Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate bridge has been the famous icon of San Francisco since it's completion in 1937. I remember back in middle school when we were challenged in science class to build a bridge out of toothpicks; the winner being whichever bridge could hold the most weight. My partner and I worked forever on the little wooden replica and I thought for sure it was strong enough to surmount any weight our teacher were to place on it. Sadly, during the challenge, we were one of the first pairings to be eliminated. I often think back on this experiment while visiting the Golden Gate Bridge and think "Thank heaven's this bridge is NOT made of toothpicks!"

Since I have become quite the tour guide with all my friends visiting throughout the past couple of years, one of the popular stops is obviously the Golden Gate Bridge. I am constantly amazed by it's beauty. It doesn't hurt that it crosses the gorgeous bay with incredible views of Marin, San Francisco, Alcatraz, and Treasure Island (just to name a few).

I thought it'd be fun to throw in some interesting facts about this beautiful landmark.

One of the most interesting facts I found was that only eleven workers died during construction, a new safety record for the time. In the 1930s, bridge builders expected 1 fatality per $1 million in construction costs, and builders expected 35 people to die while building the Golden Gate Bridge. One safety trick was a net suspended under the floor. This net saved the lives of 19 men during construction, whom are often called the members of the "Half Way to Hell Club."

Some other cool facts are that the bridge itself was made in New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania and then shipped via the Panama Canal. There are about 41 million vehicles that cross the bridge per year. The diameter of each of the cables is greater than 36 inches.

Finally, the bridge is constantly being painted to keep it's golden hue...yes you heard it...38 painters are constantly employed to keep the bridge shiny and new. Just think how much money that takes!? And instead of cutting back in other areas, the Govenor decides to cut from education...but that's a whole other topic in itself...