If you haven’t been to San Francisco, I highly suggest putting it on your travel bucket-list! The city itself has so much to offer but the forested parks and historic spots take the cake. My favorite area has to be that iconic red structure, the Golden Gate Bridge, the most photographed bridge in the entire world.
Here’s the Iconic Golden Gate Bridge:
The History of the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge was finalized in 1937, taking 4 years to complete. At the time, experts said that building a bridge here would be impossible because the location sits on the San Andreas Fault. Not only would the bridge have to be strong enough to sustain an earthquake, it would also need to be lengthy. The 1.7 mile bridge construction defied all odds and was built with enough cables to circle the equator 3 times. Surprisingly, the Golden Gate Bridge also has the ability to sway up to 27 feet in high winds.
The North Side of the Golden Gate Bridge
Looking in the opposite direction of the bridge is a picturesque panorama of the Bay, the Pacific Coast and Marin Headlands.
Read More: Instagrammable Spots in San Francisco
One of the best characteristics of San Francisco is the convenient location near a place like the Marin Headlands. With Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods, it’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Cross the bridge to the northwest to find the exquisite mountains. Exploring over here will bring you by waterfalls, on trails, to sandy beaches and to picture-perfect coastal towns.
A Historic Piece of Land
The Golden Gate Recreational Area, located here on the coastal bluffs of Presidio Park, is actually an old U.S. Army post. The Fort Scott Batteries were used in the early 1900s as artillery weapon platforms and ammo storage. Before that in the 1700s, New Spain built this area to establish their presence. Afterwards, they passed it off to Mexico who then turned it over to the United States in 1886. The area became a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1962.
The East Side of the Golden Gate Bridge
A short stroll down the California Coastal Trail, the views of the bridge continue on. More convenient spots exist at the northeast side of Presidio park to gaze up at the wondrous view.
On this side of the bridge is the Torpedo Wharf, a fishing pier extends out into the Bay. From here, you can see amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Pier 39 and the city of San Francisco.
Read More California Travel Posts Here
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Wharf area is great!
It sure is. I’ll have a post about the Fisherman’s Wharf at some point!
Fabulous pics of the bridge, looking forward to reading more about San Francisco. Hubby and I both loved it there and would like to go back one day.
That’s great to hear! It is such a lovely city with so many different areas to see. Hope you can visit again someday! Thank you so much for your comment!
Your pictures make me miss home so badly! I’m glad you enjoyed SF — try the food as well (we have a BUNCH of amazing restaurants!!)
Nicole (a San Francisco Native 🙂 | http://www.badwithdirections.com
I saw on your blog this is where you’re from and girl, you are SO lucky! I just love it here so much (except for the constant traffic) and I wish I could stay forever! I plan on doing more Discovering California posts coming up so I can give you a little taste of home since you’re so far away!
I love that your posts are soo visual! Always love looking at your pictures! Been to California once when I was 16 or 17 and want to go back soooooo bad. When I was there it was basically around the Hollywood area, we did the touristy stuff. This makes me want to get my shit to and go.
Thank you so much!! Cali is so awesome and being from Indiana, trust me I get it haha. You should definitely visit Northern California. I’m not a fan of the insanity of SoCal. Cool to visit once but as far as a living area NorCal is where it’s at!