Bay CrossingsNews
San Francisco Bay Up Close and Personal
Cool places to visit that celebrate and
explore the San Francisco Bay environment
After several generations of
walling themselves off from San Francisco Bay, Bay Area folks and tourists alike
are increasingly eager to get up close and personal with one of the most
beautiful and complex maritime systems in the world.
Here are some insider favorites
if you want to find out for yourself what the excitement is all about:
San Francisco/Peninsula:
San Francisco Maritime National
Historic Park
This multiplex museum of
things-maritime consists of historic ships (just two examples: the ferryboat Eureka,
the last San Francisco Bay scow schooner still afloat (the Alma), a
museum, a store and a library. A must-see, but it’s kind of like the
Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.: impossible to do in one day.
Getting there:
A hop, skip and a jump from
Fisherman’s Wharf (and the ferry dock at Pier 41).
Coyote Point Museum
1651 Coyote Point Drive
San Mateo, CA 94401
650-342-7755
Situated in a state park south
of San Francisco near the airport, the Coyote Point Museum offers a rich variety
of environmental education projects.
Getting there:
Can’t get there by ferry just
yet – though ferry service is planned for nearby Oyster Point soon. By care,
head south on 101 and take the Poplar Avenue just south of the Airport and
follow the signs.
North Bay:
San Francisco Bay-Delta Model
2100 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-332-3870
The Bay Model is a 3-D
representation of San Francisco Bay and the Delta capabale of simulating tides,
currents, river inflows and more. It’s operated by the US Army Corps of
Engineers, spread out over 1.5 acres.
Getting there:
Take the Sausalito ferry and
walk less than 15 minutes.
Richardson Bay Audubon Center
& Sanctuary
376 Greenwood Beach Road
Tiburon, CA 94920
415-388-2524
This 11-acre education center
overlooks 900 acres of protected water, mud flats, natural habitats and
unaltered shorelines. It also features the historic Victorian Lyford House,
displaying artwork by famed bird artists John Audubon.
Getting there:
Take the Tiburon ferry and ride
the #10 bus or follow the Tiburon Bike Path 2.5 miles to Blackie’s Pasture.
East Bay
Crab Cove Visitor Center
1252 McKay Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501-7805
510-521-6887
The island of Alameda
(frequently confused with the County of Alameda) boasts perhaps the
finest beach anywhere on the Bay in Crown Beach. Crab Cover forms the
westernmost part of Crown Beach and has been designated a marine reserve by the
State. A variety of programs are offered: don’t miss the Elsie B. Roemer Bird
Sanctuary.
Getting there:
Perversely, you really can’t
get there by ferry, even though the island of Alameda has excellent ferry
service at both ends. Problem is few transit connections yet exist. So, to get
there by care take the Posey Tube (a tunnel under the Oakland Estuary) which you
get to from Webster Street in Oakland. It’s worth figuring out.
