Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge

Walk or bike across one of the most beautiful bridges with great views of the San Francisco Bay and the one of the longest suspension spans in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge, which spans from San Francisco to Marin County, is thought by many to be one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, and the opportunity to walk or bike across at least part of it should not be missed. The bridge spans a total length of 1.7 miles, but most people only walk to the first tower and back again. If you are feeling more adventurous, walk across the bridge and continue under the bridge up to the Hendrik Point vista point for a great view of the bridge with the San Francisco skyline in the background. You will also have a great view of Alcatraz and even the Bay Bridge from here. From the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge you can continue into the Marin Headlands or head down into Sausalito along the Bay Trail. The Golden Gate Bridge was open to the public on May 28, 1937. The project was awarded Joseph Strauss who was the chief engineer in charge of the construction and design. However, many design components of the bridge, including the towers and the Art Deco elements, were designed Irving Morrow, a relatively unknown architect. The main engineer on the project The official color of the bridge, international orange, was originally meant to be a primer for the bridge but the color has lasted as it provides visibility through fog. The Navy originally wanted the bridge to be black with yellow stripes. It spans 1.7 miles across the Golden Gate Strait which connects San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean is 90 feet wide. It's average height above the water is 220 feet, with the two towers rising up to 746 feet above sea level; more than 80,000 miles of wire were used in the bridge. The bridge cost $35 million to construct and was the longest suspension bridge in the world, holding the title almost 30 years until 1964 when it was overcome by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York. Nineteen men fell off the bridge while it was being built, but there was a safety net in place to catch them. They were later known as the "Half Way to Hell Club" because of their near-death experiences. On its 50th anniversary the bridge was closed to cars and opened to pedestrians who were packed like sardines trying to walk around. The weight of the dense crowd was significantly more than the bridge is used to with cars (the cars are much more spaced out), and the curved bridge became temporarily flat until the weight was lifted. This is a must do, whether you are a Bay Area local or just visiting.