Welcome to The Rock!
Today we got up early and headed to Pier 33 on the Embarcadero in order to take the 10am ferry to Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz is best known as the federal prison that housed notorious criminals such as Al Capone and 'Machine Gun' Kelly. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island is located in the San Francisco Bay, one and a half miles off the coast of San Francisco. Over the years, Alcatraz has been a lighthouse, a military fort, a military prison, a federal prison and a movie set; Clint Eastwood's Escape from Alcatraz was shot there, as was The Rock, Point Blank, The Birdman of Alcatraz and several others. The prison closed in 1963 and it is now a national park.
Upon arrival at Alcatraz, we were greeted by Park Ranger John Cantwell who gave an entertaining and enthralling introduction for the first 45 minutes of our tour. Cantwell related many amusing stories about Alcatraz and its history of escape attempts by inmates. We got a real sense of the place from his total enthusiasm.
From the tiny cells to the Recreation Yard, every inch of the place is filled with an intoxicating history and a full spectrum of emotions. Aside from the bad Sean Connery impressions we were doing, the tour is easily worth the price of admission and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. In addition to the main audio tour, for which they provide headsets, there are several screenings and exhibitions about Alcatraz which make for a really detailed study of the prison.