slgwv

slgwv club

Posted: 14 Mar 2020


Taken: 04 Nov 2019

19 favorites     17 comments    590 visits

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Keywords

bridge
fortification
California
USA
San Francisco
Golden Gate
Presidio
Marin Headlands
9936


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Coastal fortifications at The Presidio

Coastal fortifications at The Presidio
San Francisco, looking north across (yes!) the Golden Gate to the Marin Headlands. "Presidio" means "fort" in Spanish--the original name was El Presidio Real de San Francisco, The Royal Fort of Saint Francis--and the fortification was established by the Spanish in 1776 to try to consolidate their claims on this part of New Spain. The Presidio was inherited by Mexico after Mexican independence, and then by the U.S. after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. It remained an important center for US coastal fortifications for something like a century, but by the mid-20th century advances in military technology had rendered it obsolete. (Who needs coastal artillery when radar or a satellite can identify a threat hundreds of miles offshore, and aircraft or a cruise missile can then take it out?) The grounds were finally taken over by the National Park Service in 1994. Many of the old military installations are now being managed as historical sites, some of the buildings have been refurbished and repurposed as high-end office space, and some of the coastal areas by the Bay have been restored as wetlands.

The concrete foundations in the foreground are from U.S. coastal batteries dating from ca. the 1890s (upper left inset). A close-up of one of the cannon foundations is shown in the inset below. None of the actual cannons or their metal mounts are left, presumably having been salvaged as scrap over the years.

The prominent highway cutting across the Marin Headlands opposite is Conzelman Rd, coming out of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I came back that way from the Point Bonita lighthouse, and took some pictures looking back this way (inset on the highway, approximately at the photo point).

LutzP, Reyk, Marco F. Delminho, Frans Schols and 15 other people have particularly liked this photo


17 comments - The latest ones
 Andy Rodker
Andy Rodker club
Excellent and iconic scene, both the bridge and the fog.
4 years ago.
slgwv club has replied to Andy Rodker club
Thanks, Andy! I've added some buttressing information.
4 years ago.
 William Sutherland
William Sutherland club
Awesome shot and PIPs!

Admired in:
www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
4 years ago.
 Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)
Don Barrett (aka DBs… club
Good detail, thank you -- and an excellent picture!

There were Nike missile bases in the Headlands, I guess those were not considered to be part of the same military installation.
4 years ago.
slgwv club has replied to Don Barrett (aka DBs… club
I got over there too--posts coming! I missed the Nike tour, though--they do the lighthouse one day, and the Nike site on another. Not enough volunteer docents, I guess--
4 years ago.
 Pam J
Pam J club
I THINK WE TOOK SAME PICS BUT YEARS APART. OH MY... MY HEART IS SO VERY MUCH WITH MY BEAUTIFUL RED LADY
4 years ago.
slgwv club has replied to Pam J club
GLAD IT RESONATES FOR YOU, PAM!
4 years ago.
 Gudrun
Gudrun club
The fog enhances the sunny surroundings!
4 years ago.
 tiabunna
tiabunna club
Interesting images and information, with the fog certainly adding to the scene.
4 years ago.
 Marek Ewjan Stachowski
Marek Ewjan Stachows…
impressive view of the bridge immersed in fog, attractive picture
sincere greetings → Marek-Ewjan
4 years ago.
 Jaap van 't Veen
Jaap van 't Veen club
Simply wonderful.
4 years ago.
 Xata
Xata club
Gosto da vista e da névoa!
4 years ago.
 slgwv
slgwv club
Thanks, everyone! The fog sure trashed the views out to sea--but it did make for interesting effects! The locals told me that fog like that was unusual in November--so I guess I lucked(!) out--
4 years ago.
 Berny
Berny club
A wonderful viewpoint!
4 years ago.
 Christa1004
Christa1004 club
Wow, this is impressive, the thick fog with the emerging pillars of the bridge ...
4 years ago.
 Roger (Grisly)
Roger (Grisly) club
Impressive image especially with the fog and an interesting narrative thanks for that,!
4 years ago.
 slgwv
slgwv club
Thanks, everyone! The fog at least made for some interesting effects.
4 years ago.

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