Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, City by the Bay…a richly diverse cultural mecca where time-honored tradition and progressive trend tango and trip the light fantastic to the cacophonous song of foghorns and seagulls. Tugboats, cable cars, sourdough chowder bowls and fabled Lombard Street all come to mind when you think of this beloved Northern California destination; yet, if ever existed a more popular regional icon, the mere mention of which conjures all that is the San Francisco, visitors and locals alike would be hard-pressed to identify it! This world-renowned structure, a breathtaking masterpiece of high-visibility *international orange* cable and steel, ranked 5th on a list of America’s Favorite Architecture and declared one of the modern wonders of the world, spans the three-mile-wide channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean and connects Marin County to the City. In all her magnificent, Art-Deco glory, the mighty Golden Gate flexes and rolls across the waters, shrouded in morning fog, bathed in ethereal afternoon sunlight and glowing, golden and elegant, after dark. No postcard depiction exists to prepare a visitor to the Golden Gate City for the experience of meeting her in person. Ever-popular with tourists and bicyclists, safe walkways on either side of six vehicle traffic lanes allow various courses of bike and foot traffic, depending on time of day. A Visitor Plaza on the East end of the bridge houses an array of novel experiences; the Bridge pavilion, serving as a welcoming and orientation center to guests, offers wonderful commemorative and interpretive souvenirs.