Have you ever heard of Angel Island? Me neither. Well, I might have. I don’t remember. At least, not until now.
When I was in Northern California, I was able to spend some time with extended family that I don’t get to see that often. I was so happy to hang out with them and get to know them better, it didn’t really matter what we did. So, on Labor Day, we headed to Angel Island.
It took us a good hour or so to get to the ferry terminal, and we were anxious to board. Once we parked, we had to hustle to the wharf and get in line.
In my haste, as per usual, I left my wallet in the car. Normally this isn’t a problem because I keep my drivers license and debit card in a separate location – I rarely have my wallet on me. The bummer was I had cash in my wallet – which is what I needed to buy my ferry ticket. Ugh. Fortunately, my family is awesome and was able to spot me until we got back and I settled my debt.
Once we were on board, of course we ran up to the top level for the ride. It was such a beautiful day: clear skies, not freezing, and calm seas. It was like the weather you see in movies based in San Francisco, as opposed to typical daily weather. We were very fortunate.
The ride was smooth, but the wind was nice enough to put my hair in knots. Rookie mistake to not cover my head on the water. Or wear sunscreen. Lessons learned.
When we got onto the island, we all made a beeline to the snack shack to purchase our tram tour tickets. The tour takes about an hour and goes along the perimeter of the island, offering amazing views of the bay. Along the way, a recorded audio history plays along with some amazing facts and stories about the island and it’s former inhabitants.
While we waited for our tram ride to begin, we explored the visitor center and just enjoyed being on the island. And ate the ugliest-looking but delicious nachos. Oh, and people-watching. Always people-watching.
We lined up at the tram with a bunch of other people. The trams only hold about 50ish people (or so the signs say). Of course, people jumped line to get a seat and we ended up really cozy with our neighbors. The tram’s engine groaned and we traveled up and down the little hills and putt-putted to a stop at amazing vistas. Thank goodness the island is small!
Apparently, you can camp on the island. How amazing would that be? Less than a few dozen people on the island, sleeping in the safest location as far as wild animals go (there aren’t any predators on the island…I think the biggest animal is deer), and waking up to a panoramic view of San Francisco. There are also a bunch of trails you can hike and bike around. Maybe next time I’ll rent a bike?
I didn’t know that Angel Island was once considered the Ellis Island of the West. I’ve been to Ellis Island once before (years and years ago), but had no idea it had a counterpart in the Pacific.
Between 1910-1940, many Chinese people were detained (sometimes up to 2 years) and questioned. Having visited both Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland, I saw many similarities and felt the same emotions. Fortunately, a fire broke out in 1940 and the immigration station was closed. Woof. I can’t imagine what the Chinese immigrants went through.
Getting to Angel Island:
There are 3 main ferries you can take to get to Angel Island: from Alameda/Oakland, San Francisco, or Tiburon.
Wanting to steer clear of San Francisco on a holiday, we opted to take the ferry from Tiburon.
The Ferry Terminal: Located on the end of Main Street and Tiburon Blvd.
Schedule: Multiple ferries per day – consult this schedule for times
Parking: Pay lot on the corner of Juanita Lane and Beach Road, or street parking where available
Tickets: Round trip, pay-as-you-board ~ $15, with variations for kids and seniors; cash and check ONLY
Bikes: $1
Have you ever been to Angel Island? Did you even know it existed?
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