A Journey onto the Golden Gate Bridge

This is the mode of transport for the first leg of my day journey to the Golden Gate Bridge. I plan on crossing San Francisco by the Powell and Market cable car heading to Hyde and Beach streets which is the terminus of the cable car route. As I write this, we are preparing to climb the hill to where the very curvy part of Lombard Street begins as it switch-backs down the steep hill. I'll insert a photo taken on Sunday as I don't want to lose my good outboard facing seat.

I'll have to take two bus lines to get close to the bridge but I intend to walk across part of the bridge on today's journey. I'll chronicle the more important parts by photo and words as I go along today.

Weee, down the hill we go! It's a shame I know so much about gravity and brake technology otherwise this would be even more fun.

Off the cable car I jumped on the 30 bus line to Desiderada and then walked onto the grounds of the Presidio to pick up the 29 bus that proceeds in a scenic fashion to a point near the Golden Gate Bridge. Not much to take photos other than an upscale military base and even more upscale homes adjacent. I can see the GGB off through the trees but it is still several miles away. Looks like the 29 doesn't come along all that often as I'm waiting at the bus stop. More to follow.

The 29 bus finally came along and dropped me off right near the south entrance to the bridge. As I was determined to walk out onto the bridge I proceeded up the pedestrian and bike walkway and this was the sign one encounters just before stepping out onto the bridge itself.

It is certainly good to have comfirmation that there is hope, but I wonder if that only applies if you make the call. And yes, after being on the bridge and looking down, I would agree with the stated consequences.

I proceeded out onto the bridge although it was a little more cautious than I want to admit. I hugged the traffic side of the walkway only going near the lefthand railing when absolutely necessary. I am so glad that I did because the view and the experience were amazing.

Too bad I don't have a better camera to take photos to do justice to this view of SF from the south tower of the GGB. I use the camera on my cell phone for most of the images I use in this blog. My goal is to upgrade to a better 3-4 migapixel camera with my next cell phone that I am due to get in spring.

It is an amazing site. One of the best things about going to Sausolito or Oakland or Berkley or the bridge is being able to look at the city of San Francisco from across the water. The weather was a bit overcast for the only day since my arrival and yet when the sun came out, the city lit up with sunshine. This photo does not do justice.

I was determined when I set foot on the bridge to make it at least to the first tower before the span. It would have been great to walk out onto the span itself and maybe make it to the middle of the bridge but that will have to wait for the next time I come. It was an important feat for me to go this far and I was glad to chronicle it with the two photos, one showing the plaque at the bridge roadway level of the tower, and the second looking upward to the top of the massive towers.




I showed enough mettle for one day to walk out this far and with my fear of heights I am heading back. I'm so glad I made this milestone as I'll use this for inspiration to continue climbing and pressing on. I wish you all could see what I see.

This shows an instance where the sunlight came out and lit the island of Alcatraz for a moment. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like when it was a Federal Prison. Being locked up within site of a city as beautiful as San Francisco and not be able to visit indeed sounds like cruel and unusual punishment.

Below is the view back at the Golden Gate Bridge as I walked away from it. Yes, I was there! See that south tower that is closest to us? Even through the south tower was the extent of my journey onto the bridge it was a good step forward in not letting my fear of heights get the best of wanting to experience certain things. I do envy people who can walk or ride across the entire span, not feeling the sense of dread in your gut and the tension that I get in my feet from trying to grip the pavement through my shoes.

The remainder of my journey was fairly eventless though long as I walked most of the way back to the city from the bridge. By the time I got back to the hotel it was 6:00 so I had been gone almost exactly 6 hours. I had travelled by cable car, electric bus, gasoline powered bus, foot, electric bus again, and finally an electric street car that runs down Market Street and the length of the Embarcadero. Not a bad way to experience a vision quest.