I had a little Bay Area staycation recently and took the opportunity to visit one of the places that has been on my to do list for many years: Angel Island.
I highly recommend it.
Don’t wait 9 years of living in the Bay Area like I did. Apparently it’s not unusual for local residents to have never visited Angel Island. You take the ferry from the Ferry Building or Pier 41 for $18 and it’s a beautiful ride across the bay.
The entire island is a state park. Known for its historical landmarks such as an Immigration Monument, old army barracks and a nuclear weapon site, I personally found the beauty of being on land with few cars in the middle of the San Francisco Bay way more interesting and worth paying attention to.
The Immigration monument is an important and complicated part of history though; the island saw 1 million people pass through and sometimes be held on the island for 2 years on before they would be admitted to the mainland.
I took my bike on the ferry and bicycled the 5 mile loop around the island. The views were truly gorgeous. Next time I want to go with friends and hang out on one of the beaches. We would likely have it all to ourselves or share it with it just a few people.
Beautiful pictures Erin.
Hey Erin, Nice posting. Enjoyed it. Dorothy
I am one of those people who has lived within sight of Angel Island for decades, but has never been. Your blog post has inspired me to take the plunge!
Excellent, glad I could inspire!