When we went to Golden Gate Park, we at first could not figure out how to get in! We soon discovered, however, that most of the access roads were closed off because the annual Aids Walk 2000 was going on the day we chose to visit the park. Thousands of people pledged their time to walk a course to raise money for Aids research, and we ended up walking with them for a while after we finally found a parking space on the street outside of the park and used footpaths to get inside. This park is an ideal place to take children visiting San Francisco to run out some energy. I would love to run there on my next visit. It is a huge area with lots of interesting flora and fauna decorating the landscape. The small rose garden was beautiful. Outdoor activities can be enjoyed for free but several attractions such as the de Young Museum require an entry fee (see de Young entry in journal).

We chose to tour an area of the park that had an abundance of gardens. It proved a perfect place to enjoy a long, leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon.

We entered the park near the Rose Garden, which immediately captured my heart, even though no roses were in bloom. There was a sensation of tranquility that overwhelmed me as we strolled the path through the garden. Benches sprinkled the tidy, seemingly secluded area where people sat reading or chatting quietly with a friend. Different varieties of the bushes were planted in separate sections of the garden, with each variety identified, and I hope to return sometime to see the abundance of flowers that have such beautiful names.

We next visited the nearby Japanese Tea Garden, which has an entry fee of $3.50 for adults. While it was beautiful with its variety of Japanese plant life and statues, it is a relatively small area, and I personally would not pay the fee to enter again. (There is also an additional charge if you want a brochure to guide you as you walk along the paths.) Central to the garden area is a "tea room" where you can spend even more money to buy a pot of tea and sit and enjoy the surroundings as you sip if such is to your liking.

The Botanical Garden area is directly across from the Japanese Tea Garden. There is no entry fee, and yet I enjoyed this garden more. Perhaps it was the wide variety of plants that stirred my senses more. I was particularly awed by some of the Australian vegetation, which looked like nothing I had ever before seen.

By this time the sun was beginning to set and the air was getting chilly, so we were able to visit only these three gardens. Regardless, we left feeling refreshed and relaxed and will return to explore other areas of the park on our next visit.

Golden Gate Park was originally conceived to help urbanites escape the chaos of the city. And boy, does it ever. You would not realise that you're in the middle of a city at times! We took a leisurely stroll around it, prior to going to Alcatraz Island, although we barely touched the tip of the iceberg!

If you wanted to see everything the park offered, I would recommend spending the full day there, as it is massive—it took us 15 minutes to drive from one end to the other!

There is a lot more to see in this park than the usual Museum and Japanese Garden, you have to travel to the other side, the seaside, to find some interesting gardens and windmills.

The Japanese Tea Garden was very cool, even if you don't normally like gardens. The fee is $3, and well worth it. The park is awesome for rollerblading.