Cruise San Francisco Bay with the Locals
Ryan and me on the Angel Island Ferry's sunset cruise, September 29, 2007.
One of the best features of my new hometown of San Francisco is the bay. I can't help but grin every time I walk to the corner of my block and catch a glimpse of that royal-blue water, some days dotted with sailboats and whitecaps, others topped with a ceiling of low-hanging clouds. I'd been avoiding taking a bay cruise because they seemed so touristy. But when the online newsletter Weekend Sherpa promised that the Angel Island Ferry's sunset cruises were a secret known only by locals, I thought I'd give it a try. And once again, they steered me right.
From May to October, the ferry that usually runs between Tiburon (in Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco) and Angel Island State Park moonlights as a sunset cruiser, departing from Tiburon at 6:30 on Friday and Saturday evenings, cruising around the bay, and returning at 8:00. Passengers are allowed to bring food and drinks on board, so my boyfriend and I packed a picnic of bread and cheese, plus a bottle of wine I'd brought home from Argentina. We'd made friends with the group in front of us before we'd even gotten onto the ferry, and soon after we headed out strangers starting passing around cookies -- next time I'll know to pack for a few dozen, not just two!
The crowd was mostly local, with several families celebrating the Moon Festival with their adopted Chinese kids. The water was calm enough that the captain even took us under the bridge, a rare and lucky occurrence.
Between us all, we probably had enough rations to stay out for weeks.
I'd highly recommend the Angel Island Ferry cruise for all Bay Area visitors (yes, they welcome out-of-towners too), and here's how to do it right:
The Golden Gate in the fading light.
Pack a spill-proof picnic. Our cheese, tapenade, bread, fruit, and wine would have been perfect for a quiet picnic in the park, but we had trouble anchoring it all down -- even on a relatively wind-free evening. A smarter choice would have been burritos and beer.
Bring enough food to share. When our new friends brought us the last of their birthday brownie, I wanted to return the generosity. But with what? A slice of gooey cheese? We gave the group of four the two little alfajors I'd brought back from Argentina (it's the South American Oreo, made with sweet biscuits and dulce de leche, and dipped in white or milk chocolate). But next time I'll bake a batch of cookies so that I can hand them out to everyone aboard -- and still have enough left for myself!
Make a reservation. We had no trouble getting on the ferry without a reservation, but if you make one you're allowed to board first -- and run upstairs to snag the outside tables. If you don't have a reservation, be at the pier a little after 6:00. That's what we did, and still found an empty bench on which to spread our feast.
The Blue Angels aerobatics team is in town this coming weekend, and the best vantage point for their show is Angel Island. Hop aboard today for the survey flights, tomorrow for the dress rehearsal, and Saturday and Sunday for the real deal. There are also two more weekends of sunset cruises left this season. After that, you'll have to wait till May.
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