San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge

Being near San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the things I love best about living in the Bay Area. There’s a good reason that many movies are set in this city – drive through and it soon becomes clear that it is a city full of personality! My kids had a great introduction to the city when we went on a Ride the Ducks tour; today I’m writing about driving through the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge!

San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge

There are only two things that I remember about my childhood visit to California when I was four years old: Disneyland and the Golden Gate Bridge! I remember being surprised to discover that the bridge as a orange vermillion called international orange instead of golden! As it turns out, this bridge got its name because it stretches across the Golden Gate Strait that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The bridge was painted orange because it makes the bridge more visible without being an eyesore.

We drove through pretty typical San Francisco neighborhoods on our way to the Golden Gate Bridge – can you see it in the distance in the above photo? I love that, even though they are all connected, every house in San Francisco has its own style.

Well over 800,000 people live in San Francisco, so it is pretty incredible that the city makes space for open air places like Golden Gate Park! Nature is important, especially in cities!

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge is a pretty amazing experience! The Golden Gate Bridge was the world’s tallest suspension bridge until 1998 – and this photo gives a great illustration of the height of this bridge!

San Francisco is famous for its fog, and you can see pretty well how quickly it descends – this photo was taken not too long after it got dark. You have to look very closely to make out the suspension cables in this photo! The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge. They have cameras that read your license plate and then you go online to pay the toll – so no stopping as you cross the bridge.

I love bridges, so it’s a real treat to live near this famous bridge. Someday I plan to walk across it with my kids. When I do, I’ll make sure we bring jackets. Northern California is, overall, pretty warm, but San Francisco is nearly always cold, especially when it is windy! The water under the Golden Gate Bridge is ALWAYS cold.

Do you love bridges? Have you ever been across the Golden Gate Bridge?

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.