The City & the Bridge

Us northern Californians call San Francisco "the City". Residents of San Francisco (never Frisco!) call the Golden Gate Bridge "the Bridge". It is the most visited attraction in town and THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED MAN-MADE STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD.

So when I found a webpage touting a secret spot for getting great bridge photographs, I thought "a great excuse to spend a weekend in the city". Batteries charged, lenses cleaned, bags packed... let's go!

Here's an important life lesson - if it's on a webpage it's not a secret anymore! It's the Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands - going south on 101, take the Sausalito exit to Conzelman Rd, up the hill and just try to find a place to park! Crazy crowds, incredible views.

By the way, even tho it's called the Golden Gate Bridge, it's actually painted vermillion, not gold. Picky, picky...

The Mighty Task is Done
By Joseph P. Strauss, Chief Engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge
Written upon completion of the building of the bridge in May 1937

At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
The Bridge looms mountain high;

Its titan piers grip ocean floor,
Its great steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.