Hello all. I recently spent the weekend in the scenic West Coast City of San Francisco in California. San Francisco is the most expensive U.S. city, and it is obvious why: high demand for all to live there. There is a ton of scenic beauty in San Francisco with colorful green mountains and a great view of the San Francisco bay and ocean. The island also has a Bay Effect that keeps the weather in the 60s and 50s year round. The city is very diverse and is a big hub for the technology and finance industries. I was there for work, so I got to see some of the sites. I hope you like them!
Golden Gate Bridge:
The Golden Gate Bridge , built in 1937, is over 1 mile long in length. At the time of its opening it was the tallest and widest bridge in the world. The San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean reside under it. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Fisherman's Wharf:
Here is a selfie of me at Fisherman's Wharf. This touristy district is filled with tons of places to eat clam chowder, crab, and other excellent sea food at every corner. A colony of sea lions, a large former chocolate factory, and historic ships are other spectacles to see here as well.
Alcatraz Island Prison:
The infamous Alcatraz Island that housed the most notorious criminals from the 1930's to the 1960's. Famous criminals include Chicago Mobster Al Capone and bank robber Machine Gun Kelly. The prison was well known for desensitizing the inmates from being humans. Every inmate was referred to by a number and their names were forgotten. For a period of time there was no talking allowed on the island. The craziest Alcatraz story is of Frank Morris and two other inmates escaping in the middle of the night to the San Francisco bay and have never been seen again. However, there are numerous reports from family members of seeing them over the past 5 decades. The prison was closed in the 1960's and has since served as an Indian Reservation and since 1972 as a national park that many tourists visit. I didn't have time to visit, but it costs a couple hundred bucks to take a boat out there!
Alamo Square:
Here is Alamo Square. You can see the San Francisco skyline and the Victorian style homes that are prevalent in the City. These Victorian Homes are also known as the "Painted Ladies," and a number of movies, television shows and commercials have been filmed in or around the Alamo Square.
Salesforce Tower & Downtown San Francisco:
Here is a view of Salesforce Tower (it stands 1,070 ft tall) from my office in Downtown San Francisco.
Mountains & Fog:
Here is a view of the City from the 12th story of my hotel, you can see the mountains in the background!:
Here is 4th street, a place that sees a lot of action:
Organic Mango Chicken:
A little bit of organic food action too. California is big on organic eating! This is organic mango chicken with brown rice, kale, corn, carrots and baked in a thai sauce. It was very tasty :)
Pier 39:
A long pier that extends out half a mile into the Pacific Ocean. There are a lot of tourists here with great shops and restaurants!
Baker Beach:
And finally to close, beautiful Baker Beach with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background!:
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope my adventures in San Francisco were eye-opening. It truly is one of the most beautiful destinations in the United States! Feel free to comment or provide feedback.