Travel Photo Thursday: Golden Gate Bridge

By
Michael
– July 21, 2011Posted in: California, North America, San Francisco

Celebrating its 75th anniversary next year, the Golden Gate Bridge is the iconic symbol of San Francisco and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful structures in the world. Linking the city of San Francisco with Marin County to the north, the bridge spans 4600 feet (nearly nine-tenths of a mile) over the Golden Gate Strait, the opening from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. When it opened in 1937, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. (It’s currently the ninth longest, and the second longest in the U.S.)

This photo was taken from the Marin Headlands on the north side of the world famous bridge. Every time I visit the “City by the Bay,” I can’t resist a drive across this beautiful engineering marvel.

Here are some fun facts from the official Golden Gate Bridge website!

  • The bridge opened to traffic 1937.
  • Over 45 million vehicles cross the bridge annually.
  • The towers reach 746 feet above the bridge and the clearance to the water below is 220 feet.
  • The bridge is painted “orange vermillion” also known as “international orange.” It was chosen because of the way it contrasts with the natural surroundings.
  • It took just over four years to construct the bridge (from 1933 to 1937.)
  • Eleven men died during the construction of the bridge. Ten of them when a section of scaffolding collapsed and they fell through the safety net.
  • There are approximately 600,000 rivets in each tower.
  • The cables supporting the roadway are 36.5″ in diameter.
  • As of April 2011, 1,929,896,448 vehicles have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • The bridge has closed three times for inclement weather and twice when visiting dignitaries came to town – Franklin D. Roosevelt and Charles de Gaulle.

 

Here are some additional shots I took:

 

 

 

Be sure to check out Budget Travelers Sandbox for more inspiring travel photos!

 


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Michael Figueiredo is a freelance travel writer based in Los Angeles, California. When he’s not gallivanting around the world, he’s enjoying the laid-back lifestyle and perfect weather of Southern California. So far he’s visited thirty-six countries and territories on five continents. His goal is to see at least one new country every year!  . Read more from this author

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