Posts Tagged ‘california’

Sapphire Princess

Sapphire PrincessSapphire Princess

What are the chances?

Several years ago, I was blessed to go on a cruise to Alaska.

It was an amazing experience (not least of which because of who I was with).

I was in San Francisco this past month and as I walked down from Telegraph hill I happened upon the very same ship I took to Alaska, the Sapphire Princess. What are the chances!

In fact, the picture of me shown on the about page was taken on the promenade deck of said ship.

So I had to take a few pictures as it pulled into port.

 

 

Don’t forget! If you are an HDR photographer, be sure to take a look at the HDR Spotting Invite Code Challenge here.

Why is the Golden Gate Bridge Orange?

Gate at DuskGate at Dusk

Good question. Seems like they should either paint the bridge gold, or call it the Orange Gate Bridge.

But maybe not.

As it turns out, the “Golden Gate” refers to the straight of water between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

So the bridge spanning this straight would logically be called the Golden Gate Bridge.

Okay, well why is the straight called the Golden Gate?

One story purports that explorer John C. Frémont wrote in his memoirs, “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.”

If you ask me that is lame.

Some people say that it is called the Golden Gate because of the San Francisco gold rush, however, the straight was called the Golden Gate before the gold rush took place, so that story doesn’t work either.

I like to think it is called the Golden Gate Bridge because the bridge forms a gateway to beautiful golden sunsets.

I took this shot on a recent trip; I like the silhouette of the bridge and hills with the sunset backdrop.

Don’t be shy, please leave your comments!

Not sure what to comment? No problem! Just answer one or all of the below questions!

Do you like this photo? Have you been to the Golden Gate bridge? Do you know what park I took this shot from?

The Crookedest Street in the World

The Crookedest Street in the World The Crookedest Street in the World – View in Gallery

A trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without a visit to “The Crookedest Street in the World.” Officially called Lombard Street, this stretch features quaint townhouses and idilic gardens, intersected by the elegantly curving road.

Do you see the picture below, showing the street from Telegraph Hill?

Yeah, I walked all the way up that, thought I was going to have a heart-attack. But it was totally worth it, and I managed to soldier on the rest of the day anyway.

I can’t imagine living there as there is a constant stream of obnoxious tourists walking all over the place.

I want your feedback on this picture!

     Have you ever been to Lombard street?

     Do you think this photo captures the feel of being there?

Lombard Street View from Telegraph Hill
“The Crookedest in the World” Lombard Street from Telegraph Hill