Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
ANGEL ISLAND
Angel Island ( 415-435-5390; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=468 ) , in San Francisco Bay, has a
mild climate with fresh bay breezes, which makes it pleasant for hiking and cycling. For a
unique treat, picnic in a protected cove overlooking the close but distant urban surround-
ings. The island's varied history - it was a hunting and fishing ground for the Miwok
people, served as a military base, an immigration station, a WWII Japanese internment
camp and a Nike missile site - has left it with some evocative old forts and bunkers to
poke around in. There are 12 miles of roads and trails around the island, including a hike
to the summit of 781ft Mt Livermore (no bicycles) and a 5-mile perimeter trail.
The Immigration Station ( 415-435-5537; www.aiisf.org/visit ; 11am-3pm Mon-Fri,
11am-4pm Sat & Sun), which operated from 1910 to 1940, was the Ellis Island of the West
Coast. But this facility was primarily a screening and detention center for Chinese immig-
rants, who were at that time restricted from entering the US under the Chinese Exclusion
Act. Many detainees were held here for long periods before ultimately being returned
home, and one of the most unusual sights on the island is the sad and longing Chinese
poetry etched into the barrack walls. The site is now a museum with excellent interpretive
exhibits; more extensive tours ( adult/child $7/5) include admission fees and can be re-
served ahead or purchased first-come first-served on-site.
Sea Trek ( www.seatrek.com ) runs kayaking excursions around the island. You can rent
bicycles at Ayala Cove (per hour/day $12.50/40), and there are tram tours ($15)
around the island. Two-hour tours on Segway scooters ($68) and electric scooters ($50)
are another option, and should be booked in advance. Tour schedules vary seasonally; go
to www.angelisland.com for more information.
You can camp on the island, and when the last ferry sails off for the night, the place is
your own - except for the very persistent raccoons. The dozen hike-, bicycle- or kayak-in
campsites ( 800-444-7275; www.reserveamerica.com ; tent sites $30) are usually reserved
months in advance. Near the ferry dock, there's a cafe serving sandwiches and snacks.
Getting There & Away
From San Francisco, take a Blue & Gold Fleet ferry ( GOOGLE MAP ; 415-773-1188;
www.blueandgoldfleet.com ; round-trip adult/child $17/9.50) from Pier 41. From May to Septem-
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