Because the city (Pigeon Forge) was in the "middle of nowhere" and public transport only ran between a few adjacent towns that lacked bus stations, I had no opportunity to travel to nearby states. Nevertheless, I was never bored! There were so many activities organized for tourists; we kept some of the flyers in our shop, so as shop employees, we could visit these attractions for free by booking in advance, or we paid a negligible portion—10-20%. We could also bring friends to many of them. That is exactly how I rode a hot air balloon, went to Wonderland (where I lay on 2,500 nails, moved balls with the power of my mind, played baseball, walked on ropes, danced on a platform with moving steps—I don't know how to explain it properly, inflated human-sized balloons, etc.), went to the local zoo, and rode the cable car and the "bobsled track."

In my free time, I also visited every possible restaurant, among which I want to mention the well-known Bubba Gump. They constantly hold quizzes about the movie there, and on the table, there are funny signs that say "Run Forrest or Stop Forrest," which you flip depending on whether you want the waiter to come to you or not. I also really liked Red Lobster; of course, it's a bit expensive, but it is incomparably cheaper than trying the same dishes of lobster, mussels, shrimp, etc., in Russia, and they cook very deliciously there. The only problem is the crab legs, because when you try to break them with special tongs, the meat and juice spray in all directions, scattering according to the effort applied. One of the main attractions is the water park and amusement park of the famous country singer Dolly Parton; I must say that I rode many of them with my eyes closed, clutching the railings with all my might. The local car show, Road Run, is very popular; as a rule, they sell old and unusual cars there.

Closer to the end of August, I started looking for people who were flying to the West Coast around mid-September, but many of them were leaving much earlier (the Ukrainians only had their visas open until August 31st). I didn't want to miss the chance, so I decided to fly alone and booked a 5-day tour (on the website: http://www.tours4fun.com/, which has a flexible discount system depending on the number of participants), which included: Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Yosemite National Park, the Danish village of Solvang, and a visit to Stanford University! Even though I went alone and paid more for it, I never doubted the correctness of my decision. In the end, I found friends during the trip, and the emotions from the trip exceeded all my expectations:

1. In Las Vegas, I was placed in one of the best hotels in the city—the Stratosphere. It is famous for having some of the scariest rides in the world at its peak, approximately 300m up: "Big Shot, Insanity the Ride, and XSCREAM." The latter fully justifies its name; I never thought I could scream so loudly... In the city itself, what I remember most is Fremont St (this is a covered street in Vegas where they host 3D shows on the ceilings, and every 100m on the street there are stages where musicians perform different styles of music) and, of course, the famous hotels: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Paris Hotel. Each of them is unique and, in my opinion, a work of art.

2. The next day we set off for the Grand Canyon; it was simply stunning!!! It's hard to believe that nature could create such a thing and that there was once an ocean there! On the way back, we visited the Hoover Dam, but I barely remember it because my thoughts were still only on the Grand Canyon.

3. Los Angeles is one of my favorite and most beautiful cities in the USA. It's a pity we were only there for an evening and could only visit the main attractions (Beverly Hills, Walt Disney Concert Hall, etc.). Driving through every street, we were told exactly which movies were filmed there; of course, at that moment, you involuntarily imagine yourself in the place of the main characters. I remember driving past the high-rises in downtown, I noticed a tall, beautiful building and thought what a wonderful view must open up from there. A minute later, the tour guide announced: "This is a PRISON!!!" (in the city center, with a gorgeous view; at that moment I thought it was wildly unfair). The next points of our trip were Santa Barbara and Solvang. These are small resort towns; the first is distinguished by the fact that only wealthy people vacation there, gorgeous snow-white yachts are visible on the coast, and not only tourists but also artists who paint local landscapes relax on the shore. Solvang is a small German village; upon entering, the architecture of the buildings, executed in the 19th-century European style, immediately catches the eye. There are also many chapels and windmills in the city; the residents are mainly engaged in selling national dishes and souvenirs. I was no exception and bought a magnet with the inscription: "I've got German roots."

4. On the way to San Francisco, we were taken to a Marriott hotel for the night. Approaching it, our tour guide told us about the surrounding area. I listened inattentively because I was quite tired from our crazy travel schedule, but then I heard out of the corner of my ear that TESLA MOTORS was nearby!!!! I couldn't believe my luck, because today it is one of the leading and most prestigious car brands. Of course, I persuaded my friends to go with me, despite the fact that it was already quite late—8 PM (I was afraid they were closed). From the outside, the building resembled a bunker, but when we went inside, I am sure my pupils formed into the shape of a heart... So, we arrived in San Francisco, the city of winds, fogs, and the most unpredictable weather. We arrived early in the morning and the air temperature was 8 degrees; closer to noon, it was so hot that I managed to get sunburned, but at least there was no fog on the street. Our first destination was the Golden Gate Bridge!!! I was incredibly happy, because that was exactly what I regretted in 2013 (that I couldn't go to SF). But as often happens, the more you expect, the more you are disappointed... The bridge seemed typical to me, just painted red; even the bridge opposite it was much more beautiful and larger... Then we went to the famous Pier 39. After walking on it a bit and seeing the sea lions, I decided not to waste time and buy a ticket for a bay cruise. Our ship followed the route from GGB to Alcatraz. Approaching the island, they turned on an old recording where prisoners and prison staff talked about how they survived/lived there; at that moment, everyone on the cruise had goosebumps... The rest of the day was brightened up by visits to the observation mountain, the Palace of Fine Arts, City Hall, and Lombard St.

5. The next day we had Stanford University and Silicon Valley planned. Stanford University is one of the most prestigious and expensive universities in the USA. It occupies a huge area, on which many monuments and several buildings are located, as well as a huge field where students play frisbee during breaks. The building itself resembles a church more, as the faces of saints are depicted on it. We were not in Silicon Valley for long, and we only saw the logos of world-famous companies on the buildings; we were not allowed to go inside. Compared to all the previous destinations, the area seemed gray and mundane to me; personally, I don't know how one can create something new in such an atmosphere.

6. So, we reached my favorite part of the trip—Yosemite National Park. I had never seen such beauty before. The whole way, driving over steep cliffs and virgin forests (90% of the park's territory has never been touched by human feet), I dreamed that time would stop. There I met girls from Poland; they told me that they had taken a tour not of cities, but of national parks, and started showing me photos. WHAT BEAUTY THAT WAS!!! AFTER ALL, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS ARE CREATED NOT BY HUMAN HANDS, BUT BY NATURE! I would give a lot to be in their place...

I decided to spend my last days in the USA with a friend in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges—there are approximately 445 of them. What I remember most is visiting the University of Pittsburgh; inside, the building resembles the well-known Hogwarts. There are also different classrooms styled after countries; the most beautiful of them are the German, Greek, and, of course, the RUSSIAN classroom!!! (by the way, admission there turned out to be completely free). We spent the rest of the day just walking around downtown, and in the evening we decided to go to the observation mountain, from which a wonderful view of the city opened up....

And just a couple of days later, I was heading to JFK, and I couldn't believe that this had happened to me....