People come from the world over to see and walk the Golden Gate Bridge (Hwy. 101/Hwy.1 at Lincoln Blvd., http://goldengatebridge.org, $6 toll for cars). A marvel of human engineering constructed in 1936 and 1937, the suspension bridge spans the narrow “gate” from which the Pacific Ocean enters the San Francisco Bay.

The bridge itself is not golden, but a rich orange color called “international orange” that shines like gold when the sun sets behind it on a clear evening.

On a clear day, walkers can see the whole Bay from the east sidewalk, then turn around to see the Pacific Ocean spreading out on the other. But newcomers to the City beware—not all days and precious few evenings at the bridge are clear.

One of the most beautiful sights in San Francisco is the fog blowing in over the Golden Gate late in the afternoon. Unfortunately, once the fog stops blowing and settles in, the bridge is cold, damp, and viewless.

So plan to come early in the morning, or pick the springtime or the fall for your best chance of a clear sight of this most famous and beautiful of manmade structures.