| New York has the Empire State Building, and | | | | GGNRA is one of the most visited units in the |
| Washington DC has the Washington and Lincoln | | | | National Park System. Over 13 million people |
| Memorials. Almost every major American city | | | | come to this area each year to view the great |
| can boast at least one major masterpiece of | | | | red bridge, among other activities. |
| architecture. In San Francisco, that emblem | | | | |
| is the Golden Gate Bridge, recognized as one | | | | The Park is deceptively large, as it is not |
| of the most graceful steel spans in the | | | | one contiguous land area, but rather a |
| world. A tourist's visit to the San Francisco | | | | collection of parks that runs from northern |
| Bay Area isn't complete without a panoramic | | | | San Mateo County down to southern Marin |
| vista of this gorgeous structure. This isn't | | | | County. It runs along 59 miles of coast. The |
| a feat of engineering; instead, it is a work | | | | GGNRA shouldn't be confused, however, with |
| of art. | | | | Golden Gate Park, which is run by the city of |
| | | | San Francisco as a separate entity. |
| To truly appreciate the Golden Gate Bridge, | | | | |
| one must first have a solid grasp of the | | | | There is no shortage of things to do in the |
| history that lies behind it. Conceived in the | | | | Golden Gate National Recreation Area. On a |
| boom years of the Roaring 1920's but | | | | warm summer day, it's not unusual to see |
| constructed during the depths of the Great | | | | people biking, rollerblading, and jogging on |
| Depression, the Bridge represents American | | | | some of the countless well-maintained paths. |
| perseverance and determination. The great | | | | In addition, photography is only one art form |
| project was completed in 1937, and the Golden | | | | that is used to capture the majesty of the |
| Gate Bridge stood as the longest steel | | | | Golden Gate Bridge. Other artists employ |
| suspension bridge in the world until 1964, | | | | paints, pencils, and sculpting clay to |
| when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was | | | | interpret the span. |
| completed connecting the New York City | | | | |
| boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. | | | | A trip to the GGNRA isn't complete without a |
| | | | visit to its most infamous attraction. The |
| The Golden Gate Bridge garners wide praise | | | | island of Alcatraz has been the feature of |
| for its aesthetics. The American Society of | | | | countless movies. Although it hasn't housed |
| Civil Engineers declared it to be one of the | | | | prisoners since 1963, its since reopened as a |
| modern Wonders of the World. According to | | | | museum. Its positively haunting to walk the |
| Frommer's Travel Guides, it's "possibly the | | | | halls of this chilling structure, once home |
| most beautiful, certainly the most | | | | to Al Capone and "Birdman of Alcatraz" Robert |
| photographed, bridge in the world." | | | | Stroud. |
| | | | |
| Though the Bridge can be viewed from points | | | | Spend a day or two exploring Golden Gate |
| across San Francisco, the best vistas are to | | | | National Recreation Area; you're sure to |
| be had from Golden Gate National Recreation | | | | appreciate the Bridge, along with all of the |
| Area. Surrounding the San Francisco Bay, the | | | | rest of the GGNRA has to offer. |