If you've been anywhere near the Marin Headlands or Battery Spencer lately, you've probably noticed those towering purple flower spikes framing the iconic orange towers. They're called Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans), and they're absolutely stunning. They're also, it turns out, an invasive species.

As one local plant-savvy SF resident put it, "They are pretty for sure, but my understanding is that they are an invasive plant that take over native plants." Which is a perfectly San Francisco dilemma: something gorgeous that's quietly wrecking the ecosystem it lives in. Insert your own metaphor about city governance here.

But let's set aside the botanical ethics for a moment and appreciate what we've got. In a city where you can easily spend $18 on a mediocre sandwich, the Golden Gate Bridge remains gloriously, stubbornly free to enjoy. No ticket. No reservation system. No app. Just show up, point your phone, and collect a photo that makes your friends in Ohio weep.

For the uninitiated looking for the best angles, the usual suspects deliver: the Golden Gate viewpoint on the south side, the relatively new Tunnel Tops park in the Presidio, and — for something a little different — Treasure Island, which gives you a wider panoramic that includes the city skyline.

Here's what we love about moments like this: the best things about San Francisco cost nothing. The bridge, the views, the wildflowers (invasive or not) — they're a reminder that this city's real value isn't locked behind a subscription fee or a ballot measure. It's just there, waiting for you to look up from your phone long enough to notice it.

Then, of course, you pick your phone back up and take the photo anyway. As you should.