Alcatraz Island

Why Alcatraz Island is special
San Francisco's Alcatraz Island (nicknamed the Rock) is renowned for its decades of being a maximum-security prison for incorrigible inmates.

Alcatraz tips and insights
Escaping
Few jailbirds attempted to escape Alcatraz island because of:

• Tight security
  
• Long distance to the mainland shoreline
  
• Frigid, strong, bay currents which could rapidly pull them out to the deep ocean.
  
• Rumors of man-eating sharks.

Still, there were 14 attempts involving several dozen convicts. Most of them were caught, but some drowned or were shot. No one knows for sure what happened to several others. Officials think they drowned, some writers say they made it and settled elsewhere.

Brief history of Alcatraz Island
This travel wonder has four major historical periods:

• 1850-1934
  Fortress (until 1907) and military brig.
  
• 1934-1963
  Federal penitentiary.
  
• 1969-1971
  Occupied by a small group of American Indians to protest government policy affecting Native-Americans.
  
• 1973-present
  Run by the National Park System. Open to the public.

Famouss prisoners
Celebrated "involuntary guests" at this penal complex in San Francisco Bay included Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone and the "Birdman of Alcatraz" Robert Shroud.

Official rules
Life could be tough for detainees. The official rules stated that they were entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention - and anything else was a privilege that one must earn by good behavior. This included recreational activities.

Psychological
And then there was the psychological distress of seeing the inviting lights of the city just two kilometers (1.2 miles) away. And, if the wind was accommodating, the sounds of people having a good time could be heard.

Visitors
More than a million tourists visit Alcatraz annually. Their sole means of transportation is a ferry, which departs from Fisherman's Wharf. Be aware that tickets can be sold out up to a week or more in advance in the summer, so book ahead.

Clothing
Wear comfortable shoes (for long, sometimes uphill walks). And dress warmly (the cold, robust bay winds lower the chill factor).

Orientation
When you disembark:

• Don't miss the short, informative orientation video.
  
• Buy the inexpensive, but informative self-guide tour booklet.
  
• I also recommend renting the audio tour. You hear the recorded voices of former guards and inmates recounting their firsthand experiences. It makes the cell block come to life as you explore it.

Photo ops
A free tour bonus is the photogenic views of the city, bay and Golden Gate Bridge from the Rock.

Location in America