A to Z 2021 – G is for Golden Gate Bridge and Ghirardelli Square

We have coloring pages for this letter!

I have written about this before but it’s been about five years so I thought I’d refresh everyone’s memory. When I turned 60 I realized that I had never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge so that’s what I wanted to do for my birthday. We drove across and parked on the Sausalito side of the bridge. After a mimosa toast, we started across to the San Francisco side.

• 

  Driving across to the Sausalito side

• 

• 

• 

  From the rest area on the SF side.

• 

  Mimosa’s first

• 

  A toast

• 

  My mom at 93

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

  At the SF side there is an area with a gift shop and the history.

• 

• 

  The Red and White Fleet tour going under

• 

All along the fencing you could see these locks. It was fun to look at the dates. I had never heard of doing that before.

• 

• 

• 

It took us a couple hours to walk from one side to the other and back again but it was fun. The weather was kind of overcast but it wasn’t that cold. As I mentioned, my mom was 93 so we walked slow for her. She didn’t even really need the walker she rented! I definitely want to do that again. When we were done, we went to a restaurant in Sausalito and had lunch. Great way to spend a birthday for sure.

“G” is also for Ghirardelli Square.

Another place that I have been to but not for many years. I really need to get out more! This is where they make Ghirardelli Chocolate of course. Well, used to make it. When Mr. Ghirardelli bought the whole block in 1893 they used it for the factory to make chocolate. In the early 60’s Ghirardelli Chocolate was bought by Golden Grain and they moved the plant across the bay.

However, some San Francisco residents, William M. Roth and his mother bought the land so that it wouldn’t be turned into apartment buildings. They had the square designed to hold different shops and restaurants.

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Some cool rainbow steps going up to the shopping area.

There is a video of them replacing the big marquee here. Inside the square are lots of shops and a courtyard with a fountain statue of a mermaid and her babies. Now I wish I had gone up into the courtyard but I had limited time. That’s what I get for not starting the pictures for this project in February when I knew that I was going to base my A to Z on San Francisco. Oh well, add one more to the list.

This little area is directly across from Ghirardelli Square so you could go into the candy shop, get an ice cream and then walk across and sit here to watch the bay. So nice!

Wow, 7 letters already. Time is sure going by fast. I know I will appreciate Sunday as a day of rest. Please forgive me if I haven’t stopped by your posts yet, I’m going as fast as I can! Hope to see you tomorrow for “H.”

Disclaimer notice. The coloring book pages are from the inserts the San Francisco Chronicle put out and I mentioned them in my theme reveal so you can go to that to get the info about the artists if you are interested. I did the coloring and took the pictures.