San Francisco Bay, California USA
San Francisco Bay is one of the wonders of California! What beauty ! It is home to The Golden Gate Bridge, an awesome piece of bridge artwork. The completion of the Bridge was on May 27,1937. The local residents celebrated with a 1.7 mile walk over the bridge. More than 200,000 people participated in this walk. The Golden Gate Bridge was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 1994.
The San Francisco Bay receives water from the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers, as they then flow on out into the mighty Pacific Ocean. The entrance to this Beautiful Bay from the The Pacific Ocean is referred to as The Golden Gate. What an awesome entrance! Across the strait spans one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Golden Gate Bridge. What a famous landmark!
There are five major islands that call The San Francisco Bay home. Alameda Island is currently a bedroom community of the greater San Francisco area. Many people call this island home. Angel Island or Ellis Island is now a beautiful park. It was once the entry point of many immigrants. Many of our ancestors came through Ellis Island. Mountainous Yerba Buena Island is connected to the mainland of San Francisco by the San Jose Bridge. Treasure Island is to the North and is totally flat. Treasure Island was the home of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. What fun that was! Alcatraz Island was home to a famous federal prison that is no longer in use. It is still a popular tourist site. Mare Island is in the North of The San Francisco Bay and is a peninsular, rather than an island. Mare Island is a beautiful place to visit!
San Francisco Bay became home to the Nation’s first urban wildlife refuge. In 1972 the first American wildlife refuge in an urban area was opened. It was called the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This Wildlife Refuge is yet another tribute to this beautiful San Francisco Bay. For the first time in 65 years, the Pacific Harbor Porpoise has returned to the bay. In 2009 the first porpoises began returning. How awesome it is to see old friends coming home!
This beautiful bay is the home to many salt ponds. Salt is shipped throughout the Western United States. One of the largest companies of the 1940’s was the Leslie salt Company. It held the most private land of any landowner in the Bay Area during the 40’s. Certainly it was a large company and a daily word in many homes. How can you forget those dark blue boxes of salt? There are also many low salt ponds which are home to the Brine Shrimp. The Brine Shrimp provides a large and rich food source for the many shorebirds. What a natural resource for the many birds that call the bay home.
On your next trip to California, check out the beautiful San Francisco Bay. It is one of the most productive pieces of natural artwork in the world. It is only fitting that a famous bridge would be built there and that later it would become known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. What a distinction! As the world comes to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it is my hope that you will discover what is in your own backyard! Discover San Francisco Bay! Adventure is waiting!
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-san-francisco-bay-area