We really looked forward to touring Alcatraz Island. Luckily we went online ahead of time and bought our tickets which included the ferry ride over and back because tickets usually sell out a week or more in advance. For example when we went on Thursday there was a sign at the ticket office that the next available tour was Sunday.
Once again we rode BART into the city and our first goal of the day was to ride a cable car. When we went into the city the first time, the line to ride the cable car near the BART station was very long and we didn’t want to take the time to wait. Luckily today the line was shorter and we only had to wait about 10 minutes. As the cable car fills up you have to wait for the next one to come by. We wanted to catch it at the BART station and ride it to Fisherman’s Wharf. At $6.00 one way, we wanted to get our monies worth! Once the cable car arrived it was very interesting to see how the conductors get out and turn the car around. The ride was really cool as we sat sideways while the car climbed up and down hills. 
Once we got off at the end of the line, Fisherman’s Wharf,
we walked down to Pier 33 which is where we caught the Alcatraz ferry. 
The ride over was quick and it wasn’t too cold to sit on top and see the beauty of the area.
The island is owned by the National Park Service and they had a very interesting and informative tour which included a self guiding tour using an audiotape with former Alcatraz inmates, correctional officers and residents reminiscing about their time there. The tape was very well done and it was nice to be able to pause the audio if we wanted to spend longer in an area. It was both fascinating and very sad to spend time there. Fascinating to hear about the history of the island and prison, but very sad to see how the men lived there and spend their last days. As we pulled up to “The Rock”, I imagined what must have gone through the mind’s of the men as they arrived here and saw the desolate island and large guard tower and lighthouse.. 
Several times the audiotape mentioned how the men could look out the windows at San Francisco just across the bay and see what they were missing. On New Year’s Eve, if the wind was blowing just right, they could hear the party goers celebrating the New Year. Yes, these were hardened criminals, including Al Capone, but it still struck me as very very sad.
The island has an interesting history including being an army fortress and a military prison. It became a famous maximum security federal penitentiary in 1934, many people who worked at the prison also resided on the island, including the children of the workers who would ride a ferry each day to and from school. One such child, now grown, talked about growing up on the island and how it was a really a nice childhood in which children of the workers all played and went to school together. They did not see or come in contact with the prisoners, though occasionally they would hear them if they caused a ruckus. There is a theater area on the island with a 17 minute film detailing the history of Alcatraz.
The prison closed on March 21, 1963 due to deteriorating buildings including a lack of a sewage system and high operating costs. One interesting fact was that several Native Americans from 1969-1971 took over and occupied the island in an attempt to take back some federal land. 
The main area to explore was the Cell House and we had to walk up four rather steep hills from the dock to get there. 
One prisoner per cell
In the 29 years that Alcatraz was open, 36 prisoners tried to escape. All but 5 were recaptured or otherwise accounted for. Three who were never found were immortalized in the Clint Eastwood movie “Escape From Alcatraz” in 1962. The two main reasons why escape was practically impossible was the strong currents and very cold water which surrounded the island. An interesting and rather humorous tidbit is that in 1974 at the age of 60, fitness guru Jack LaLanne swam from just outside the perimeters of Alcatraz to the Fisherman’s Wharf handcuffed, shacked and towing a 1,000 pound boat! He wanted to leave directly from the Alcatraz pier but the prison refused to allow him to come onto the island for security reasons.
After taking the ferry back to shore we caught a streetcar back to BART and rode home, grateful for such a fascinating experience.
