joshuaearle contributor

Golden Gate Bridge

The famous San Francisco fog

You probably know about the famous fog that often blankets San Francisco in late summer months. Some call it Karl the Fog and you can even follow it on twitter! It has become one of the most iconic views anywhere in the world and we had an incredible experience of witnessing this phenomenon one special evening in the Bay Area.

Our trip started off by renting bikes from Pier 39. We paid 38$ to have them for 24 hours so that we didn't have to bring them back before the sunset later that evening. It was around 8$ for an hour if you don't want keep them overnight! There's a bike path that takes you all the way to the bridge from the Pier where we then rode over the bridge to Battery Spencer, one of the more iconic viewpoints. The fog had already rolled in as we were setting off, leaving the top of the bridge poking out of the clouds. There was even a little rainbow! Spot it in the photo below.

It's about a 45 minute ride if you don't stop from the Pier to the Viewpoint but we spent a couple of hours stopping for photos and enjoying the incredible views.

As we got towards the top of Battery Spencer, the sun was just heading below the clouds. We'd arrived right on time! We locked the bikes up and ran to the edge of the viewpoint. It's easy to understand why so many flock here to try and get a glimpse of this natural beauty. It was just mind-blowing.

I stood there with the Golden Gate bridge towering above me, the cold crisp air blowing through my clothes. The array of sounds from the rushing of the wind, to the traffic speeding past below me, to the eery boom of the safety horn alerting the boats making their way through the mist. The clouds continued to pour in, revealing and concealing the view every few minutes.

I could only stand still and try and take in this moment that I’ll remember forever.

Thank you San Francisco.

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