A Perfect Farewell to San Francisco

After packing up and checking out, we headed to one last iconic San Francisco stop--the Golden Gate Vista. There are many viewpoints, but the one inside Presidio Park seemed to offer the perfect balance of scenery and history. The park is beautiful with walking trails, picnic areas, and panoramic views of the bay and bridge. 

We parked and then walked the Battery East Trail down toward Fort Point, with spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge all along the way.

Golden Gate Bridge from Battery East

Battery East takes its name from the earthen gun emplacements built here, complete with underground ammunition magazines. These earthworks batteries were inexpensive, easy to construct and quite resistant to attack--but they quickly became obsolete once more powerful artillery emerged in the 1890s.

After the Gold Rush of 1849, San Francisco became the most important city on the West Coast, prompting the U.S. Army to build Fort Point to guard the Golden Gate. Although originally built to defend against foreign invasion, the fort was completed in haste during the Civil War to prepare for a possible Confederate attack. It remains the only fort with casemates--protected cannon enclosures, on the entire West Coast.

Defending the Bay relied on a crossfire strategy, where cannons from three different locations would target any invading ships as they passed through the strait. Thankfully, no hostile shots were ever fired.

Fort Point

Fort Point resembles the massive brick forts built on the East Coast before the Civil War. With four tiers of cannons and seven-foot-thick walls, it could house up to 126 cannons in its prime.

Suspension bridges like the Golden Gate are deceptively simple yet ingeniously designed. The roadway hangs from vertical cables attached to massive horizontal cables, which are supported by towers and anchored in concrete at each end. When it was completed in 1933, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, a record it held until 1964. 

Of course, if you're like me, you're wondering what bridge was built in 1964, well it was the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. Though the current record holder is the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey, which opened in 2022. It has a main span of 2,023 meters (6,637 feet) and connects the European and Asian sides of the country over the Dardanelles strait.

By comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge spans 1,280 meters (4,200 feet) with towers rising 746 feet (227 meters) above the water. Each main cable is a marvel--made up of 61 bundles, each containing 452 wires, for a total of 27,572 individual wires per cable. The level of engineering precision is mind-blowing! 

Crosscut of one of the cables

Close-up

A Surprise for the Road

Before leaving the Presidio, I wanted to stop by a the Little Free Library I'd spotted on the app. Sadly, it was gone--or at least nowhere to be found.

But as luck would have it, while scanning the map, I noticed something else that caught my eye: the Yoda Fountain! I convinced Ira we had to check it out. I mean even if you're not a Star Wars fan... awesome, that is--wink, wink.

Yoda Fountain

Master Yoda

We decided to peek inside the building behind the fountain and discovered a treasure trove of Star Wars memorabilia--serious Comic-Con fan level stuff!

Full size replica of R2-D2

Full size Darth Vader

It was so unexpected! Other than the tiny fountain marker on the map, you'd never guess this place existed. Such a fun detour to end our time in the city. 

On the Road Again

Ira, ever the sweetheart, felt bad about the missing library, so we made a couple of book-swap stops before hitting the freeway. Then it was time for the long drive home--nine hours back to San Diego. 

We stopped only for gas and bathroom breaks, snacked on what was left of our road food, and shared a delicious treat: the apple tart from Maison Nico we'd saved from the day before. Still rich and flavorful, even a day later. 

Apple Tart from Maison Nico

We rolled into San Diego just before 10 p.m.--enough time to say a quick hello to David and Dawn and then crash for a good night's sleep.

Another road trip under the belt...boo-yah!

A dopo!

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