San Francisco (USA)

San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, and a liberal and cosmopolitan population. While the climate includes chilly summer fog, the winters are mild. Famous landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, and Chinatown.

In 1776, the Spanish settled the tip of the peninsula, establishing a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt.

The ten closest neighbours in the database:

Los Angeles (USA) (559 km), Las Vegas (USA) (672 km), Vancouver (Canada) (1,278 km), Bandera (USA) (2,329 km), San Antonio (USA) (2,391 km), Houston (USA) (2,644 km), Milwaukee (USA) (2,961 km), Chicago (USA) (2,984 km), The Art Institute of Chicago (2,987 km), Detroit (USA) (3,360 km)

Take a birds-eye view of the current location:

Google Maps, Map 24, MSN Virtual Earth, Yahoo!Maps

Golden Gate Bridge
Wine tasting in the Napa Valley Black Stallion Winery
Wine tasting in the Napa Valley Black Stallion Winery
Wine tasting at Robert Sinskey in Napa Valley
Wine tasting at Robert Sinskey in Napa Valley
Old kitchen of the Robert Sinskey winery in Napa Valley
Tasting some wines at Robert Sinskey in Napa Valley
Flag on top of the Westin St. Francis at Union Square
Steep hills of San Francisco
View from Stockton St. up California St. with the cable car lines in the middle
View from Stockton St. down West in to the California St. Far in the back you can see a small part of the Bay Bridge.
Washington Street in China Town
Hills of San Francisco
View from Washington Street to the Transamerica Pyramid
Shop in Chinatown
Shop in Chinatown
Shop in Chinatown
Shop in Chinatown
Sts Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Filbert St
Sts Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Filbert St
Boats near
Pier 39
Alcatraz seen from Pier 39
View from Pier 39 to the Golden Gate Bridge
The sea lions moved to Dock K of Pier 39 in winter 1989/90. After the earthquake on October 17, 1989 parts of the pier underwent repairs. During this time where no boat was docking in the area, some sea lions started to settle. However it was not possible so far to find a direct connection between the earthquake and the move of the sea lions to this location.
Sea lions on Pier 39
Sea lions on Pier 39
Sea lions on Pier 39
Cable Car Turn-a-Round station at the end of Taylor Street
Pier 39
Sea lions on Pier 39
Alcatraz Island (sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock) is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area.
The Golden Gate is the strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The strait is approximately eight kilometers long and between 1.6 and three kilometers wide. On 1 July 1846, before the discovery of gold in California, the entrance acquired a new name. In his memoirs, John C. Frémont wrote, "To this Gate I gave the name of "Chrysopylae", or "Golden Gate"; for the same reasons that the harbor of Byzantium was called Chrysoceras, or Golden Horn." Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate, a narrow, 400-foot deep strait that serves as the mouth of the San Francisco Bay, dividing San Francisco at the northernmost tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, and the Marin Headlands at the far southern end of Marin County.
Golden Gate Bridge against the sun
Golden Gate Bridge
Steel structure below the traffic lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco Bay
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco as seen from the Bay
San Francisco as seen from the Bay
San Francisco as seen from the Bay
Alcatraz Island
Nothern part of Alcatraz Island
Northern part of Alcatraz Island
Southern part of Alcatraz Island
"The Rock" and San Francisco
"The Rock"
Some buildings on Alcatraz are not in a very good condition
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
The Golden Gate is the strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The strait is approximately eight kilometers long and between 1.6 and three kilometers wide. On 1 July 1846, before the discovery of gold in California, the entrance acquired a new name. In his memoirs, John C. Frémont wrote, "To this Gate I gave the name of "Chrysopylae", or "Golden Gate"; for the same reasons that the harbor of Byzantium was called Chrysoceras, or Golden Horn." Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge.
California gulls above San Francisco Bay
California gull above San Francisco Bay
California gulls above San Francisco Bay
    
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