Visit San Francisco, California

San Francisco is a very popular place to live in California, and has been the setting for many movies and television shows. It is no wonder it is popular with its beautiful weather and picturesque skies. San Francisco is home to The Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous bridges in the world. It is also the location of The Bay Bridge, another beautiful piece of architecture instantly associated with San Francisco. On the other end of the spectrum, San Francisco’s famous landmark Alcatraz is a frequented tourist attraction.

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco has been the backdrop to many famous movies, television shows, photos, and more. At 1.7 miles long, it is easy to see why such a beautiful piece of architecture would catch the inspiration and heart of so many. The Golden Gate Bridge was named for the body of water it crosses over, the Golden Gate Strait. It is hard to believe such a large bridge has been standing since it opened in 1937. This is due to the careful planning that went into the construction of the bridge. It took about ten years to plan how to suspend the massive bridge. The suspension consists of two 750 foot towers, two 7,000 foot cables, and 70,000 miles of wire. Once it was started, it only took about four years to construct the $33 million Golden Gate Bridge.

Named the seventh wonder of the world in 1955 by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Bay Bridge is the longest high-level bridge in the world. Completed in 1936, the Bay Bridge connects San Francisco and Oakland at an astounding 8.4 miles in length. The Bay Bridge is actually a combination of two bridges, connected through a tunnel on an island in between Oakland and San Francisco. The San Francisco side of the bridge is a suspension bridge, where as the Oakland side is a cantilever bridge. The bridge is one of the most heavily used in the country, and about a quarter of a million people a day cross it. Driving across this bridge takes a while and the speed limit is fairly low, so it is perfect for taking in the beautiful San Francisco scenery minus the city crowds.

Alcatraz is probably the most famous federal penitentiary in the United States. It is actually the site of the first ever lighthouse on the West Coast in the U.S. In 1934, Alcatraz became the infamous prison it is known as today, housing some of the country’s most dangerous and notorious convicts. Al Capone was a prisoner here, and in 1963 the prison was cleared out of all of its inmates. Today, Alcatraz is a very famous tourist attraction where you can tour the infamous “claustrophobic” 9 by 5 foot cells. You can also check out the jails commons, such as the mess hall and the library, that were frequented by the inmates. Alcatraz is now part of San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area.