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Golden Gate Bridge

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  • At the corner of Highway One North at Lincoln Avenue
     San Francisco, California
    (415) 556-0560
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Editor Pick

Reaching the Far West

  • March 19, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
Reaching the Far West

This walking tour begins at the fashionable neighbourhood of Haight Ashbury and end at the Pacific Ocean, the very end of San Francisco.

The last bastion from the sixties, Haight Ashbury quarter can be reached from Market Street with bus number seven. Haight Street between Masonic (leave the bus just after the Buena Vista Park) and Stanyan hosts a plethora of restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, souvenir shops and old hippies. This is an appropriate place to have a breakfast and gather strength for a walk across the Golden Gate Park.

The huge park measures five kilometers length from the entrance at Haight Street to the Pacific Ocean, its width is just one kilometer and enough attractions are packed in this vast park to keep anyone busy for a week. Beginning in 1870, the former dunes were reclaimed and nowadays there are more than 3,500 species of plants in the park. The park is not just a gigantic, open botanic garden, and for sport fans it offers tennis courts, boats at the Stow Lake, an equitation field, a small nine holes golf course, soccer fields and endless paths for biking and jogging. San Francisco being the Asian capital of America, the park wouldn’t be complete without a wonderful Japanese Tea Garden next to the Stow Lake (the first lake while advancing westwards) and in that lake’s single island – called Strawberry Hill – a Chinese Pavillion.

The magnificent Dutch Mill marks the end of the park; it was built in 1902 and was used to pump water from underground to a reservoir on Strawberry Hill. However, in 1913 electric pumps were introduced and the mill became obsolete. It decayed slowly until a massive restoration effort ended in 1981, at its base is the colorful Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden.

Next to the mill is the Ocean Beach – one of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco. The coast is kept unspoiled; there are not any restaurants or shops obstructing the view of the ocean from the wide promenade running along it. The beach is too beautiful to leave; it is wide and has a fine, dark sand wet with salty, cold ocean water. Instead of leaving, it is recommended to walk along it to the north, toward the cliffs. There, on 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, is the Cliff House – which according to the owners is where San Francisco begins. The last statement depends on the direction you are looking from, but what is undeniably true is that it is the only restaurant in town facing the Pacific Ocean and that it was open in 1863. The food there is rather common and pricey (expect to pay above thirty dollars) but the views compensate for that. There is no better place to end such a splendid walk.

To return to downtown, walk back to the Golden Gate Park and turn left into Fulton Street, from where bus number five safely travels to Market Street.

From journal Walking San Francisco

Editor Pick

The Golden Gate Bridge

  • February 15, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by cindylou11157 from Pottstown, Pennsylvania
The Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognized bridges in the world. Painted in its famous orange color, this icon is seen from the Fisherman’s Wharf area. The bridge connects San Francisco and Marin County along highway 101. This was once the largest suspension bridge in the world. The steel girders were built in my hometown. Bethlehem Steel is listed on the construction plaque on the bridge.

I entered the visitor center from the San Francisco side. The bridge is even more impressive up close. Make sure you bring a jacket if you plan on walking the span of the bridge. It is 1 mile long and it gets very windy especially at mid span. You have a great view looking out both ways, one way the Pacific Ocean and the other the spectacular view of the city, Alcatraz and Angle Island. The bridge is notorious for suicides. The eerie thing about walking the bridge is all the suicide and help signs located along the span. Thirty four suicides were reported for 2006. After walking the bridge pull out of the parking lot and make a left and view the bridge from below. You get another prospective.

Take the drive across, the toll is only $4 round trip. There is another viewing point from this side.

I would not suggest taking a tour. My first visit I drove out on my own and the second time I took a tour and you only have 10 minutes to see the bridge. This does not give you time to walk the span of the bridge. Another way to see the bridge and is very popular is renting a bike and riding across. All over the wharf area are places to rent bikes.

A San Francisco trip would not be complete if you did not visit The Golden Gate Bridge. This is a must see site. You will never get tired of looking at this. The bridge has an all new look when the fog rolls in. This bridge is a photographers dream to photograph. I could not get enough shots of it.

From journal A San Francisco Treat

Golden Gate Bridge

  • September 17, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by joshhansen from maple valley, Washington
Seeing the golden gate bridge is like seeing an amazing wonder. It seems to span forever and rise to the heavens. It's one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. You can walk across it but it can be cold as the wind comes in from the ocean, but the views are well worth it. There are guards all around since increased security became a very big priority. But it's still an enjoyable experience and you won't regret the views. Sometimes walking across is faster than driving. But there are parks on the non-San Francisco side, it can be a nice place to kick back and relax. Its an amazing experience, and if you find it on the right day, it can be a life long memory. Just be sure not to go on a day where there is lots of fog, although by mid day most of the fog has burnt off.

From journal California

Golden Gate Bridge

  • April 24, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by JesusW from Mexico city, Mexico
Golden Gate Bridge

This a landmark for tourists, but also a really busy entrance to the city. At the beginning they built the bridge just because there was a gap in the bay, but now the northern side of the area has become very populated and you get incredible traffic jams during rush hours.You can walk the bridge, it is a nice tour, but be careful and bring your thick jacket as the wind can blow very strong and drop the temperature drastically.You can get to the base of the bridge by bus, take MUNI 28 or 29 lines and they drop you at the very entrance of the bridge.You get great views of the bay, at the other end of the bridge you get a view point with facilities, souvenir shop and those indispensable pay-binoculars.

From journal The Golden Gate and Alcatraz

Editor Pick

Golden Gate Bridge

  • March 15, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kustom57 from Turlock, California
Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most famous landmark on the West Coast of the United States. It was built in 1937 and was, at the time, the largest suspension bridge in the world. Today the bridge features "movable lanes". Consisting of six total lanes, the lanes are changed as follows; on weekday mornings, there are four southbound lanes and only two northbound lanes. On weekday evenings, there are four northbound lanes and two southbound. This system allows for better traffic flow.The color of the Golden Gate is not actually gold, but a color called "International Orange". Contrary to popular belief, the bridge is not continuously painted every day of the year. In fact, a program started in 1965 to replace the original paint with a better one, this was completed in 1995, and now only occasional touch ups are required. The Golden Gate is named for the Golden Gate Strait that is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay.Only 11 men lost their lives during the construction, due to a safety net that was erected during the build. On February 17, 1937 a scaffolding holding ten men fell through the safety net and accounted for all but one of the total deaths during its construction. If you have the chance, definitely walk across this bridge. It may be a bit of a hike, but the views from the bridge are great. If you cannot make it to the other side on foot, drive across and stop at the lookout point. Some of the best views of the bay area can be seen here.

From journal San Francisco on a Budget

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