Crissy Field, San Francisco

My experience walking across Golden Gate was AMAZING! The architecture and design of the bridge was magnificent, and my experience walking the whole bridge was breathtaking! It will very likely be windy and chilly, so be prepared for that, but aside from that the views and everything were spectacular! Seeing the bridge up close is already mind blowing, but actually walking the bridge is a different experience. We even saw a gigantic cargo ship and some whales while walking! Also, a quick note, use the bathroom before walking, because it would suck to want to use it in the middle of the bridge. Definitely MUST go if you have not seen the bridge before, because seeing the bridge with the mist and fog is an experience you can NOT miss! The Golden Gate Bridge is a technical masterpiece that can only be described in superlative terms. When the bridge was completed in 1937 it was the world's longest and tallest suspension bridge. But above all this masterly example of engineering is a magnificent monument set against a beautiful backdrop. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge started in 1933. The bridge, which was designed by engineer Joseph Strauss was built to connect San Francisco with Marin County across the 1600 meter (+5000ft) wide strait known as the Golden Gate which links the San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. The dimensions of the bridge defied all imagination. The total length of the bridge is 8,981ft or 2,737 m. The main span between the two enormous towers is 4,200 ft or 1,280 meters long, making the Golden Gate Bridge the world's largest suspension bridge, a record that would stand until 1964 when the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York was completed. The two beautiful Art Deco towers are almost 820ft or 250 meters tall, of which more than 20 meters is below the sea level. The road, six lanes and 90 ft / 27m wide is an amazing 220 ft or 67 meters above the water level. It is supported by enormous cables, anchored in hundreds of bars locked into concrete blocks with a pulling power of 25 million kg. The two cables have a total length of 2,332 meters and a diameter of 90 centimeters. They are woven from 27,572 threads of steel with a total length that equals three times the earth's circumference.

I was expecting something slightly different than what I found at Crissy Field; however, I was pleasantly surprised. Karl was in full force and the wind was whipping off of the bay. The path was pretty empty, which suited me well as I meandered toward the old fort and the mostly obscured bridge. Beautiful! And the fog horn added a nice touch. It was also cool to see the harbor seals playing around in the water on my way back to the car.