The Glorious Golden Gate

The Golden Gate Bridge, over the last decade or so, has emerged as my favorite California landmark. For some people, it's the Hollywood sign, or Santa Monica Pier, perhaps. For me, it's that "industrial orange" bridge that connects San Francisco to Marin County. I don't know what it is that I love so much...but there is something about it that simply makes me feel like I'm home.

Dad sent me a link to a story about the recent 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, featuring pictures of its construction and its life as a California icon.

In July, when I tagged along on a field trip to San Francisco with 60 Chinese exchange students, I was interested to see how they would react to my favorite American city. As we cruised down Interstate 80 towards the Bay Bridge, the teachers started pointing out, in the distance, that most famous orange structure. Our students didn't know a lot about San Francisco, but they did know of that bridge. Cameras came out and an excited murmur started all over the bus.

In May 1999, as I returned from my semester abroad in London, I remember circling over the Golden Gate as my plane came in to San Francisco International Airport--and though I was sad to leave such a glorious city as London, I was happy to come home, and to be greeted first by that beautiful bridge--perhaps this is when it became my favorite icon. All I know is that I've always loved that bridge.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of it, all taken by me over the years.

Taken from a boat during a tour of the bay. This is looking north towards
the Marin Headlands.

This is from a lookout point on the north (Marin) end of the bridge.
Not in the picture, to the left, is downtown San Francisco.

From somewhere in the Presidio.

It's often difficult to get a completely clear blue sky in
San Francisco. Here the morning fog has mostly lifted.

From the scenic overlook in Marin--you can make out part of San Francisco.

San Francisco's famous fog...I am actually very proud of this picture.

From Baker Beach, just south of San Francisco, on a foggy morning.

Driving across. There are six lanes for auto traffic. The yellow cylinders are
moved throughout the day to accommodate traffic flow. During morning
Rush Hour, traffic from Marin County into the city gets four lanes, for example.

Glorious sunny day, and a stellar view of the bridge from the Presidio.

I snuck a pic of this bride--what a beautiful place to take
wedding pictures!

You may be starting to understand just how many pictures I've taken of
this bridge, and from how many angles.

I set my camera timer to get this one of me with a signed California flag. It
was part of the Keane Flag project--the guys loved it, and I love that my flag
is now part of something they have kept.

Even Cali Swimmy loves the Golden Gate.

"I have known her for 15 years, and she is more beautiful than ever ... Her hair is usually a copper-red, and she has enormous feet, but once you have seen her bathing in the sun, she becomes a woman you will never forget." - Dean Jennings, The Chronicle, 1952

"The Golden Gate Bridge's daily strip tease from enveloping stoles of mist to full frontal glory is still the most provocative show in town." - Mary Moore Mason, editor of British magazine Essentially America, 2000

Quotes taken from this article, which also contains some fantastic pictures.