Gresham Portland,OR,us columbus Museum of Art Columbus,OH,US

10 .Central Park - New York

Manhattan might have been deprived of this grate historical mark but for the statemanly advice of Poet William Cullen Bryant in 1884 that otherwise Manhattan would be swallowed by Commerce. Spread over an area of 643 acres and enclosed by 59th street from the South, 110th Street from the North, Fifth Avenue and Eighth Avenue from the West and built by architects of par excellence, Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux , this Park is open to tourists from dawn to midnight. Its style is romantic and neo-classical, it had used in over a mindboggling 10 million cartload of dirt, 5 million trees of 632 species, 815 variety of vines, alpine plants, and among other things , 62 miles of ceramic pipes to drain marshy areas in order to water the lawns. No wonder it is described as the heart and lungs of Manhattan. With such a range of choices, the Park can be considered in itself a tour for the tourists. There is the 55 acres of all embracing nature , the Arsenal that resembles a medieval fortress, and the adjacent Central Park Zoo all would make the choices for the tourists a varied and fulfilling ones.

Wilton Manors is a vibrant island city, but more described as an urban village, with a small population of less than 13,000 among which the gay population is most prevalent. Ethnic diversity characterizes the composition of the population. There is a premium on real estate prices because of continued economic resurgence and the city is burst with real estate activities. It is also an ideal city for tourists because of its housing several recreational faculties. The city's Arts and Entertainment District, the Colohatchee Nature Park, a dog park, and a boat ramp all add to the tourist values of the city. One of the two community centers, viz, The Hagen Park Community Center is used for the conduct of culturally oriented recreation events. The Historical Society which underwent a re-composition in 2002, serve as a focal point for the collection, preservance and dissemination of Wilton Manor's historical artifacts. This place coupled with the expanded Public Library should keep those instinctually inclined tourists glued in their pursuit to acquire more and more knowledge.

Being only beachfront mall, the place resides between the golden beaches of Fort Lauderdale and intracoastal waters. The term Gallery may not really convey the real import of the 100000-square-foot giant mall. Described as the 'tourist trap, the Gallery at the Beach Place provides a more wholesome experience of shopping, dining and recreational relaxations in a serene beach setting and through chains as Sunglass Hut, bars and restaurants. Within the Gallery at the Beach Place, the tourist get drawn to Lulu's Bait Shack, Sloppy Joes and Howl at the moon. For those of them who want to combine the pleasure of dancing and dining, the perfect joint would be Galleria's Blue Martini. Over a period, it has been breaking from its mould of Spring Break set by upgrading itself to satisfy the needs of upwardly mobile clients.

Beach vacations have a unique appeal to the tourists whether in singles, couples and family to escape from the daily rigmaroles and listen to the whispering sounds of the waves. One can get lost in trying to measure the lengths, breadths and fathom the fathomless ocean. For such tourists, Fort Lauderdale with its beaches stretched over a length of 23 miles is an ideal escape out. Terrmar beach in Fort Lauderdale is no exception to this. While Fort Lauderdale is known as a gay populated town, Terramar Beach serves as a special location for them. It lies in between the Sunrise and Las Olas boulevards and could be accessed from Highway A1A. It seeks to exploit the growing gay population who openly seek more and more travel destinations with beach resorts becoming their favorite hide out. This is because many of the staying locations are situated nearer Terramar. It is also dominated by a multitude of gay businesses. Besides, there are inexpensive choices to use the waterways. One can choose both a water bus, but if feel it is over crowded, can go in for water taxi and for the more adventurous boats are available.

It is said that Fort Lauderdale would not have been put into the map of Florida but for one person, Frank Stranahan, a Viennese by birth but an American by choice. There are so many stories floating around him that he makes news even today after his physical death over 80 years of his unnatural death and Stranahan House which he had domiciled and used for a variety of purposes serves as a symbol of a haunted museum. He came into what was then a small part of Fort Lauderdale to run the overland mail route from Lantana to Coconut Grove. Soon he had established the first ever posts office, which was followed by again the first ever banking institution out of which the first road from the New River to Miami was reported to be constructed. Along the way, his personal fortunes started to soar until he became a victim of fury of the nature and economic down turn arising out of the great depression. A hurricane that stuck the place in 1927 ruined most of his real estate throwing him into an insurmountable debt burden and before he could come out of it, the Great Depression put him down from making a stage back resulting in his committing suicide. It is the manner in which he had committed the suicide that lends credence to the ghost story. He had strapped himself with a heavy iron gate taken from the house and threw himself into the waterway. Though this has caused his physical death with no chances for his survival, people believe that he had returned to the house as a ghost may be due to the inseparable attachment to the house he had built for his beloved wife Ivy Cromartie whom he had married when he had made Fort Lauderdale as his dwelling place. The reason why Fort Lauderdale owes a major part of its existence to him is that he had gifted most of his real estate properties for a common cause and though the haunted house is not really a tribute to him yet it symbolizes something remarkable of the spirit of the man.

Running along the NE18th Street and situated as Terramar between Sunrise and Las Olas boulevards, this beach is 'THE' choice for cruising lovers. It is again a popular destination for gays and lesbians providing an atmosphere for relaxing which makes it a popular destination at the weekends. It is also considered to be a place for that section of dynamic vacationers for it is known to consist of Treasure Coast communities and also to be the home for America's Pelicans, especially, the brown ones which thrive along the ocean shores. For those of them who would like to stroll down along the Sebastian's river front, they would have the delight of not only passing though the old fish houses but also experiencing the salty aroma smell. It may be of use to know some finer details about the place and the beach. It is a remote town and may suit better those who would like to laze around. During the summer, the beach has a tendency to be flat. Casual surfers may find the waves and waters difficult as when the surf is up the waves are not swimmer friendly. It would be better to take some surfing lessons to acquire basic knowledge of how the waves operate. Nevertheless, Sebastian Inlet is considered to be a most appropriate part for surfing.

It is located at the beginning of the city at the intersection of Henry Flagler's East Coast Railway and the New River walk. The specialty of this Museum is that it contains exhibits of history of Fortlauderdal and Broward County in three buildings the construction of which dates back to 19th century. It also includes a replica of the first school house and a collections and research facility center. It offers unique hands on activities that would engage the children in the forms of schoolhouse class programs, guided tours that include a walking tour to enlighten them of the history of the museum. Lecture sessions are also conducted throughout the year. Historical artifacts relate to Seminole era to that of Second World War. It exhibits through models a recreation of Seminole village with arts and crafts. .Antiques is displayed in the King-Cromarty House and the New River Inn.

Built in 1924, situated in a natural environment and in the 'Bonnet House' which currently is a 35-acre beach front estate, this Museum show cases the history of old South Florida through its architecture and artwork. The tourists should note that it is not open from Mid-August and entire September. Otherwise it is open on all the days except Mondays and national holidays. It started with a school in the name of "The Colored School" which subsequently was changed to "Dillard Old School" for African-Americans. Besides the name of the museum a reflection this could be found in the collections in art, jewelry that reflects the tribal style of living. In a way, it also captures the heritage of the Dillard Community. There is a live story teller who anecdotes the tales from Africa from a thatched hut. It also reflects the spirit of the America to preserve ethnic history.

Located in the Arts and Science District, this Museum which was opened to the public since 1992, accommodates in its 85,000 sq ft science exhibits, class rooms, cafeteria and an atrium, functions with a mission to furnish a long lasting experience in learning to children and adults in discovery through exhibits and films. This is combined with fun as it is a venue where birth day parties can be held for children besides family functions and corporatize events all in a relaxed environment. Its special attractions are the 300 seat, five story high screen, 42 speakers Auto Nation IMAX that features 2 and 3D films, which is a treat for both the eyes and ears, 'Living in the Everglade' which provides a virtual pressurized airboat ride and featuring of travelling exhibits in frequent intervals though out the year. The tourists are persuaded to join an estimated 4, 50,000 visitors annually. It is a favorite place for the schools to sponsor their students and as per estimates it serves at least 95000 of them every year. The School children like it for they can see and touch a largest number of Atlantic coral reef as snakes, alligators, turtles etc that enchant them. For all alike, there are more than 200 varieties of interactive exhibits that make the visitors to experience the scientific wonders of the world and beyond.

Located in the south side of the New River in Lauderdale and described as a "Clean Marina' and "Clean Boatyards", it is Florida's primary yacht repair center. Encompassed in an area of about 50 acres, it has a capacity for 125 floating docks, 29 mega yatch berths for vessels measuring up to 180 sq ft and 19 covered sheds. In addition it can accommodate 35 mega yachts in addition to a large number of medium sized and smaller boats. It also has a facility for 84,000 sq feet wet slips. The yatch owners have a choice in deciding as to how they would get the work done as well freedom of choice on through whom they would get that done. They can decide between the onsite contractors or outsiders and or a judicious mixture of both. The hall marks of the marina are aesthete features in landscaping, the shaping up of the machinery in a sculptural form and provision of parking facility. No wonder, it can boast as the number one mega marine center in the USA.

10. Las Olas Riverfront, Fort Lauderdale

Las Olas is a Spanish word which in English conveys the meaning 'The Waves" and with its enchanting beach, the term aptly applies aptly to Fort Lauderdale. While the Las Olas Boulevard consists and connects the 'Arts and Entertainment' districts with the beach, the Las Olas Riverfront consists of one mile River walk that connects the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Discovery and Science and the Olas Riverfront entertainment complex that sports a 15 screen movie cinema. Depending upon their budget, the tourists can choose to explore it either through water taxi or riverboat cruises. The disabled would also be able to enjoy the tour as the property is designed user friendly for them. The River walk authorities have been aggressively promoting various events conducted from time to time that encourage the visitors to participate and benefit. One such event is the Urban Market that began in the last week of April, 2010. With the co-operation of vendors who had signed for the event, many health promoting and even unusual products were ranging from breads to organic healing herbs were displayed. The exercise is only an integral part to impress the tourist with the slogan that 'one can find everything there is to see and do in downtown Fort Lauderdale' by undertaking a River walk.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is only a 10-15 minute drive from the McCarran International Airport and located opposite the instantly recognizable replica Eiffel Tower on the Las Vegas Strip. With the luxurious surroundings of the Bellagio Hotel, you will find a welcome distraction from the bright lights with an immersive display of the likes of Picasso, Lichtenstein and Warhol. The town of Bellagio in Italy, sitting on the 'Y-shaped' Lake Como, undoubtedly contributed to the original $1.6billion design of the resort and with the obvious influence of European culture, set in a modern American city, you are truly set up to saturate yourself in the world of fine art. The gallery offers tours, membership and student discounts and is currently showcasing 'Figuratively Speaking: A survey of the Human Form' until January 2011.

2)      Atomic Testing Museum - Las Vegas,NV,US

There was a time when Las Vegas, Nevada was nothing more than a few mob owned casino's, a railway station, The Hoover Dam and seemingly endless, dry desert, perfect for testing one of modern history's most prolific weapons of warfare. The Atomic Testing Museum is located just south of East Flamingo Road and within walking distance to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Nevada Test Site Foundation was inaugurated in 1998 with the view of preserving the historical site. The facility officially closed in 2002 after 41 years of testing history and is preserved to this day as a reminder of Nevada and USA's nuclear past. Guided tours, lessons and regular events are available on request.

3)      Arts Factory - Las Vegas,NV,US

The Arts Factory, Las Vegas, is situated on the East Charleston Boulevard and makes a bold claim that we are to believe that Las Vegas has a thriving community of artists. And perhaps they are right. For a city traditionally associated with the adult entertainment market, art still seems to find its place amongst locals and tourists alike. Professionals such as photographers, painters and graphic designers all collaborate to express the deep lying culture in the arts district of Las Vegas. The indoors gallery space is used to host regular events to promote artists within the community, and now hosting a June music festival called 'The First I8b Music Festival,' there seems to be a genre for all art enthusiasts.

The Adventuredome Theme Park, Las Vegas is an indoor amusement park for all the family. The distinctive, glass, red dome roof not only can be seen by passersby on the Industrial Road and Circus Circus Drive, but puts a pink light everything inside. From an one point of view, Vegas isn't a city traditionally associated with family entertainment, but The Adventuredome proves otherwise. There are two payment methods when visiting this adventure park; a wrist band will enable you to have access to as many rides as you want throughout the day, or there is a pay-per-ride method, it completely depends whether you are interested in making a day out of the fun or not.

5)      Las Vegas Amtrak Station - Las Vegas,NM,US

Situated in the city of New Mexico on the side of Railway Avenue, The Las Vegas Amtrak Station is within a walking distance from the building of town's University. It is also surrounded by different other local landmarks and facilities, which make it an integral commuting link into and out of town. The station was originally constructed in 1904, as part of Amtrak's Southwest Chief line that connects 2256 miles of train track from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. Fred Harvey, the London born entrepreneur, built one of his famous railroad hotels, La Castaneda, which faces the tracks. The hotel stopped business in the late 40's but still stands as a historical landmark that the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico can identify with.

This historic baseball stadium was built in 1962, where the New York Yankees trained in the spring and where they played for over 30 years. Later in 1962 the Yankees move their single-A farm club, the St. Petersburg Saints to the stadium, meaning that for the first time both teams were at the same ground. The St. Peterburg Saints where renamed the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees and had an impressive playing record including winning the World Series . The Ft. Lauderdale Yankees went on to produce some of the finest ball players, until in 1996 the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees moved out and the Orioles moved in. The stadium has ample car parking and refreshment concessions with partial covered seating and clear digital score displays.

Loch Haven Park - Orlando,FL,US
The Loch Haven Park is located in the Alden Arts District and is an ideal place for a romantic picnic with a loved or a beautiful wedding venue, The Park is surrounded by Lake Rowena, lake Formosa and Lake Estelle which makes for a striking view. It has a wide variety of options to suit every individual, a picnic area, basketball court, jogging trails and a playground. The park hosts the central Florida civic theatre, the Orlando museum of art, Orlando repertory theatre, and other landmarks such as the mennello museum of art and the Shakespeare centre. This beautiful and historic site is surrounded by lush vegetation, several popular attractions and beautiful sculptures and exhibitions attracting visitors near and far.
Bonnet House Museum and Gardens.

This historic and stunning House, built in 1921 is set on an isle on the beach at Fort Lauderdale.

It is a perfectly preserved home of two of Americas known artists. Frederic Clay Bartlett (painter) and his wife Helen Birch (poet and musician) , Helen sadly died from breast cancer in 1925. Frederic remarried, with his new wife Eveyln Lilly the house was adorned with the architectural details that enthrall visitors today. Examples of Frederic’s art can be found through out the house with a display of his canvas work in the studio within the grounds.

The gardens surround the house and lead down to the river front. As you walk through the gardens you will see Brazilian Squirrel monkeys playing in the trees and Demoiselle Cranes wondering freely. All the while you are surrounded by lush well groomed gardens and ponds, with quiet areas at the pavilion to watch the world wonder by. There is an exquisite orchid house too with beautiful examples of this delicate flower.

Although the surrounding area of the house has been developed within the grounds and house itself you are able to wondered back in time, to distant more gentile time in Fort Lauderdale's history.

Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine - Orlando, FL, US

This sacred landmark was built in the late 1970’s in an effort to cater for the large amounts of Roman Catholic tourists who visit Florida each year. Although the shrine was built for religious purposes such as mass, it is known as a historic museum because it hold some of the world’s most sanctified displays. The museum consists of, ’our lady of Guadeloupe’ mosaic, a crucifix of Jesus and a statue of baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary which stands at 8ft tall, it also contains paintings such as, The conversion of Saint Paul and the Pieta. On the grounds there is a gift shop which has wreaths, candles and nativity sets. There is also an outdoor chapel, a rosary museum and the main church which seats up to 2000 at a time.


Broward Center of the Performing Arts.

If you are looking for a wonderful evening of entertainment and style then the center of performing arts is for you. Your evening begins from the moment you arrive, the center is light up and sparkling like a rare and beautiful jewel. With parking opposite the center or you can leave your car to valeted for you and after a short walk you enter the Center. With sweeping staircases to the upper galleries, this is an elegant setting for the play, musical or concert you are there to see. When there is no performance the theater can be hired for catering your event too, with a selection of the finest dining from the best restaurants around the theater on offer.

Ferry Building, San Francisco

Otherwise being a terminal for the ferry of the passengers who travel across the San Francisco Bay, the Ferry Building houses the architecturally famous clock tower which is visible from the Market Street. Its architecture was based on Giralda bell tower in Spain whose origin could be traced to the 12th century. The Giralda style uses a combination of Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. It had symbolized medievalism in Spain. The engineering uniqueness is attributed to the separation of the clock tower mechanism from the striking of the bell. During the day time, everyone and half an hour, the sound of the clock bell could be heard chiming in the portions of the Westminster Quarters through large speakers located on the tower. Though the name could slightly be misleading, the Westminster Quarters' refers to the melodious striking of the bells of the clock once in a quarter hour with the number of chimes matching the number of quarter hours that have passed.
3) Exploratorium, San Francisco

From the word itself, one can discern to some extent the emerging trends in tourism. It refers to a type of a museum wherein the artists engage themselves on site the museum for creation of hands on exhibits exploring and applying a mix of art and science to such creations, besides, experimenting to promote informal education. Established in 1969, Frank Oppenheimer pioneered in the introduction of such a concept whose objective was to offers the visitors multiple options in a museum to explore and understand the world around them. Frank Oppenheimer was an accomplished physicist on his own rights added to which happened to be younger brother of Dr. J. Rober Oppenheiemer who adorned the Los Alamos National Laboratory as its first director.

The Exploratorium caters to the challenging quests of differing minds in finding answers to such questions as to 'how do we know what we know', the Science of Baseball, 'Speaking of Music Rewind', fun after school activities by engaging the children etc., By traversing between the lengths and breadths of the museum, the tourists can rejuvenate themselves physically, mentally and intellectually.
4) El Presidio, San Francisco

From Spain to Mexico to the USA, that is how one can describe the historical origin of El Presidio commonly known as Presido of San Francisco or in a much better manner as the Royal Presidio of San Francisco. It is situated within the confines of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a part of the National Park Service. Because of its military origin, it was a fortified area from1776 to 1989 with Spanish making it her military center. In 1989, the US Congress decided to end its Presidio's status, implying it no longer enjoyed the status of an active military center. That is how it came under the fold of National Park Service from 1994.

The Park overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean, Having obtained financial self-sufficiency in 2008 much ahead of the targeted 2013. Since, 1962 it has been enjoying the position of a National Historic Landmark. For qualifying under this category, it should conform to a number of specifications right from the structure of the building to that of the district. The touristic significance of this place may not need much elaboration when one considers the fact that it is one of the handpicked centers by the US Government for being conferred with such a status out of more than 80,000 places.
5) De Young Museum, San Francisco

Situated in the Golden Gate Park, it is one of the large two Fine Arts Museums; the other one could be found in Lincoln Park. It has adopted the name of M.H. de Young, who combined the profession of business with the talents of journalism. He was the founder of the newspaper, Daily Dramatic Chronicle and worked with Associated Press for many years. The exhibition distinguishes itself with a variety of collections which include American decorative pieces, textiles, and paintings that originally belonged to Rockefeller Collections of American Art. It is known for its multi-ethnicity by displaying the African and Oceanic pieces of Art. Its specialty lies in the conduct of annual floral exhibition which is otherwise termed as 'Bouquets to Art'. From the word floral, it could be made out that during this exhibition, it is congregated by Florists and garden club designers who present floral interpretations of the works contained in the museum's permanent collections. It is a must visit for the tourists for the fact that it is one of the last remaining seven museums in the US which hosts the 'The Treasures of Tutankhamun'. This exhibition is permanently placed in Dorchester, England but the re-creation of the architecture could be traced to the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharhoh Tutankhamun. It is a divine name in Egypt.

For an understanding of the Jewish history, culture, and art, the tourists should visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which was established in 1984. Since 2008, it functions in Yerba Buena Gardens in an aesthetically designed building by the architect Daniel Libeskind. His architecture finds a special mention for the fact that he undertook a massive designing for the construction of 63000 sq ft museum in the original Jesse Street Power Substation which was the handiwork of Willis Polk. Thus, the old outstanding features of Wills Polk were not sacrificed by Daniel when he had undertaken the new creation. Conceptualized on the lines of Jewish Museum located in Copenhagen, it would be a delight for the tourists, especially the Jewish or the ones who can understand the Jewish language for the preservation of the Hebrew letters. The museum houses within itself a multi-event community space, auditorium a cafe and a store all that would appeal to the finer intuitions of the tourists.

Conservatory of Flowers attracts the tourists towards itself for more than one reason. It is situated in the oldest building in Golden Gate Park and beckons itself as a treasure hold of a large botanical greenhouse. A green house is functionally made up of a glass house in which the plants are grown in a structure having glass or plastic roof and mostly the walls are made up in a similar manner. Its functional utility could be found in the preservation of the soil and plants as the incoming solar radiation from the sun would warm the soil and plants faster because of minimal escaping of the heat from the structure. Its Victorian style contains a central dome that rises nearly to 60 feet along with an arch shaped wings that extends it with a length not less than 240 feet. Its strength and stubbornness are attested from the evidence that it was least affected by the havocs of 1906 Earth Quake and in fact was reported to be the abode for many a survivors.

It also boasts of its distinction by gaining a place in the National Register of Historic places. Its other credits could be found in being one of the first municipal conservatories and the oldest wooden conservatory remains within USA.

8) Coit Tower, San Francisco

Lillie Hitchcock Coit benevolence had made possible the construction of Coit Tower which came into being in 1933. She was far ahead of her times and considered in some respects a revolutionary or eccentric depending upon the way one looks at her life. Nevertheless, she made many of her contemporaries to look at her up for the manner she had dressed herself with trousers and smoked the cigars which were not socially yet accepted among the US women and society. Her purpose of donating one third of the estate was to add beauty to the city and Coit Tower truly fulfills this by locating itself atop the Pioneer Park which has an area of 4.89 acres. The tower adds to its historical significance by housing within itself a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus that was contributed by the Italian-American community. The Art Deco tower stands apart for its architectural features. It is tall by 201 feet, contains unpainted reinforced concrete, and reportedly houses mural remains of 26 different artists. However, Lillie Hitchcock Coit would have been happier if it had resembled the fire hose nozzle for it would have reflected her passion for fire fighting and affinity with the Knickbocker Engine Company. Since the tower stands atop the Telegraphic Hill, the tourists would get an unrestricted view of Golden Gate Bridge, the Aquatic Park besides a number of other locations as Pier 39, Angel Island, and Treasure Island etc. Tourists should keep in mind the accessible limitations to the Tower. The parking lot atop the hill could be reached only by one road. As it is a popular tourist destination, it is advisable to plan early or even more better take a bus or an enjoyable walk by taking the fibret steps.
9. Theater District, San Francisco

The Theater District is a neighborhood that promotes stage theaters. It is spread across between the Union Square and Tenderloin. Theater Art promotes folklore and folklore bundles within itself culture, music, dance legends narration of popular beliefs and preserving up of customs and traditions. Though there is no way it could be verified, yet, it can be presumed that this district has developed along the Union City and Tenderloin due to the fact that the former was a place for Army and the later has its origins to folklore culture. The US army has always been known for its penchant to rest and create its indelible impression wherever it has been stationed and the later having some resemblance to the New York’s street lend credence to such a belief.

Union Square has also developed itself into a cultural center. Categorized as a park, it was a witness to a number of demonstrations and such parks universally are treated as genuine spaces for the nurture of folk arts. The space is surrounded by art galleries wherein a discernable tourist could even fish for paintings of such big names as Picasso. The Union City Square housing the Sanadu Gallery besides the travelling and off Broadway shows that makes even smaller productions affordable are a must see and attend for the tourists.

While the tourist would have to exercise caution in Tenderloin because of its criminal antecedents and not so clean streets, yet, they should not miss the Street Theater Festival conducted for a duration of three days as it is a treat for them because of the mind boggling range it offers in circus arts, music, not to leave out the workshops that promote performance and community activism.

Market Street would appeal to the historical intuitions of the tourists. It was built when the city was known as Yerba Beuana and has the distinction of being built by a 26 year old Civil Engineer, Jasper O’Farrell. It cuts across the city from waterfront to the Twin Hills Peak and covers a distance of three mails. In order to describe more figuratively its structure, Twin Hills Peak was perceived as an arrow that aimed straight at "Los Pechos de la Choca" meaning the Breasts of the Maiden. Market Street is remembered for the fine moment it had created on one Christmas Eve in 1910 for it was on this day that opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini sang in and for the city she had loved. Perhaps, for this, she was bestowed with the tribute of being designated with an exclusive dish named after her, for though, no explanations are available as to how it is related to her culinary preferences. Market Street was also remembered for the New Year eve of 2000 as on 31 December, 1999 an estimated 1.2 million people thronged it to celebrate the turn of the century.

It has held a number of global events from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition to the Preparedness Day bombing of 1916. It had also witnessed first ever United Nations conferences during which time delegates like Anthony Eden, Bidault were reported to have sped the Market Street, waving and injecting hopes to and into the optimistic crowds.

11. Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco

The name Transamerica Pyramid would evoke both elements of admiration and criticisms in the minds of the tourists for the admiration could be seen in its being a symbol of a first ever skyscraper that came up not only in the city but in the USA and criticism due to the detractors calling it a "Pereira's Prick' (associated with its architect’s name) something which closely translates to too big, flashy and corporate. It has derived this name because it was first occupied by Transamerica Corporation and is still associated with it even after its moving out of it in terms of recall memories. It has a height of 850 ft and finds a place in the world history as one of the five tallest buildings situated in the world. It had drawn heavily on the Portuguese ancestry perhaps accounted by the fact that it was built by William Leonard Pereira who though settled down in the USA was of Portuguese origin. He was credited with a talent for futuristic designs and in that sense, historians consider him having defined the mid-20th century architecture at least in Los Angeles which was the home for him. Futurism was the hall mark of his approach, in whatever he preferred or did and it was no surprise that he had left the indelible impression in the field of architecture, which was his first love. It was built on the location of Montgomery Block which has the distinction of first ever building that could withstand a ravaging fire and devastating earthquake.

The word Pyramid is associated with it because of its design, as the building is made up as a tall four-sided pyramid with two wings on either side. These wings are designed to house within itself an elevator shaft on the east, and a stairwell as well as a smoke tower on the west, The pyramid structure at the top is associated with the term 'spire', conveying a meaning of strength and even brutality if intended to symbolize the martial power.

The place is more associated with corporate world for its retail space and the September, 11 attacks has considerably exacerbated the security concerns associated with such a mammoth structure.
12. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Overcoming many a structural, procedural, and human hurdles and consequent to the putting in of many brains, the Golden Gate Bridge became a pride of San Francisco by becoming a reality in 1937 and gaining the name of modern Wonders of the World, a term accredited to it by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was considered an engineering beauty for many reasons. It is a suspension bridge, a technological concept, used to explain the type of bridges which carry the load bearing portions below the suspension cables on vertical suspenders, connects the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula with the Main Country, which had conferred it the status of the first longest ever suspension bridge in the world. Though eight other bridges to date has since surpassed its span length, yet, it has in no way reduced its value among the admirers who appreciate architectural excellence, for, in the year 1999, it stood fifth on the lists of America's Favorite Architecture a ranking that is carried out by American Institute of Architects.

It is the darling of the tourists which fact has been attested by the Fromer's travel guide with the statement that 'Golden Gate Bridge is possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed bridge in the world", perhaps, if some other thing that could be compared in any other part of the world, it could be the Tower Bridge in London, UK.

It contains aesthetic design all along. For this reason, one of the chief pioneers of the bridge, Joseph Strauss, had to resubmit innumerable designs wherein lighting, cables and all that has gone into the bridge, was kept as a primary focus,. That great attention was given to minute details could be seen from the fact that for necked eyes, the painting may appear red, but, the color of the bridge is orange vermillion, also referred to as international orange.

Golden Gate Bridge in essence is an engineering marvel, transport utility and a major boost to transport and tourism economics.

Almost all the things from human beings curiosity to economic developments in San Francisco could be related to the gold rush. The Port of San Francisco is no exception to this. It was born out of the gold rush, and today caters to a reported 60 to 80 cruise ships calling on it catering to a minimum of 200000 passengers on an annual basis. It has kept its connections with Mexico with regular sailings and for those adventure minded, it offers trips to Alaska.

In a competitive tourist business, where many a terminals and the cruises vie with one another the Cruise Terminal located in the San Francisco Bay stands out from many an angle. It offers the cruise passengers a unique experience in that those arriving into and departing from San Francisco Bay would enjoy sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Through its environmental cleansing programs, it make many a passenger tourists to return to it, more cruises to call on the terminal thus satisfying eco tourism. The San Francisco's Cruise Terminal Environmental Advisory Committee (CTEAC) operates a program to recognize cruise lines which adopt policies towards environmentally responsible operations through deploying technologies that would reduce emissions and stick to other environmental standards. As early as in 2009, the Port of San Francisco had awarded three Princess Cruise Ship’s gold-level winners status.

For the environmentally conscious cruise travelers, such environmental initiatives matters a lot in their choice of the terminal as well the ships and these efforts go to show the genuine intentions of the Cruise Line Terminal Authorities.

Japan town remains between Laguna and Webster Street, consists of three shopping centres, a Buddhist stupa that conveys her religion and philosophy, described in Japanese terms as Peace Pagoda. The stupa was specially designed by the Japanese architect, Yoshiro Taniguchi on behalf of the people form Osaka, Japan who had dedicated it to the town in the city of San Francisco.

The Japanese town owes its historic existence to the 1906 Earthquake and Second World War. The attack on the Pearl Harbor resulted in violence on the Japanese what was termed as 'crystal night' attacks on their residences and businesses which forced the then US President, Franklin Roosevelt to sign an Executive Order requiring the Japanese immigrants to be interned. This was followed by several twists and turns which ultimately culminated into the 1957 sister city relationship with the city of Osaka thus earning it the nickname "Little Osaka.” The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of such a relationship resulted in one block of Buchanan Street in the Japanese town being renamed as Osaka Way which took place on September, the 8th of 2007.

The town is home to a number of ethnical restaurants some of which includes Korean and Chinese, and among other common things as super markets, one thing that stands out is the Kinokunia bookstore chain whose roots could be traced to 1927.

Every year, the town hosts two festivals. The Northern Cherry Blossom is held for two weeks during the month of April and Nihonmachi Street Fair is conducted on one of the weekends in August. The former one signifies unique features relating to the flower cherry blossom and the later show cases the diversity in the Japanese communities and common bonds they share.
15. Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

The Palace of Fine Arts is located in one of the buildings that were originally meant for Panama-Pacific Exposition that was held in 1915. The Panama-California had both an explicit and hidden agenda. The explicit one was to celebrate the completion of Panama Canal but the hidden agenda though hidden had a much broader objective of showcasing the human triumph over the recovery from the devastating effects of the 1906 earthquake. It was constructed on 635 acre site that ran along the northern shore which is now known as the Marina. The places to look are the Tower of Jewels for its finery in cut glass techniques, the Palace of Horticulture in the East and Festival hall located in the West. The arch of the Tower serves the purpose of a gateway to the Court of Four Seasons in the West and the Court of Abundance in the West.

Roman and Greek architecture had inspired Bernard Maybeck, to apply his specialized knowledge in Arts and Crafts Movement in the creation of Palace of Fine Arts. It conveys multiple themes in contemplation, wonderment, and meditations which were given expressions in various sculptures through the spirited works of Ulric Ellerhusen a German American. It is also home to the Exploratorium discussed elsewhere.

Perhaps, the most important attraction of Palace of Fine Arts is its choice as a favorite wedding location in that it is considered to be 'the preference' of those residing in and around San Francisco Bay Area to celebrate their wedding. Different wild life species, especially, the swans and ducks live within the confines of the Palace.