Golden Gate Park

Approx. Time: 2 hours
Activity Level: Moderate

What's larger than New York's Central Park, once consisted of sand dunes, is now covered with more than one million trees and is bison-friendly? Golden Gate Park -- the ultimate haven away from urban chaos -- was deeded to the people in 1870 out of the prescient notion that San Franciscans would one day feel overcrowded. This foresight proved invaluable, as 75,000 people now visit the park on an average weekend. Finding the land was the easy part. Someone still had to make grass and trees grow out of sand dunes blasted by harsh oceanside winds. The person to do it was John McLaren, a brazen Scotsman and ardent nature lover. He arrived in San Francisco in the 1870s, and by 1890 he had established grass, trees and numerous plants in an environment most thought too barren for lush foliage. Golden Gate Park has since remained a spetacular place to visit and a must see attraction of San Francisco. It is not only amazing just to walk thouh and see it also has a plethora of ways to entertain you, ranging from French lawn bowling to riding an 87-year-old carousel.