| The
hilly, forest-covered Angel Island, touted as the, Jewel of the Bay,
(just how many are there)? with views of San Francisco, Marin
County and the Golden Gate Bridge, is one of the most delightful places
to hike, bike and picnic.
As the ferry nears the dock, we
notice a tram with a blue and white awning at the base of the island.
A historical audio tour is offered with an hour ride so we decide
to spend the $7.00 and go for a hike later.
We pile into the first tram and start fiddling with our
headphones.
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|
Angel Island as shown on
The Angel Island
Website
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The little island
is
rich in history
-
Coastal Miwok Indians
-
Spanish
Era
-
US Army,
-
Nike
Missile
-
Immigration
Station
-
Quarantine Station
-
State Park
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Periodically
the tram stops so we can take in the spectacular views.
As we complete the tour, we are stunned by the number of dramatic
events that have taken place here.
The
poetry carved on the walls of the Immigration Station haunts us most of
all. It reveals a dirty little secret.
Angel
Island, during WWII, was a
prisoner of war camp to hundreds of Japanese and Germans.
The depth of sadness and frustration expressed in the poetry is
wrenching.
Almost
exhausted with information, we flop down on the grass and watch the
picnickers against a backdrop of sailboats and blue es.
After a few minutes, we wander over to the little museum where a
video is playing, but we have had enough history for one day and decide
to explore the island to get a closer look.
We
have a lot of choices. If
we rent bikes, we could ride for 8 miles.
There are over 12 miles of foot trails and fire roads that wind
around the island and climb to the 781 foot high summit of Mt.
Livermore. The
2.5-hour trip on Perimeter Road gives us the most variety.
With
our water and sunscreen staples, we lop up the hill through the shadows
of the trees. Both sides of the trail are thick with eucalyptus; the
smell is intoxicating.
We
have seen the views over and over in magazines, on the Internet, in
books and newspapers, but we still have to take pictures.
 Looking across the bay, we are mesmerized with the playfulness of
the fog as it floats in and around the Golden Gate Bridge; every moment
is new and different.
The
vistas never end; languid beaches have white washes slurping up the
sand; deer, used to tourists, play distractedly, and the wide variety of
trees and shrubs continue to intrigue us.
As we end the hike, the island becomes forever a part of our
internal picture bank.
See
the Photo Album for more Angel Island pictures
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