Yesterday I bought our Alcatraz tickets.  We are going via ferry to the island on Sunday before we board our ship to Alaska on Monday. We are taking the first ferry over in the morning so we can make the Alcatraz Garden tour.  The Garden tour is only offered a few days a week, so we are lucky we are able sign up for that.  The gardens were originally established by the workers and their families living on Alcatraz island.  They fell into disrepair due to 4 decades of neglect after the prison closed.  A few years ago folks decided to bring them back...I can't wait to see them...and that is one of the ways I convinced my sister to take a trip to "The Rock"...