As a big part of the country freezes, and another burns, the weather here on the central coast of California should be considered nothing short of perfect.

I miss the foggy days of summer, though. I got plenty of that magical fog for a couple of months, but I didn’t set foot on the Golden Gate Bridge during that time. I’d already photographed it in those conditions before, and I guess I wanted to explore other spots in the city. Then the fog was gone, and I regretted not visiting it at least once.

A few days ago, the fog came back for a few hours, and I immediately knew where I was going. It was magical.

There’s no shortage of beautiful places in the world, but a handful of them feel truly especial under the right conditions. The Golden Gate Bridge gave me goosebumps the first day I walked on it in thick, heavy fog, and it continues to do so every time. The foghorns, the majestic towers, the water below.

I recommend using some good noice canceling headphones, though. It gets very loud from the traffic!