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Staycation hike: Angel Island
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Segway tour around Angel Island photo Susan Alcorn
After our visit to the Angel Island's Immigration Station in China Cove during last week's hike, we climbed again to the Perimeter trail and continued our five-mile tour. Views from every inch of the trail are spectacular — whether you are looking across the water to the East Bay, San Francisco, or Marin County.
Angel Island has a long military history beginning with its use as a camp to quarantine soldiers who had smallpox or had been exposed to it when returning from the Spanish-American War in 1899. Most recently, from 1955-1962, the Army had a NIKE missile base above Point Blunt — an area still off-limits to visitors. When we passed through Fort McDowell on the east side of the island, we stopped briefly at the Post Chapel.
Our next stop was for our picnic lunch. We were about halfway around the island — on the south side — where we could look directly across at the streets of San Francisco (this is also a great place to watch the Blue Angels when they are in town).
Fluffy white clouds drifted by; we watched the fog creep in and encircle the southern tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and then drift back out. Gulls circled around the fishing boats, sailboats zipped along, and cruise boats carried tourists out toward the Golden Gate and then toward the S.F. Bay Bridge.
When we reached the next viewpoint, we encountered a small group on Segways — those ingenuous two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicles that can travel miles on a single electrical charge. Small groups, guided tours start at 10:30 am and 12:45 pm daily through October 2009, and take you around the island on the Perimeter Trail. $65.
As we neared Ayala Cove again, we continued on the roadway, which took us by the large group picnic area where dozens of families were gathered. A few young children were playing on the small sandy beach and sticking their feet in the water. We stopped at Cove Café to have a beer. If we'd been hungrier, we could have chosen soup, salad, sandwiches — even fresh oysters from the Cantina Oyster Bar.
It was soon time to catch the ferry back across the, now white-capped, water to Tiburon. Our group said its good-byes and headed home, but there's no need to hurry home after your ferry ride. Near the ferry slip are clothing shops, coffee bars and ice cream stands as well as several restaurants. Guaymas and Sam's Anchor Café, with their views of the bay, are very popular. If you don't mind a short drive, try Buckeye Roadhouse in nearby Mill Valley.
More resources:
Susan Alcorn's Staycation hike: Angel Island State Park
Susan Alcorn's Staycation hike: Angel Island's Immigration Station
State may apologize to Chinese Americans (News article about discrimination against Chinese Americans)
State closure of Angel Island State Park?
Angel Island general info, history, camping.
Cove Café concession
Ferries (schedules vary seasonally):
Tiburon-Angel Island (includes info on upcoming special cruises).
Blue and Gold ferries from San Francisco, Oakland/Alameda, and Vallejo.
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