SAN FRANCISCO -- It's always had a certain mystique.

The allure of this fortress, perched on top of crumbled concrete in the middle of an icy, windswept bay had its own mystery.

How could America's dangerous criminals be housed in such a confined area, yet find it nearly impossible to escape?

That question is what brought me to Alcatraz.

Apparently, many others thought so as well Wednesday. Of the 14 cruises you could take, all were sold out. I bought my ticket via the Internet last week, or else I would be sitting at Fisherman's Wharf eating a smoked salmon sandwich and crab cakes.

Not a bad option, but I was here for history.

We've all seen the movies. The latest involved Sean Connery in "The Rock." Half the fun of seeing Alcatraz-related movies is to get at least a glimpse to what it may have looked like in there.

But my favorite is "Escape From Alcatraz" with Clint Eastwood, who portrayed a convict with the last name of Anglin who ended up escaping from The Rock.

I had done my research on Alcatraz before the trip. Nothing that I could write a paper on, but enough to get by. The main factoid that fascinated me was that five people who escaped from Alcatraz have never been found.

On the boat ride from the Wharf to The Rock, I wondered if any of those five could have made it back to shore. It's about a mile swim away, and it's not easy. Not that I've tried it, but dodging those currents coming in from the Pacific Ocean, along with the cold water, couldn't have been easy.

How cold was the water? There was a freighter coming in, stacked with at least 300 semi trailers. This thing was huge. Our boat hit a wave and those of us fortunate to be on the top deck were greeted with a huge wave. Fortunately, I was toward the back, so I didn't get the brunt of it.

Still, I was reminded that ocean water is indeed salty. And cold.

The wind also was quite chilly. Here it is, the middle of July and I looked down (before the tidal wave) and had goose bumps on my arms.

Imagine what it must be like in the dead of winter.

In short, I highly doubt they could have made it back alive.

I won't delve into all the details of the tour. If you've seen it, you've given yourself a treat. If you haven't, you're missing out.

Still, peering into the cells made you think about how miserable life must have been in there. I even got a chance to sit in "the hole." Not pleasant.

I'm sure if those walls could talk, we'd hear stories for days. And weeks.

And it would be better than any performance Clint Eastwood could ever give.

I'm glad I didn't have to use the restroom Wednesday morning.

I walked along the Wharf before the tour, seeing everything from cheap sunglasses for sale to numerous street performers looking for spare change.

Much to my amusement, I stumbled upon a pay toilet.

Twenty-five cents bought you five minutes. The door would lock and you had your privacy.

But I wondered what would happen if you were still in there after five minutes.

I didn't care to find out. And fortunately nature's call wasn't ringing.

Dan Fields can be reached at 434-2230 or by e-mail at :mailto:dan.fields@austindailyherald.com