Golden Gate to California

A city with so many attractions just waiting to be discovered, with its eclectic personality and character, San Francisco truly has something for everyone.

In such a dramatic, diverse and historic city, three sights stand out being the iconic attractions of the awesome Golden Gate Bridge and ‘The Rock’ of Alcatraz Island, and the buzzing vibrancy of Chinatown.

Another icon of the San Francisco skyline is the Transamerica Pyramid in the Financial District, the city’s tallest building and spectacular at nighttime.

Two of my favourite sights were the sublime Palace of Fine Arts, and the Fun Exploratorium for kids – big and small! These are in the Presidio.

Fisherman’s Wharf is an excellent staging point for a day of sightseeing, with plenty of restaurants and shopping along its length even if it is very touristy. Highlights include the famous Ghirardelli chocolate factory and the Seals basking in the sun on the jetties.

Public Transport can also get you out to Golden Gate Park, home of an exquisite Japanese Garden and the California Academy of Sciences. Nearby and overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the Palace of the Legion of Honour, home of Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’.

Quick Tips:

Weather in San Francisco is a law unto itself with a North Pacific Maritime climate – meaning at the height of summer, a chilly fog could suddenly roll across the Bay and put a dampener on your day if you’re not suitably attired! So remember to ‘layer up’ and add or subtract as the situation dictates. Mark Twain once ironically exclaimed: "The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco."

Buy a City Pass! This pass is fabulous value for money, incorporating an unlimited 7-day MUNI pass (Including the Cable Car!), a free Blue & Gold cruise (We used ours on Alcatraz) and free entry to sights such as SFMOMA. Using public transport and walking is the way to go in San Francisco and it’s a breeze with the City Pass!

Beware of San Francisco’s homeless, they are literally ‘In your face’, both in their numbers (especially around Civic Centre) and their aggressive tactics – do not be intimidated as there are usually police close by.

Try exploring San Francisco systematically. Many attractions are conveniently ‘grouped’, and if you plan carefully you can see the main sights very easily in a few days.

Best Way To Get Around:

How else to see the ‘Streets of San Francisco’ than by Cable Car, which is practically synonymous with San Francisco? It’s a fantastic way to scale the heights of San Francisco’s hills, but can get extremely crowded. The California St line is probably the quietest route, if they’re busy. Make sure you check out the free Cable Car Barn & Museum to see how it all works.

Buses are great for getting to the Golden Gate Park and Bridge and are frequent and reliable. The streetcars running along Embarcadero and Market St are also useful however we waited for long times more than once. I never used BART in five days, so I’ll leave you decide what that means…

Anyone planning to drive is brave or foolhardy – or both! I drove into San Francisco on arrival, but apart from a detour across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and dropping our gear off at our hotel, I was glad to get rid of it to the hire company and avoid abysmal traffic and astronomical parking rates.

Of course, the best way to see San Francisco is on foot – if you can handle it…

One of the most famous bridges in the World and the product of a stunning feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge stands at the mouth of San Francisco Bay between Marin County to the north and Golden Gate Park to the south, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area which is the largest urban national park in the world.

Opened on May 28, 1937 at twelve o'clock noon, ahead of schedule and under budget, the Golden Gate Bridge is instantly recognisable by its eye catching 'International Orange' colour scheme, and its trademark Art Deco suspension bridge lines.

The phenomenal 4,200ft main suspension span was a world record length that lasted for 27 years until New York's Verrazano Bridge topped it in 1964. The bridge's 1.7 mile length can be crossed by car (toll southbound), on bicycles or on foot. Check out the Golden Gate Bridge Research Library Website for more amazing statistics about this unique bridge.

The Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge is the 'wilder' side and a great place to take pictures and watch freighters and sailing ships cruise under the bridge as you enjoy a view that stretches right round from Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks to The Bay Bridge.

The south side of the bridge is more developed and easier to get to for tourists, which means that it is more crowded but also has better facilities. At the base of the bridge is Fort Point National Historic Monument which was also used as the nerve centre for building the bridge.

Higher up, by the entrance to the bridge's east sidewalk, is the statue of Joseph B Strauss who masterminded its construction, as well as a cross section of one of the Bridge's huge main cables. Also here is the Roundhouse Gift Centre where, as well as the usual tacky and not so tacky tourist souvenirs, you can buy a wealth of books and videos about the history of Golden Gate Bridge. Outside the Roundhouse is the MUNI city bus (routes 28&29) turning circle and the southside car park.

I had a chance to drive across it to and from Sausalito before dropping off the hire car, and then a second time when I walked to underneath one of the pylons to stare up at its sheer colossal size. To me this bridge is almost the 'twin' of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, as they were both built within a few years of each other and though of differing styles they were the largest of their kinds for many years afterwards.