Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco
Author: john saras
Quite possibly one of the most famous bridges in the world, the
Golden Gate Bridge is by far the most recognizable icon of San
Francisco. Spanning over the San Francisco Bay, connecting the
northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula to a portion of the
south facing headlands of Marin County by Sausalito. When the
Golden Gate bridge was completed in 1937, it was the largest
suspension bridge in the world. It now stands in the number 2
position, behind the Veranzo-Narrows bridge in New York City.
The Golden Gate Bridge stands as a testament to the human spirit
and will. Due to the persistent fog, violent winds, and strong
ocean currents below, the Golden Gate has been called the "Bridge
that couldn't be built." This San Francisco icon is now
considered an engineering marvel of the 20th century.
The need for the bridge came about as the only other way to
reach travel through the Golden Gate Strait, was by ferry.
Engineer and bridge-builder Joseph Strauss recognized the need
for a bridge as ferry congestion became an increasing
problem.
The orange bridge, yes orange, is considered red, despite it's
real color orange vermilion. Also called "international orange"
this color was chosen by an assistant architect for two reasons:
1) it blended in nicely with the surrounding warm hues of the
landscape amidst the cool hues of the bay and the sky 2) it was a
bold color to help with visibility for ships below.
Strauss and his crew began the construction of the bridge in
January 1933, and took just over four years to complete. Eleven
men lost their lives in the contruction. Only one death had
occured February 17, 1937; when a scaffolding accident claimed
the life of ten men all in one day. The cost to build the bridge
was over 35 million dollars. In today's world, the bridge would
cost approximately 1.2 billion dollars to construct. The bridge
opened to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937.
http://www.bestofcalifornia.info/ Today the bridge stands stall
in the San Francisco Bay and is a favorite tourist attraction for
millions of people every year.
About the author:
You can find more tips on traveling in California here California
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Cable Cars, BART, Ferries, Taxis in San Francisco
Author: jack krause
Besides New York, San Francisco is the second most densely
populated city in the United States. The need for public
transportation in this bustling city is a must. The San Francisco
peninsula and the East Bay are linked together by BART (Bay Area
Rapid Transit) which is a 71-mile long rail with high speed
trains. Other options to travel on to connect you to the city,
are the boats and passenger ferries. By far the most famous means
of travel in the city are the cities icon the Cable Car. Cable
Cars in San Francisco are a thrill to ride. The San Francisco
Cable Car system operates from 6:30 am to 12:30 am every day,
with special schedules on the weekends. The cost for a single
trip is $3. Cable cars run along three routes. Each cable car has
its route displayed on the front, back and on the sides. The
Powell-Hyde is the most popular cable car route and it starts at
the Powell and Market turntable and ends on Hyde Street near
Aquatic Park. The second line starts at Powell and Market streets
and ends at Bay Street. The California line runs from the base of
Market street through the Financial District, Chinatown and ends
at Van Ness Avenue. Cable cars run at 15-minute intervals.
Part of the fun of riding a cable car is that you have to jump
on it. You can buy a one-day pass from the conductor, or you can
buy souvenirs, maps, and passes at kiosks at Powell and Market
streets or at the city Visitor Information Center, or at the
California Welcome Center at Pier 39.
Like all big ciites, traffic congestion can be a problem. Public
transportation has aided in this problem significantly, but do
try to avoid rush hour times.
Safe traveling in cable cars
You can choose to sit or to stand if there is no crowd. If you
stand ensure that you hang on poles that are provided for the
safety.
Also you must not get away of the grip man, because he needs a
lot of space to operate the grip lever. Passing other cable cars
is excited but you must not lean out too far because they get
very close to one another. All passengers have to get off at the
end of the line.
USEFUL NUMBERS: Cable Car Barn: (415) 474-1887
Using BART for traveling
BART trains operate daily from early morning until midnight. The
trains are clean and the service is efficient. BART train stops
at 5 main stations. All stops are under Market Street and they
are Van Ness, Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery and Embarcadero.
Here you can catch a train going straight to San Francisco
International Airport.
http://www.bestofcalifornia.info/ Traveling with Ferries
Local residents of the Bay Area adore their ferries and they are
used as much by local residents as they are by tourists. These
ferries are cheaper than using sightseeing cruises and they do
not offer audio tours.
There are different ferries companies like Golden Gate Ferries,
Blue and Gold Fleet and Red and White Fleet. The ferries offer
different tourist spots sightseeing like for example Angel
Island, Alcatraz and north shore towns.
About the author
You can find more tips on traveling in California here California
Travel http://www.bestofcalifornia.info/
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