RON HENGGELER |
June 21, 2009
Summer Solstice at the Golden Gate
Late today, Dave and I watched the sun go down from high up on Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands. While driving up to the top of the ridgeline overlooking the Golden Gate we noticed lots of baby rabbits. It was very curious, not a single full grown rabbit, only baby rabbits. And lots of them. They were out from the protective cover of the brush nibbling and hopping about on the sides of the road. On other occasions over the years when we’ve been in the Marin Headlands, as the sun began to set, we’ve noticed that little families of California Quail come out in large numbers. Seeing this curious road-side ritual many times, and always taking place at dusk, I’ve surmised that as the sunlight fades and the air begins to cool, the day’s heat still radiating from the gravel on the side of the road is what attracts these small creatures to come out from hiding and gather in the gravel. That’s my best guess. And so it was this evening that baby rabbits were everywhere on the sides of the road, nibbling and welcoming the longest day of the year.
The Golden Gate Bridge viewed from the Cavallo Point Opened in 1937, the 4,200-foot suspension bridge was the longest in the world until 1959. The bridge is designed to sway 27 feet from east to west in a high wind or earthquake. It took four-and-a-half years and $35 million to build; in 1991, according to one estimate, it would cost $1.25 billion to re-construct. The 746-foot towers of the Golden Gate Bridge were the world’s tallest until 1997, when they were exceeded by a bridge in Denmark. |
Sunset from the Marin Headlands |
The Golden Gate Bridge viewed from the Marin Headlands The clearance between the roadbed and the water is 260 feet, a distance set by the military to allow ships to pass underneath. Over 2000 lawsuits were filed in an attempt to prevent the bridge from being built. |
The Golden Gate Bridge viewed from the Marin Headlands One of the first obstacles for building the bridge was winning the approval of the War department. The military feared an enemy might bomb the bridge, which would block the harbor and the naval ships anchored there. The War department granted permission for the bridge in exchange for control of the structure in time of war and for allowing government vehicles to cross free of charge.
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The Golden Gate Bridge viewed from the Marin Headlands |
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