How can I put up a page on San Francisco without a few snaps of the Golden Gate bridge? The way to appreciate this work of art is to hike across the bridge, stopping and admiring the view as you go. Instead, we have always taken the car across the heavily congested 6-lane nightmare. On reaching the Marin side, there is a parking lot plus vista point which provides stunning views of the bay, ocean and the city. Parking is at an extreme premium, which is why you should walk in the first place.

There are trails which lead you from below the bridge to the Marin headlands on the western side. A very popular place for biking, this stretch of asphalt can become very crowded with tourists. The tourists start thinning out as you encroach deeper, and after the first two to three vista points you don't find any. San Francisco is a compact city, and it doesn't take much time to cross from the Golden Gate bridge, through the Golden Gate Park, to Twin Peaks, right across town. Another popular tourist attraction (there are tourists galore), the Peaks enable you to appreciate the city as a whole.

Did I mention that San Francisco is a compact city? A quick drive from Twin Peaks through Market Street and then the Bay Bridge gets you to Treasure Island - an island midway between San Francisco and Oakland on the Bay Bridge. It never fails to provide stunning views of the city downtown region, though its best to avoid the glaring late afternoon which reflects off the bay directly into your camera/eyes.