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At one point in my life I was going to be a Structural Engineer - and one of the reasons for this was a desire to be able to be involved in projects of the scale and style of the Golden Gate Bridge. Can there be any more majestic bridge anywhere in the world? OK, now I'm opening myself up to all sorts of criticism? Certainly it isn't the longest suspension bridge in the world - that honour falls to the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in Japan which has a central span of 1991m (or 6532 feet) compared to the Golden Gate's 1280m (4200ft), and it would certainly compete with the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the most aesthetically pleasing bridge, but somehow the combination of the scale, location, and even colour make it my favourite anywhere!
It isn't even the most useful bridge in the Bay Area, nor arguably the most impressive technical achievement. The Oakland Bay Bridge is a far more vital link, connecting the City to Oakland and the East Bay and carrying about twice times the number of vehicles on a daily basis. But you know what, it may not be the longest, tallest, widest, highest, fastest, newest suspension bridge in the world - but who cares? Just look at it! The Golden Gate Bridge is an art deco masterpiece, painted in the unique International Orange paint, that totally and utterly defines San Francisco in a way that nothing else can.
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Construction of the Bridge started on January 5th 1933, and was opened to the public on May 27th 1937 - well to pedestrians anyway. The bridge wasn't opened to vehicles until the following day when at noon the President of the day (Franklin D. Roosevelt) officially opened the bridge remotely by telegraph from the White House in Washington, D.C. For those interested, both the official website - goldengatebridge.org and the San Francisco Museum's Golden Gate Bridge pages have more history, and some stunning photographs taken during the construction of the bridge. You should also visit the Visitor Center, which can be reached by driving out of the city on 101 and taking the last possible exit before you get to the Toll Plaza - just follow the sign that reads 'Golden Gate National Recreation Area View Area' (yes, it really does!)
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of those sights that you just have to take a picture of every time you see, and from every possible angle. I've lost count of the number of photos I've taken, some in sun, some with just the tops of the tower's sticking through the fog. Just for reference, the one's on this page were taken from: (starting at the top)
- The Coastal Trail running along the cliff tops at Baker Beach in The Presidio (more on that later)
- The foot of Coit Tower
- The Municipal Pier at Aquatic Park.
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South of the Golden Gate Bridge is a large area known as the Presidio. The Presidio was established as long ago as 1776 by Spanish colonists who travelled up from Mexico, but was seized by the US in 1846 along with California, and in 1850 was reserved for the US Army. For the next 140 years the Presidio was used by the military as a training centre, military hospital until in 1994 the military moved out finally, leaving some lovely period buildings, some in 'mission' style, others in the 'Victorian' style found often in San Francisco.
But that's really only the start. The Presidio occupies nearly 1,500 acres of land, of which almost 1,000 acres is open space. This land is home to 280 native plants, some rare or endangered, as well as 300 acres of forest. If you get the opportunity there are over 28 miles of trails for walking and cycling, and along the coast there are some of those fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge. For more information on the Presidio check out the official website at presidio.gov.
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Other Images of Golden Gate Bridge & The Presidio....
(Just click on the image for a full-size version) |
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