Hello, Golden Gate Bridge!

I remember the first time I saw a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge Bridge dressed up in all its lights and looking its most festive self against the dark night sky. The trivia that came with the picture was about the amount of paint that was needed to touch up the colossal structure and I remember being filled with awe. That was more than a decade and a half ago. Back then, little did I know that life’s unexpected turns would take me to the other half of the world to a place not very far from San Francisco, the home of this magnificent landmark called the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ever since the move, I had been wanting to see the real Golden Gate Bridge. It was a long wait before I could actually set my own two eyes on this bridge that California takes so much pride in. I don’t know if it was because of the memory of the first time I heard about it or because the visit was long overdue, that I was so overwhelmed at the sight of this massive bridge so much so that I just could not stop taking pictures of it. This way, that way or the other way; whichever way I held the lens, whatever looked back at me from the digital monitor of my camera, was perfect composition.

The Golden Gate Bridge is said to have been the longest suspension bridge in the United States until it was beaten by New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge 27 years later. However, the Golden Gate Bridge is in no way behind any bridge in terms of attracting visitors from all over the world and I can see why.

It is big, bold, bright and beautiful. Painted in `International Orange’ the GoldenGate Bridge stretches to a length of over 2700 meters and dates back to the 1930s. A mark of strength and architectural prowess, this bridge adds so much of grandeur to the already scenic San Francisco Bay area.

For long I had thought that the Golden Gate Bridge got its name from the way it looked at night. It was only recently that I learned that the bridge actually owes its name to the strait that lies just above the peninsula of San Francisco. This strip of water that allows the waves of the San Francisco Bay to meet the Pacific Ocean is the `Golden Gate.’ Hence the bridge that runs across the Golden Gate strait connecting San Francisco to Marin County is rightly called the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you are making your way to the bridge from San Francisco, and you want to see the bridge up close and take back some pictures of this massive landmark, you can make a right turn just before the bridge to the Southside Vista Point. (There is a viewpoint at the North, on the other side of the bridge too). We took the south side one and it had it all: a parking lot, restrooms, a cafe and a gift shop too.

The views from the south side viewpoint.

At our viewpoint, it took us a while to find some parking space. We grabbed our first opportunity and rushed out of the car to feast our eyes on the brilliant blue bay dotted with yachts and of course the magnificent red bridge that the bay shows off. It was a warm sunny day and the breeze from the bay was indeed very welcoming. After taking a few pictures we made our way towards the bridge to have a better view of this gigantic man-made structure. After a few more photographs, we found our way to the sidewalk of the bridge to make sure we set foot on this world-famous bridge. Anyone visiting this place should not just stop at the viewpoint. A walk on the Golden Gate Bridge is a must to get a better perspective of its size and height.

You could either take the walkway on the right-hand side of the bridge or drive through the toll booths and across the Golden Gate. Either way, you should be up there.

From the bridge we got another view of the bay (this one from a height of over 200 feet), Alcatraz and downtown San Francisco. We walked up to the first tower and then made our way back as we were running out of time at the metered parking.

I didn’t leave there without stepping into the souvenir store and I think you should do that too. We cannot take back the 8000 odd feet long bridge with us so we might as well pick up some Golden Gate Bridge memorabilia. Postcards, cups, keychains, magnets; you will find all that and more. As for me, now there is a miniature Golden Gate Bridge — an exquisite piece of art by itself — that adorns my mantelpiece.

Golden Gate Bridge Souvenir