We have coloring pages for this letter!
I have written about this before but it’s been about five years so I thought I’d refresh everyone’s memory. When I turned 60 I realized that I had never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge so that’s what I wanted to do for my birthday. We drove across and parked on the Sausalito side of the bridge. After a mimosa toast, we started across to the San Francisco side.
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Driving across to the Sausalito side -
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From the rest area on the SF side.
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Mimosa’s first -
A toast -
My mom at 93 -
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At the SF side there is an area with a gift shop and the history. -
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The Red and White Fleet tour going under -
All along the fencing you could see these locks. It was fun to look at the dates. I had never heard of doing that before.
It took us a couple hours to walk from one side to the other and back again but it was fun. The weather was kind of overcast but it wasn’t that cold. As I mentioned, my mom was 93 so we walked slow for her. She didn’t even really need the walker she rented! I definitely want to do that again. When we were done, we went to a restaurant in Sausalito and had lunch. Great way to spend a birthday for sure.
“G” is also for Ghirardelli Square.
Another place that I have been to but not for many years. I really need to get out more! This is where they make Ghirardelli Chocolate of course. Well, used to make it. When Mr. Ghirardelli bought the whole block in 1893 they used it for the factory to make chocolate. In the early 60’s Ghirardelli Chocolate was bought by Golden Grain and they moved the plant across the bay.
However, some San Francisco residents, William M. Roth and his mother bought the land so that it wouldn’t be turned into apartment buildings. They had the square designed to hold different shops and restaurants.
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Some cool rainbow steps going up to the shopping area.
There is a video of them replacing the big marquee here. Inside the square are lots of shops and a courtyard with a fountain statue of a mermaid and her babies. Now I wish I had gone up into the courtyard but I had limited time. That’s what I get for not starting the pictures for this project in February when I knew that I was going to base my A to Z on San Francisco. Oh well, add one more to the list.
This little area is directly across from Ghirardelli Square so you could go into the candy shop, get an ice cream and then walk across and sit here to watch the bay. So nice!
Wow, 7 letters already. Time is sure going by fast. I know I will appreciate Sunday as a day of rest. Please forgive me if I haven’t stopped by your posts yet, I’m going as fast as I can! Hope to see you tomorrow for “H.”
Disclaimer notice. The coloring book pages are from the inserts the San Francisco Chronicle put out and I mentioned them in my theme reveal so you can go to that to get the info about the artists if you are interested. I did the coloring and took the pictures.
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2021/04/08/a-to-z-2021-g-is-for-golden-gate-bridge-and-ghirardelli-square/
Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteHappy G-day, dear friend! It was nice of your hubby to use his new truck as a Lyft vehicle and drive you to various picture taking areas today.
I'm glad I guessed correctly that you would show us the GGB in today's post. First of all, I love how you colored the bridge's 1937 Grand Opening illustration. The pictures are awesome. I salute you and the others for making a round trip across the bridge five years ago, especially your 93 year old mother. I am fascinated by the Love Locks. I did some side reading and learned they are on a chain link fence at Battery Spencer overlook in Sausalito. Lovers attach a lock with their initials or names printed on them, after which they ceremoniously throw away the key. I assume they toss it into the water. Love locks are also found on fences in Australia, Canada, Germany, Scotland and Japan. People in some of those countries regard the locks as an eyesore, but apparently the citizens of SF are AOK with the practice. You took an excellent picture from high above one of the vessels of the Red and White Fleet tour.
It made me happy to read the story about Ghirardelli Chocolate and how, when the company moved its facility elsewhere, visionary SF residents William Roth and his mother purchased the land and created the lovely Ghirardelli Square with shops, courtyard, fountain statue and more. The rainbow stairs alone are a major attraction. Nice save!
I'm going out on a limb and predicting that tamale's post will cover Haight-Ashbury. See you then, dear friend Janet!
Hey there Shady! I must also say that my mom is still going strong at 97! I forgot about the part where they throw away the key. Yes, very symbolic. Wonder how many of the couples are still together? You have guessed one of tomorrow's subjects! Good job.
DeleteHi, Janet - This is another bridge that I absolutely love. You are doing very well on your A - Z challenge. Super interesting posts!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. It has been a lot of fun going to all these places.
DeleteWhat a fun way to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great day.
DeleteI mentioned (in a previous comment) renting a tandem bike at Fisherman's Wharf and riding it to a location starting with G that I thought you might use, and I was right... the Golden Gate Bridge. Our original plan was to ride across the bridge and then ride back across again to return to Fisherman's Wharf, but by the time we managed to cross the bridge, our hind-ends were so sore from the little bike seats, and we were so stressed out from trying to dodge pedestrians on the bridge, that we decided to pedal to Sausalito and take the ferry back to the wharf!
ReplyDeleteYes you did, Trudy! Now they have bikes on one side of the bridge and walkers on the other so you wouldn't have do dodge the walkers. But I can't help you with the small bike seats. That would be an issue for me too!
DeleteDid they deisgnate sides for bikers/walkers after 2009 (that's when we were there)... or maybe we didn't realize there was a designated side and we were pedaling on the wrong one!
DeleteWe were surprised the tandem bike had such tiny seats... I would think most tandem riding tourists are not the racing sort who need the little seat.
I didn't know the answer to that question so I looked it up and apparently it is on both sides, but certain times they make one side bike only. Yeah, a tiny bike seat would not be good for me!
DeleteI. So glad to see this iconic bridge because, as you know, Hollywood loves to blow this one up in almost every disaster movie. I love your colouring page and I adore that you walked with your mom. One day I will visit this beautiful city of yours.
ReplyDeleteYou should for sure, Birgit. I loved walking the bridge and definitely want to do it again.
DeleteWhat a lovely way to celebrate your birthday.
ReplyDeleteI was so grateful that the family and our friends were on board with that plan.
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