Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

See all that San Francisco has to offer

11/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Traveling usually requires going through cities, whether it’s to recharge your batteries (literally and figuratively – you never know when your phone, camera, or laptop needs to be recharged) or to catch a flight or train.  Despite spending so much time in the concrete jungle, it’s important to also realize there’s a great big world out there, full of natural attractions that are just as worthy of your time as buildings, restaurants, and cultural institutions in the bustling heart of the city.
San Francisco is a city that offers a lot to its visitors.  Everything from museums to sports to shopping can be found in the City by the Bay. But San Francisco’s attractions don’t stop where the sidewalk ends.

Extending from the Western shoreline and into the Eastern neighborhoods of the city, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country.  Encompassing over 1,000 acres, Golden Gate Park is laid out in a rectangle, similar to New York’s Central Park.  And like its East Coast sibling, Golden Gate Park offers much more than a simple arboreal refuge from the constant activity of the city.

One of Golden Gate Park’s main and most famous areas is the Music Concourse.  The Concourse itself is a large plaza area that contains the Bandshell, where the park hosts musical performances.  The Bandshell was fashioned after a Greco-Roman temple, complete with arches and columns.  Sprawling out in front of the Temple is large oval bowl that is home to three fountains and statues, including one of a Roman gladiator (appropriately).

In addition to the Music Concourse, the park is also home to the San Francisco Botanical Garden.  Given the city’s mild climate, the Botanical Gardens are ideal for plants from many parts of the world, housing over 50,000 species.  One of the highlights is the Redwood Trail, which recreates what a redwood forest community would look like in the wild, and houses some of the oldest plants in the Garden.  All of these plants are organized into four distinct collections, and is jointly maintained by the city and the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society.

After taking in the sights, sounds, and overall natural beauty of Golden Gate Park, head to the far East end and take a stroll through the adjoining Panhandle.  The Panhandle is a narrow park about as wide as city block. It serves as a bit of a bridge from the park back into the city, as well as the northernmost boundary of one of San Francisco’s most famous neighborhoods.

“The Haight,” as the district is also known, is known for being the epicenter of the hippie counterculture movement of the 1960s.  The Haight and the counterculture are uniquely tied to Golden Gate Park, using it to host the 1967 Human Be-In, which preceded the Summer of Love.  While Haight-Ashbury still maintains the bohemian personality that made it famous, it currently plays host to a number of independent shops, restaurants, and cultural landmarks like the Red Victorian (a historic hotel), as well as the famous Painted Ladies style Victorian houses.

Taking in the personality of the city you’re visiting is an important and special part of any trip.  In the process of doing so, don’t forget to also seek out and absorb some of the unique, natural beauty that each city has to offer.

Do you have any special spots, natural or otherwise, that have made an impression on you on your travels?



This post was provided by Dan Patterson who works for CityPASS. With the San Francisco CityPASS you can see the top attractions in San Francisco for a significant discount. Visit citypass.com for more details.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

November 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.