Angel Island, Sausalito & Muir Woods
Serendipity was the word of the day: “the art of making providential discoveries unintended or unexpected.” Our intentions were to spend the morning walking and kayaking around Angel Island—but these plans were rendered impossible by the spectacular fire that had been raging across the island throughout the night. When we came on deck at sunrise, the island was aglow with flames leaping through the tops of the eucalyptus, pines, Monterey cypress, and live oaks covering the hillsides.
We watched in awe as the morning sky filled with helicopters scooping water from the bay to douse the flames; soon fixed-wing aircraft joined the battle, dumping cargos of red and gray retardant on the targeted fire line. A ferry loaded with uniformed firefighters passed us by, heading straight for the inferno, and we saluted them and wished them well.
With Angel Island ablaze, we quickly developed “Plan B” for the day. We realized that the National Geographic Sea Bird was the perfect platform for viewing the historic structures not only on this island but also on several other islands. So it was that we circumnavigated Angel Island, reflecting on the history of this “jewel of the bay” from a variety of unexpected vantage points. The captain positioned us perfectly to view the Civil War-era Camp Reynolds, historic Ayala Cove, the Immigration Station dating from the decades of Chinese Exclusion (1882-1943), and the military garrisons where hundreds of thousands of service men and women were processed during and after World War II.
As we sailed around the island, we were relieved to see that all the historic structures apparently had been spared from destruction. Even more, we saw that the (heroic!) firefighters were successfully containing the conflagration on the hills above. Angel Island had been saved.
Next up was an up-close-and-personal look at Treasure Island, site of the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. We cruised by the harbor where the China Clippers once had been berthed, those pioneer aircraft that inaugurated trans-Pacific passenger traffic from San Francisco to the Far East. Next was a pass beneath the newly constructed eastern span of the Bay Bridge, scheduled for completion in 2013. We made our away around Yerba Buena Island for a chance to see by daylight the waterfront of San Francisco. Then we approached Alcatraz Island, a.k.a. “The Rock.” The gaunt skeletons of the cell blocks from the1930s loomed before us, reminding us of such notorious former residents as Al Capone and Robert Stroud, “the birdman of Alcatraz.” As we passed by the National Park Service visitors’ center, we could hear the amplified voice of a ranger ashore telling his guests that he wished he could be sailing with us. We concluded the morning by passing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in all of its gleaming splendor.
None of these activities had been intended or expected; each was providential, making for a most spectacular morning.
The afternoon was no less enjoyable as we went ashore for walks and hikes, as planned, through Muir Woods. These “gentle giants,” the tallest trees on the planet, were a calm and welcome respite from the excitement of the morning. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, creating a mosaic of colors and lighting the path before us. Our mood was meditative…and thankful…as we strolled in silence through Cathedral Grove. It seemed to be the perfect way to end this serendipitous day.
Serendipity was the word of the day: “the art of making providential discoveries unintended or unexpected.” Our intentions were to spend the morning walking and kayaking around Angel Island—but these plans were rendered impossible by the spectacular fire that had been raging across the island throughout the night. When we came on deck at sunrise, the island was aglow with flames leaping through the tops of the eucalyptus, pines, Monterey cypress, and live oaks covering the hillsides.
We watched in awe as the morning sky filled with helicopters scooping water from the bay to douse the flames; soon fixed-wing aircraft joined the battle, dumping cargos of red and gray retardant on the targeted fire line. A ferry loaded with uniformed firefighters passed us by, heading straight for the inferno, and we saluted them and wished them well.
With Angel Island ablaze, we quickly developed “Plan B” for the day. We realized that the National Geographic Sea Bird was the perfect platform for viewing the historic structures not only on this island but also on several other islands. So it was that we circumnavigated Angel Island, reflecting on the history of this “jewel of the bay” from a variety of unexpected vantage points. The captain positioned us perfectly to view the Civil War-era Camp Reynolds, historic Ayala Cove, the Immigration Station dating from the decades of Chinese Exclusion (1882-1943), and the military garrisons where hundreds of thousands of service men and women were processed during and after World War II.
As we sailed around the island, we were relieved to see that all the historic structures apparently had been spared from destruction. Even more, we saw that the (heroic!) firefighters were successfully containing the conflagration on the hills above. Angel Island had been saved.
Next up was an up-close-and-personal look at Treasure Island, site of the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. We cruised by the harbor where the China Clippers once had been berthed, those pioneer aircraft that inaugurated trans-Pacific passenger traffic from San Francisco to the Far East. Next was a pass beneath the newly constructed eastern span of the Bay Bridge, scheduled for completion in 2013. We made our away around Yerba Buena Island for a chance to see by daylight the waterfront of San Francisco. Then we approached Alcatraz Island, a.k.a. “The Rock.” The gaunt skeletons of the cell blocks from the1930s loomed before us, reminding us of such notorious former residents as Al Capone and Robert Stroud, “the birdman of Alcatraz.” As we passed by the National Park Service visitors’ center, we could hear the amplified voice of a ranger ashore telling his guests that he wished he could be sailing with us. We concluded the morning by passing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in all of its gleaming splendor.
None of these activities had been intended or expected; each was providential, making for a most spectacular morning.
The afternoon was no less enjoyable as we went ashore for walks and hikes, as planned, through Muir Woods. These “gentle giants,” the tallest trees on the planet, were a calm and welcome respite from the excitement of the morning. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, creating a mosaic of colors and lighting the path before us. Our mood was meditative…and thankful…as we strolled in silence through Cathedral Grove. It seemed to be the perfect way to end this serendipitous day.
