that they accidentally came up with the new era of Champagne that will dominate the world wine industry for long time to come, without even knowing anything about wine and bubbles!

Thus, Champagne was born and named after the wine region where it was first discovered. Today Möet & Chandon (not to confuse with Chandon in Napa Valley) is a Champagne varietal named in honor of the French Benedictine Monk, Dom Pérignon. As you travel on State Highway 4 that runs between Paris and Reins, you can see his statue on the highway and a bronze statute was also erected within Möet & Chandon winery in Epernay, France.

Why we call it sparkling wine in North America?

Unlike the USA, French veticulutral codes are applied on wine labeling calling the wine Varietals after the wine region where wine is made. This is known as Appellation d'origine contrôlée (term as a designation of origin).

Champagne is not an exception to that verticultural regulations , it was named after the Champagne growing region where it was first discovered , in early 17th century.

the European Union and many other countries accepted to legally protect the Champagne as a trademarked exclusive to French Champagne label in the Treaty of Versailles that followed the World War I and reaffirmed this legal exclusivity banning other countries from using it.

Few countries including the USA didn’t sign this particular chapter of this treaty

Exclusivity. However, the USA has finally acknowledged in 2006 the legality and exclusive production of the Champagne to France leaving some flexibility to those American wineries who labeled their wines calling it champagne before 2006. Instead, the wine in North America and some other countries is called Sparkling wine or method champinoise as some still do in California! Where? Learn more now:

http://www.winecountryprivatetours.com/index.htm

http://www.winecountryprivatetours.com/Napa-Valley-wine-Tour.htm