We've already covered a lot of ground on this trip, but we wanted to finish off with a last bit of camping. It was a long stretch of driving to get from Lake Tahoe over to the Bay area, and we arrived in late afternoon at our motel in Redwood City. America's Best Value Sky Ranch Inn is nestled between other buildings along El Camino Real close to Stanford University, and was a great place to stay. Patrick, a co-worker of Jackie's had recommended it and we agree.
We'd been lucky the whole trip to have good wether, while the not-so-good seemed to follow along behind. Now it was a question of whether an uncertain forecast would cloud our plans for camping. As well, there was the logistical issue of how to arrange shuttling between motels if we were going to be in town for one day, go out to Angel Island for a night (leaving all our stuff in the car in a downtown parking lot overnight), and then getting into a new place before flying home the day after that. The answer was simply to take the motel for 4 nights but be away for one of them. The weather didn't turn bad, so we went camping!
Angel Island is a State Park in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It has a few environmental campsites and trails all around the island, as well as up to the peak, Mt. Livermore. This time we had a reservation at the Sunrise campsites which look out toward the Oakland Hills.
First though it's a ferry trip to get there. Departing from Fisherman's Wharf in the morning, there are crossings that go directly to the Island. We were leaving a bit later so it was a case of taking a ferry to Tiburon with one company, and then quickly grabbing a second ferry from there to the Island. As the last trip out for the day, there wasn't any leeway. We made it to Tiburon no sweat, and had a bit of time (30 minutes) before heading out on the final leg.
Another traveler outbound to the Island went to check on the departure times and unexpectedly got imprisoned on a pier when the gate closed. Making good use of time for a moment or two before boarding, he followed up on voicemail.
Back at our base in Palo Alto we went for a walk downtown with a plan to find a nice place for dinner. Just off the main street we heard some great music, went over to enjoy it (www.inoahband.net) , and ended up having dinner right there at an Vietnamese restaurant called Three Seasons..
If you enjoy wonderful ambiance and great food, ya gotsta come here. Chef Hung Le was very gracious in spending a few minutes with us as we were leaving, and we promised to return on our next trip. Check out their website and plan to visit!
With backpacks on we walked around the island towards our campsite, gradually gaining a little altitude as we went. perfect temperatures, perfect sunshine.
By the time we got the site, the afternoon breeze had really freshened, so we had to tie all pieces of the tent to something as it got set up. With a 30 knot wind, things leave quickly! Here's the tent all ready to go, with a nice view.
For the rest of the afternoon/evening we walked around the island and enjoyed 360 degrees of vistas, especially from the top of Mt. Livermore where we again met our buddy from the pier, and his friends. Happy hiking Tom, Sam and Rokita!.
Well before dawn you could just hear a distant foghorn, probably at the Golden Gate. It was a long way off with just a little musical note.
The fog must have been getting quite thick a few hours later, because a Big Boy started up, probably at one of the Coast Guard points on our island. Deep and Loud. One of those that reverberates back from wave reflections and the fog itself, never mind the Oakland shore many seconds later.
After another good breakfast, we pack up and start heading back. Along the way is the old immigration station that I photographed back in the 90's. The camera's view is across a courtyard, through a window, then a door, and then another window looking towards Oakland. Compare it to my similar photograph of 14 years ago...
Back at the Ayala cove where the ferry comes, the park staff are marshalling their various transport devices!
The deli at the dock has very good sandwiches, and lots of local color.
...and back at Fisherman's Wharf, the kite shop has color of its own. My father now has one of the big VW Fflower Power mobiles in his garden!
When we look back at this trip, the hiking was as good as always, with the bonus of some "Big Weather" coming down in Yosemite. The other very memorable time was at the Hot Springs. It's a place not to be missed. We'll be back for sure.
I hope you enjoyed these few words and anecdotes, with a bunch of pictures thrown in. Why not plan a trip and see for yourself?
All the Best,
Jackie and Gord
