San Francisco, City by the Bay. Foghorns, seagulls, tugboats and cable cars, colorful, eclectic parades and crazy celebrations, steamy sourdough chowder bowls, graffiti art and world-famous landmark Lombard Street – all come to mind when you think of this favorite Northern California destination; yet, if ever existed a more popular icon, the mere mention of which summons the “face” of San Francisco, a visitor would be hard-pressed to identify it! The Golden Gate bridge, a breathtaking, tawny span of high-visibility cable and steel, number five on a list of America’s Favorite Architecture and magnificent wonder of the modern world crosses the three mile wide channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean and connects Marin County to “the City. In all her glory, she arches, flexes and rolls across the water, shrouded in woolen morning fog, bathed in ethereal California afternoon sunlight, and glowing, golden and elegant, a spectacle of spectacles, after dark. The structure is more awe -inspiring in person than in any post card depiction you will ever see, and a visit is a must while your travel group is in the area. Safe walkways on either side of the six vehicle lanes allow various courses of bike and foot traffic, depending on time of day; the Golden Gate Visitor Plaza on the east end of the bridge tenders a series of all-new visitor experiences, and the Bridge pavilion, serving as a welcoming and orientation center to guests, offers an array of wonderful commemorative items for purchase.