Nestled just north and east of the Golden Gate is Fort Baker, current home of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a popular attraction for young children and their parents. The National Park Service is moving ahead with plans to develop a conference center. This "Fort Baker Institute" would be modeled after the successful Asilomar Conference Center in Asilomar State Park in Pacific Grove, a unit of the California State Park System.

Sausalito officials have expressed opposition to the current plan because of concerns that the conference center would create significant traffic congestion. Some observers have pointed out that regular ferry service from San Francisco and the East Bay to Fort Baker could make a significant difference in alleviating the anticipated traffic congestion and negative environmental impact.

Gladys Dalmau teaches science and math in the Spanish immersion program at James Lick Middle School in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood. The school population is approximately 50 percent Latino and 30 percent African American, largely from lower income families. As an integral part of their recreation and education, Ms. Dalmau likes to bring her students from the inner City to the shoreline.

Ms. Dalmau envisions a ferry system that will enable future visits to bird sanctuaries and marshland habitats. "It’s really difficult right now to do more than one thing at a time on a field trip," Ms. Dalmau observes. "These kids have short attention spans, so a circle route on the Bay that enabled us to visit several places in a day would be marvelous." 

You can preview the proposed circle line by taking advantage of current ferry rides

to Alcatraz and Angel Islands. Follow the steps below for a delightful and scenic day

on the Bay.

Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Call 415-705-5555 to charge tickets by phone or visit the Blue & Gold Fleet website at: www.blueandgoldfleet.com where web reservations are available. For group reservations, call 415-705-8214. Or visit the ticket booth at Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Round trip fares for daytime tours are $13.25 for adults (this includes the self-guided Cellhouse Audio Tour), $9.25 without the Audio Tour. For seniors 62 and over, the fares are $11.50 with Audio and $7.50 without. For children 5 to 11, the fares are $8.00 with Audio, $6.00 without.

Evening round trip fares are $20.75 for adults 18 to 61, $18.00 for seniors 62 and over, $18.00 for youth between 12 and 17, and $11.50 for children between 5 and 11.

Ferries leave from Tiburon, San Francisco, Vallejo, Oakland and Alameda. During the off-season and winter months, ferries leave only from Tiburon and San Francisco (Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf).

For the Tiburon Ferry schedule, call 415-435-2131 or visit www.angelislandferry.com

Adult and senior round trip fares are $5.50, children 5 to 11 are $4.50. There’s an additional one dollar charge for bikes and trailers.

Round trip fares to Angel Island from San Francisco’s Pier 41 are $10.50 for adults 13 years and older, $5.50 for children 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under.

For the other starting points, call Blue & Gold at 415-773-1188 or visit www.blueandgoldfleet.com or the ticket booth at Pier 41.

For general information about recreational opportunities on Angel Island including hiking, bicycling, picnicking, fishing and visiting historical sites, call 415-435-1915.

For this special combination tour, call Blue & Gold at 415-773-1188 or visit www.blueandgoldfleet.com

Round trip fares are $35.25 for adults 12 to 61, $32.50 for seniors over 62, $21.00 for children between 5 and 11, and free to kids under 5.

Remember, ferry schedules change throughout the year and run more frequently during the summer, so check with the ferry service you plan to use before arriving at the dock.