Visit to Alcatraz - It was like dream come true for me. Could almost see The Rock being shot in front of my eyes. All the rocks, the interiors, the water - all came live in front of me from the movie.

A night tour of Alcatraz Island provides more features than daytime tours. You have a guide up to the prison, then walk your way through listening to the audio tour. At the end, there are several options - extra guided tours, movies, or just time on your own. The boat ride across the bay has many photo ops of the city, Golden Gate Bridge and the island itself.

As you disembark the boat, a guide welcomes you, explains the history of Alcatraz - first as a military fort in the Civil War days, then the federal penitentiary, and finally the Indian occupation during the late 1960s. It is presently operated by the National Park Service.

Visitors walk through the Guard house and Sally Port, just as the arriving prisoners did. You walk the same path as Al Capone, "Creepy" Karpis and other renowned inmates. The former Officer's CLub was destroyed by fire in 1970 but served as a backdrop in the movie, "The Rock." You climb your way uphill and finally enter the cellhouse, in the same receiving and shower area the inmates used. Here you are given the audio equipment and go upstairs to the cellblocks.

It's an eerie feeling walking around the prison cells, especially as the sun sets and night falls. The tape has actual voices of inmates and guards; you continually hear the slamming of the cell doors/bars. Seeing the sights and hearing the sounds one can imagine what life in the pen was like.

At one point, you can go outside the warden's office area. At that time of the evening, the setting sun beyond the Golden Gate Bridge was a beautiful sight. The shimmering buildings of downtown San Francisco provide a scenic backdrop to the abandoned ones on Alcatraz. As the audio reminds you, the city lights and sounds are so close yet were unattainable to the inmates of the prison.

Your tour ends in the gift shop with options for additional tours or video before the last boat leaves for the night.

We had booked an Alcatraz tour in advance (you must do this in advance on the Internet at www.alcatrazcruises.com as they sell out well in advance) and it was worth every moment. We took the 11am sailing, and the time was just right to let us sleep in and then get lots of sunshine there and back. By the way, this is the only company that is licensed to take you to the island. Other tours can sail past, but cannot land. Going to Alcatraz is a definite must-do, and the included audio tour at Alcatraz was clearly the highlight. Beautifully narrated and organized, it really brought this site to life! They also offer evening sailings to Alcatraz, and apparently those sailings include some “surprises”. You can read more about this at the Alcatraz Cruises website.

You haven't had a complete vacation in San Francisco if you haven't been to Alcatraz Island. The trip starts boarding the boat in the Pier, the trip in the boat can be a little painful, just because of the cold temperatures, but you will survive it with a jacket. As soon as you arrive to the island you can go by your own, or follow the guided tour, which I recommend to do. And latter inside the main building there is an audio tour which will reveal every Alcatraz prison secret to you.

Alcatraz, the infamous federal penitentiary, housed some of the most notorious criminals of our time. During its 29 years as a prison, Al Capone, Bird Man of Alcatraz, George Machine Gun Kelly, and Arthur Doc Baker were some of the most famous prisoners. This decaying structure was the first operating lighthouse on the west coast and served as a fortress. In 1933 Alcatraz became what it is most known for today, a maximum security prison. Today it is part of the National Park Service and this is why it is still standing today, SAVE THE ROCK.

It is best to purchase tickets ahead of time, they sell out fast. The ferry leaves from pier 33 at 9:30am and runs until either 6:30pm in the summer or 4:30pm the rest of the year. The ride takes about 1/2 hour. I would suggest taking the morning ferry so you are not rushed. Most tickets include the audio tour that is given by former inmates and runs about 50 minutes. The tape tells you blow by blow stories of their experiences. The former inmates reminisce about the cell blocks (Broadway, CD Street) the attempted escapes, the day the marines came to take back Alcatraz. I thought it was well put together.

Take time to explore the grounds. As you enter on the pier you are greeted by a park ranger that advise you of important information about the prison and special movies and tours that are shown that day. As you walk up to the main cell house you will pass the water tower and the military barracks. Keep going and you will run into the lighthouse. Once inside the main building, an audio cassette is given to you and your tour begins. You will cover every part of the main building, including the main cell block, dinner hall, Warden’s office, visitation room, and administration office. The dinning room was considered one of the most dangerous areas. You could only imagine having 200 or more inmates all together in one room with utensils!!

Once you are finished with the audio tour, take a walk outside. You have magnificent views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. Do not forget to stop in the gift shop. There are very interesting books on the history of Alcatraz besides your normal souvenirs. One way you can contribute to Saving the Rocks is by buying of piece of it. An actual piece of the rock is told for about $5.

When visiting San Francisco, a must see attractions is Alcatraz. Please do not miss it.