Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10. THE PRESIDIO
This beautiful wooded corner of the city has stunning views over the Golden Gate,
but from 1776 until 1994 it was owned and occupied by first the Spanish, then the
Mexican, and finally, the US armies, and almost entirely off-limits to anyone else.
It is now a major part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. It is a spec-
tacular park, full of nature trails, streams, forests, drives, and historic structures. In
2005 filmmaker George Lucas installed his production company, LucasFilm, here,
creating a $350 million headquarters. Also here is the Walt Disney Family Museum,
which provides insight into the life of Walt Disney through photographs, animation,
and an impressive range of interactive exhibits, (for further details see
The Presidio
).
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Earthquake! The Landfill Problem
Most of the Marina area, as well as most of the Financial District, was built on
landfill. As time has proven, this was not such a good idea in a seismically active
zone.
When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck at 5:04pm on October 17, 1989, all
such landfill liquefied, gas mains fractured, and several Marina homes slid off
their foundations. Buildings that withstand best are those built on bedrock,
which includes most of the inland areas of the city.
A Bike Ride through the Presidio
Beginning at the Visitor Information Center, where you can pick up an excellent
map, first explore the Main Post. Here you can ride around the Parade Ground,
see the Presidio's earliest surviving buildings, dating from the 1860s, as well as
18th-century Spanish adobe wall fragments in the former Officers' Club.
Exit the area on Sheridan, which takes you past the Spanish Colonial Revival-
style Golden Gate Club, and turn left onto Lincoln, which winds around the Na-
tional Military Cemetery. Turn right on McDowell; on the left you see the Colo-
nial Revival Cavalry Barracks.
Now go past the five brick Stables, off to both the left and the right, and stop at
the quirky Pet Cemetery on the left, where post guard dogs are buried as well
