Search results for: near Palo Alto, CA

The vermilion orange color of the Golden Gate Bridge has its origins in the red lead primer coating the steel used to construct the bridge. The hue seemed to complement the bridge design and surroundings, so a similar shade called International Orange was chosen as its permanent paint color. Read more...

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge never gets repainted from end to end. Instead there is continual program of spot painting and corrosion repair undertaken by a dedicated maintenance team. Read more...

Pedestrians can cross the Golden Gate Bridge on the East Sidewalk, which faces San Francisco, from 5 am daily until 9 pm during Daylight Savings Time and 6:30 pm during Pacific Standard Time. Dogs are not allowed on the bridge, except for service dogs. Read more...

The Golden Gate Bridge gets its name from the Golden Gate strait, the body of water it spans between San Francisco and Marin County, California. The name has nothing to do with the bridge’s distinctive orange red color. Read more...

Swimming is allowed at Lake Anza in Berkeley’s Tilden Regional Park in the designated beach area on weekends and holidays from around the end of April and on weekdays from the end of May until around mid-September. Swimming is prohibited from November onwards and when periods of poor water quality are identified by East Bay Regional Park District. When lifeguards Read more...

Water Light Public Plaza is located behind the Lyric apartments on Locust Street at Bonanza Street in downtown Walnut Creek, California. The courtyard-style parklet was designed by artist Jason Middlebrook and features a large abstract wall mosaic created from hand-cut glass and ceramic tiles, with arcs of mirrored glass. The patterns are emulated in a water feature spraying arcs of Read more...

There is no access to Point Bonita Lighthouse when closed as the final leg of the trail to the bridge and lighthouse passes though a rock tunnel which is gated and locked outside of opening hours. Point Bonita Lighthouse is normally open only on Sunday and Monday from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The short, steep trail from the car Read more...

The Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center is situated in the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California. Located in the old Oil House of the adjacent former Ford Assembly Plant, there are displays and interactive exhibits exploring the contribution of American civilians on the home front, women in particular, during the Second World War. The Read more...

The Tennessee Valley Trail from the parking lot to the Tennessee Beach cove is approximately 1.7 miles (or 2.8 kilometers) and the easy hike to the beach takes around 30 minutes. This popular trail on the Marin Headlands gets very busy, particularly at weekends, so arriving early is always advisable. Dogs are not permitted on the trail. The parking lot Read more...

Actor and stand-up comedian Robin Williams lived in an oceanfront home on Saint Thomas Way in Tiburon’s Paradise Cay with his third wife Susan for five years until his death on August 11th, 2014. He also had a vineyard estate in the Napa Valley. Read more...

The Pelican Inn near Muir Beach, California was built in 1978 by English expat Charles Felix in the style of a traditional 16th century British country inn. Architectural features salvaged from old establishments in the UK and US were used to help create its period appearance. Read more...

Tolls on the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge (also called the John F McCarthy Memorial Bridge) are collected in the westbound direction towards San Rafael at the toll plaza on the east side of the bridge. Read more...

Muir Woods has chargeable parking which must be booked in advance online or by phone for a specific 30 minute arrival window. You can park until closing and it is advisable to print or download your reservation beforehand as there is no wi-fi or cell phone coverage nearby. Read more...

San Quentin State Prison is located in the town of San Quentin in Marin County, some 13 miles (or 21 kilometers) north of San Francisco. It is the oldest prison in California and holds only male inmates. The state’s only execution chamber, located at San Quentin, was closed in 2019 following Governor Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on the death penalty in Read more...

Mount Tam is 784 meters (or 2571 feet) above sea level at its peak, with three major summits, named the West, Middle and East Peaks. The West Peak is unofficially considered the highest point, while the East Peak offers the best views of San Francisco. The West Peak was some 28 feet higher before it was flattened for construction of Read more...

You can swim and surf at Stinson Beach and lifeguards are normally on duty from late May to early September. The water is cold, even in summer, and you should be aware of the dangers of rip currents and the rare chance of sharks swimming near the shore. Read more...

Over 20 shark species have been observed in California’s Monterey Bay, including white, basking, thresher, blue, mako, and salmon sharks. Great white shark sightings in nearshore waters are not uncommon during summer and early fall when they return to feed on young elephant seals. Shark attacks on humans are rare in Monterey Bay, and the last fatal attack occurred near Read more...

The Farallon Islands lie some 28 miles off the west coast of San Francisco in the Pacific Ocean’s Gulf of the Farallones. On clear days, the group of rocky islands and sea stacks are visible from the mainland as jagged peaks on the horizon, and despite their distance offshore, they are formally part of the City and County of San Read more...

The Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California offers free self-guided tours, personal guided tours for $39 for groups of up to 6 people, and an in-depth Jelly Belly University tour costing $59 per person for groups of up to 6 people. Tours are available daily, except the Jelly Belly University tour, which is only offered Monday though Friday when the Read more...

Petaluma was branded The World’s Egg Basket during the first half of the 20th century when it was arguably the center of California’s poultry industry. Peaking in the mid 1940s, the region’s poultry ranches produced over 600 million eggs annually. The industry developed here in part due to climate and proximity to river and rail links, but the main catalyst Read more...