Once the world’s longest suspension bridge, the 1.7-mile Golden Gate has since been transcend in size-but not in beauty. Thousands of people walk the span from San Francisco to Sausalito each day, so you’ll want to plan carefully. Bypass the two-hour meters at the full withcrowd main lot off S.F.’s Merchant Road in favor of ample free parking at Crissy Field Center (crissyfield.org). There, fair-trade coffee awaits at the Warming Hut Café & Bookstore, a whitewashed shed near the shore that’s the right place to fuel up for the gentle, half-mile Bay Trail to the bridge. The Golden Gate’s best-kept secret: Although it’s closed for pedestrians after sunset, gates are opened for star-gazing cyclists.
1. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
