Golden Gate Bridge, California

The Golden Gate Bridge was an engineering marvel when built during the Great Depression, and remained the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1964.

If there is one image of San Francisco that stands out in the collective imagination, it’s the Golden Gate Bridge. The towering and swooping lines of vivid orange set against the ragged coastline and dark Pacific waters is always spectacular, whether steeped in the city’s famous fog or glaring and brilliant in the spring sunshine.

As both part of US Route 101 and California State Route 1, the 1.7-mile suspension bridge links the city of San Francisco to Marin County. While many visitors take a stop at Fort Point for a picture-perfect shot, to get the most out of it, walk to the middle – or better still, make a day of it, and hire a bike from Blazing Saddles in Fisherman’s Wharf. Cycle west along the coast of the bay, over the bridge and all the way to the charming harbor town of Sausalito, where you can stop for a seafood lunch by the water.