View from the island
There are plenty of things to do in San Francisco – concerts, exhibits, hiking… But this particular weekend we decided to visit one of the most well-known attractions of the city – Alcatraz Island. Aside from the prison itself, which has fascinating history (narrated by former inmates in the included audio tour), the island doubles as a national park, which during spring season is full of gorgeous flowers and nesting wild birds. The island also offers breathtaking views of San Francisco’s skyline.
Touring Alcatraz prison
The ferry to Alcatraz Island departs daily every half an hour from 9 am until 1 pm and comes back from the island every half an hour until 4:30 pm. You can buy tickets here. The whole trip takes about 3 hours, including the ferry ride to the island and back, the self-guided audio tour of the prison, and the walk around the island.
On this particular trip, we also climbed the 284-feet of Telegraph Hill via Filbert Steps – the most famous staircase in San Francisco, known for its gardens and art deco buildings surrounding the steps as well as the views of the city. The Filbert Steps (free) culminate at the bottom of Coit Tower (paid admission), which offers panoramic views of the city. Beware, however, that due to thick plexiglass used in the tower’s windows, it is virtually impossible to take quality photos from the tower.
We rounded off our weekend in San Francisco by a visit to Tonga Room at the famous Fairmont Hotel. When we were there, the crowd included tourists and locals celebrating special occasions. The band playing on a raft floating in the middle of the pool, the intermittent rain and thunder effects, and the specially-crafted drinks created a unique and fun experience.
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One Sunny Morning 
it is looks very interesting.Thank you!
“The Rock” is one of my fave movie. “Welcome to the Rock”!
I actually haven’t seen the movie – I should! Now that I’ve seen the place.