San Francisco, California

oak, Gotta do better than "serious contention." I'll even treat you to some drinks. As for leaving anything for your children, the best attitude is "I hope my last check bounces!" c.i.

jjorge, As of the moment, we're looking at April 1 thru 4, 2004. I'm open to extending those date in either direction for those that wish to spend more time in the Golden State. c.i.

CI --- serious consideration means twisting Mrs. Oak's arm quite firmly. You've probably heard these lumberjacks aren't to be fooled with. She'll complain about spending 12 hours in a non smoking plane. That means serious grief and heartache and for me a lot of GBH in the ear'oles. Still, if she gets all moody and says no way San Jose, then I'll simply say sod it, and come on my jack jones.
Hasta la vista

oak, It takes ten hours from London to San Francisco, non stop. Not bad at-tall. c.i.

don't forget the golden gate park, a world unto itself.

http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/ggpark.shtml

pueo

GG Park is beautiful. My brother and his wife live nearby.

i love that park. so much to do. i used to live in san mateo, south of s.f. then moved about a 100 miles north to santa rosa. i still have great memories of that region.

Don't forget Oakland

The view of Lake Merritt from my old apartment on Grand Avenue.

CI === 10 hours eh. In a proper plane, not some outdated heap from Con-Air or Wing & a Prayer Inc.

oak, Take any of the major airlines. ConAir and Wing&APrayer sounds too tacky for serious flying. I know BA and United have direct flights. c.i.

I've taken the BA SF-London flight over the pole. 'T's about 9 hours, and if you're lucky enough to get a window seat, the view you get of the polar ice is magnificent.

I miss San Francisco now. Didn't appreciate it as much as I should have when I lived in NorCal; now -- mmmmmmm, great city. Terrible rents, but a beautiful and interesting city.

Patiodog, I don't know about the rents, but SF seemed to me to have pretty much anyone could want.
Last time I flew there was on PanAm, some time back.

I have crossed the GGB dozens of times and it is always spectacular. But here's another suspension bridge I have crossed only twice (once each way). It is much larger than the GGB, five miles long in all, and the suspension portion is approximately 30% larger as well. This is a picture of Big Mac, which connects Michigan's upper peninsula to the lower, crossing the straits of Mackinac (say "mack-in-naw"). It has a grated road surface so you can look down at the water below you (scary).

Bridges?? Did you say... bridges??? That Michigan Bridge is gorgeous and the two-tone paint job is great.

Here's the bridge near me in Washington state, a baby version of the Golden Gate, but we've got MUCH better mountains (these are the small mountains -- Mt. Rainier is what you see facing the other way).



Relative Sizes:
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
-- 5,979 feet long including approaches
-- 187.5 feet above water
-- center span -- 2,800 feet
-- total suspensions span 5,000 feet

Golden Gate Bridge
-- 8,891 feet long including approaches
-- 220 feet above water
-- center span -- 4,200 feet
-- total suspension spans 6,250 feet

Mackinac Bridge (suspension portion)
-- 8,614 feet long including approaches
-- 155 feet above water
-- center span -- 3,800 feet
-- total suspension spans 7,129 feet

Here's a photo of the Golden Gate with the Bay Bridge behind:

Kinda feel like the other bridges around SF get overshadowed by the Golden Gate. Lots of other bridges around there, and the Bay Bridge is probably the greater engineering feat.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/calbrdgs.htm

cjh and Piffka, Those photos of bridges you provided look more contemporary, but it shrinks in its majestic stature to the Golden Gate Bridge. I bet the Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge in the world. c.i.

Interesting figures Piffka. I've been across all three of those - we have friends in Gig Harbor.

PD -- Yes, but (a yes-but sentence!) it is the suspension bridges that get all the glory. It's unfair to steel plate girders, deck trusses, and cantilever bridges, but they just don't get folks excited. That Oakland Bay Bridge should surely be getting more PR -- it has TWO suspension bridges.


chjsa -- A small world... GH is where I was raised & still live. I've been across the Narrows Bridge thousands of times and walk my dogs on the beach below the span. They love it!

Thanks for pointing out the Big Mac bridge. Gosh, that must be a fabulous drive.


CI -- I'm sure you're right -- the Golden Gate is the most photographed.

As a very old fetus, the Golden Gate was apparently my bridge of choice. I was among the last to cross it, firmly enscounced in my mother's womb, on the day when it was first closed for high winds. My mum was so worried that she nearly had me prematurely! Apparently it was swinging wildly in both directions. But she held off and so did I, not making my appearance until a couple of weeks later.

I was so disappointed (later) to find that it was NOT golden colored. Nearly distressed, I was. Orange? It's a stinkin' orange color? Oh well, here's a good shot. Most of the pictures don't do it justice because it IS so big:

It's pretty whether taken during the day or at night. It has a 'balance' to it. c.i.

This is the one I'd like to cross. Denmark to Sweden (or vice versa, naturally). Nuttin' to do with SF, tho...