Alcatraz Island: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

АХАлина Хазееваalina1546 · Dec 15, 2017Read

When I bought my tickets, there was no time to think, so my return ticket was NY-EKB for September 28th. At the time, it seemed that since there was an opportunity to stay in the States longer, why not take advantage of it. Over the summer, my relationship with the person I planned to travel with fizzled out, and dreams of a beautiful trip across America evaporated before my eyes. So I was left alone without a plan, tickets, or ideas, but with three free weeks (by the way, at work, they made it clear that after September 3rd, we were free). I wiped away my tears once again and started developing a plan on how to spend my well-deserved American vacation, survive, and not go broke. I had ideas to just go on some tour, of which there are hundreds on the internet; I wanted to go on a cruise, but unfortunately, cruises in America are only for those 21 and older. I thought about just going to NY and living there, and when nothing worked out, I wanted to change my tickets and go home early (though when I found out the price of this wonderful service, those silly thoughts immediately vanished). In the end, everything worked out incredibly well, and I had a wonderful time (partly with a friend, partly with other friends, and partly alone). First, I flew to San Francisco (a city in disco style and all that). I still remember how, after a rather late flight, having overcome all the difficulties in the subway, I went up to the street and went crazy. No, not from love, but from fear and, as it seemed to me, disappointment. There were homeless people everywhere, it smelled of trash, the roads were dirty, and some strange men were following me. I just ran to my hostel and hoped to be safe as soon as possible. But from the next day, everything changed. And I fell in love once again. With those narrow streets that go down and up at almost right angles, with the energetically charged downtown and cute Victorian houses, with the incredibly cozy Little Italy district and the crazy Chinatown, with the Ghirardelli chocolate factory and their signature salted caramel cocoa, with the cold air and the ocean, with Alcatraz (definitely buy a ticket in advance, otherwise you will be running around like me, begging for tickets from passersby, and it is not a fact that you will be as lucky as I was, and this place will provide you with impressions for a lifetime), with the photogenic cable cars and the largest Golden Gate Park in the country, with the most recognizable bridge in the world, and even with the fog and grayness of the city. We spent wonderful days in San Francisco. I still remember that time with love. From San Francisco, we took a bus to Los Angeles. And of course, the most memorable place we visited was the Dolby Theatre (where the Oscars and many other awards are presented). But we didn't just visit the theater; we attended the final show of America’s got talent, saw Heidi Klum, sang along with Pitbull, and just couldn't believe our eyes. In my Instagram, I described it like this: "It was an incredible adventure and an insanely interesting experience. Filming one of the most popular shows on American television, Americas Got Talent. The coolest thing is that we made it to the Grand Final, where the fate of the show and all these talented finalists was being decided. And despite the fact that it was a live show, filming takes much more time than the broadcast show lasts. And we were sitting so close to the judges that I even managed to see Heidi Klum's wrinkles and hear the live voice of Pitbull, who was a guest performer that evening. And in general, now I know what the judges do during breaks between filming and how the show achieves such a beautiful and smooth picture on television. And the filming, by the way, took place at the Dolby theatre, where literally a few days later the Emmy television awards were presented. Actually, the Oscars are presented there too. This is something I didn't even dream of, but what happened, happened! I vis

VMValeriya Matyukhinalera.matyukhina · Jan 31, 2015Read

We've finally reached the West Coast, we're at the Pacific Ocean. Our first stop is San Francisco. My first thought was: it actually exists! This city is real and exactly like in the photos! Even better. San Francisco is known for its steep hills, a mix of Victorian and modern architecture, the list goes on... Walking along the inclined streets (sometimes 45-50 degrees) was just wonderful! But we soon got tired of climbing uphill and decided to take a ride on the famous Cable Car. The 'terminal' where the cable car picks up passengers was packed with tourists, the line was definitely half an hour long! We took some photos by it and went for a walk in Chinatown. We bought souvenirs and had a bite to eat, and then the cable car caught up with us. So we got our ride after all! We rode to Lombard Street – the crookedest street in the world. Stunning, I don't think I've seen anything more beautiful. Not the road itself, but the surroundings – the vegetation, flowers, greenery... mmm. Then we headed to Pier 39. We wanted to go to Alcatraz Island, but it turns out you have to book in advance, so we had to settle for photos with the island in the background. Not bad either!:) As an animal lover, I couldn't pass by the San Francisco Zoo, which was conveniently located just a 2-minute walk from our motel. This zoo is probably the most magnificent and well-maintained one I've ever seen. A large area, well-equipped enclosures and cages, lots of trees. In short, pure Wow, Meow, and Baa. By the way, you could feed and brush the goats yourself, although one of them did butt us. And in San Francisco, and throughout California as we realized later, there are a lot of Chinese people. Apparently, it was much closer for them to migrate there. They are quite friendly; I met one woman just by sitting on the bus. In the two stops we rode together, I think I learned her entire family history, about all her children, husbands, dogs, etc.))) In short, San Francisco is pure beauty, picturesque views, and Chinese food everywhere!

ALAnastassya LebedevaNastyaLebedeva · Oct 28, 2012Read

Letter from September 4th Sender: Anastasia Lebedeva, San Francisco, California Recipient: Yulya Keda, Kazakhstan Hi! Honestly, I thought I'd write sooner, but I didn't have the time – we spent 3 unforgettable days in San Francisco! Now I understand why Anya wanted to come back here so much! The city is just indescribably beautiful! That's how I put it))) Its whole charm is that it's very different from other American cities! I don't even know where to start! I have an idea! Let me write about why this city is so wonderful instead! 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO 1) The best way to get to know any city is just to walk wherever you want, ON FOOT! There are no huge highways in San Fran, so you can walk and enjoy the views as much as you like! Of course, the city is built on hills – so the roads take on unimaginable angles! 2) It really is very beautiful! I took tons of photos! The coolest thing is that the city is beautiful in its diversity! Palace of Fine Arts (especially in the evening when it gets dark, the view is stunning), City Hall, Painted Ladies, Japantown, Chinatown, Union Square (a cool square), Haight-Ashbury (a very positive neighborhood)), Coit Tower, Pacific Heights.... 3) You can spend the whole day walking around Fisherman’s Wharf: the embankment, the deep blue ocean, Alcatraz Island, the sound of the waves, seagulls circling over the water – probably one of the most beautiful places in the city! 4) Cable Cars! OMG! After waiting in a huuuuge line, we managed to ride the famous little trams! We specifically took the side seats so we could stand while riding, take photos of people along the way, and enjoy the views!!! An amazing feeling! 5) The city is full of surprises! We spent half the day on the embankment, and by the time we rented bikes, it was already 5 o'clock. Our goal was to cross the Golden Gate Bridge! Anya had talked our ears off (yours too))) about how much she likes this bridge and how many photos she took last year! So to say I was anticipating it is an understatement! But imagine our surprise when we reached the bridge, or rather, the place where it was supposed to be, and discovered that THE BRIDGE WAS GONE!! We were standing in the middle of nowhere (as Americans say), and there was FOG all around, so thick that it was impossible to see the Golden Gate Bridge! After wandering around a bit, we decided to go through with our plan anyway! We rode across the bridge (yes, we found it by touch))), our hair was wet from the fog, it was windy, but we felt great! White haze all around! Anyway, after reaching the other end, we stopped and started sharing our impressions. And when the sun came out and the red outlines of the bridge supports became visible, we took pictures, and, tired but happy, continued our journey. On the way back, we bought t-shirts - I biked the Golden Gate Bridge! The day was a success! 6) Golden Gate Bridge! No words! It's the symbol of the city! 7) It has its own atmosphere here! Probably because of the architecture! Or maybe because of the weather! Fog is a very common occurrence, but it's so cool here in the fall! 8) Golden Gate Park. Everything is so beautiful, green, tons of flowers! Tons of photos! 9) Every time you can find something new: cozy cafes, museums (we managed to see a bit of Dali and Picasso), bookstores, parks, people! 10) You want to come back here again and again! p.s. The flight to New York is soon – we'll be there tomorrow, and on the 8th we fly home! So we'll be back soon! p.p.s. I like your VK status)))))))