Go down to Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and catch a tour
to Alcatraz! The Red & White Fleet runs a ferry out to the island every
thirty minutes. You can buy your tickets right there at the pier, but you
have to buy them about a week in advance. If you show up without tickets,
there will be boys peddling tour bikes around who will offer you tickets
along with a very pricey bike tour of Fisherman's Wharf. If you walk a
little further on down the street, you will find the Travelodge Travel
Agency (assuming it's still there, this was August of 1996) where you can
buy a ticket to Alcatraz for about five bucks. The ride across the bay is
worth it. Once you get to the island, there is a lot of uphill walking to
get up to the top.