The Golden Gate Bridge
An iconic piece of architecture that is seen in a lot of American movies, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed sites in the city. The orange structure looks mesmerising, crowned by low lying clouds most of the year and backed by blue water. The structure is lit using floodlights at night, making it look as beautiful as it is during the day. Once designated the greatest human-made structure for sightseeing in the United States Of American by the US Travel Service, the Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco to Marin County and several other districts further up north. The bridge was built in a span of 4 years, and at the time of completion and opening on May 28, 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, measuring almost 2 miles in length. There are walkways on either side of the bridge and have separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. It begins at the start of the bridge and ends with a viewpoint in Marin County. Locals report that they enjoy biking to the nearby waterfront town of Sausalito. However, the bridge is only open to cyclists and pedestrians during daylight hours.
Alcatraz Island
The San Francisco Bay Area is home to one of the most infamous prisons in America: the notorious Alcatraz Penitentiary. It is located on the Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay Area and operated for over 30 years until it was closed in 1963. It was later reopened in 1973 but as a tourist attraction. Some of America’s most notoriously dangerous criminals were sent here, including Al Capone and ‘The Birdman’, whose feats at the penitentiary was the basis of a fictional movie by the name of ‘The Birdman of Alcatraz’. When it was open, Alcatraz received 1576 inmates in total. There would never be more than 250 criminals, with staff and guards almost always outnumbering the number of inmates. Even though the place is a tourist attraction now, it is a great nesting site for seabirds.
Fisherman’s Wharf
This is one of San Francisco’s most visited tourist areas. Once called the Little Italy of San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf is an old section of the city that is known for its beautiful setting by the waterfront lined by lovely shops and restaurants. The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, Musée Mécanique and Ghirardelli Square are some of the main attractions in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. The waterfront also has a few ships restored from the 19th and 20th century at the Hyde Street Pier. This place is now called the San Francisco National Historical Park.
