Since we had such a great biking trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, we booked another biking trip. This time to Angel Island. I have never been to Angel Island, and Dan hadn't been in a long time. So we thought it would be cool to check it out. We went on Sunday of the 4th of July weekend. We picked up our bikes from Blazing Saddles in San Francisco, and then took the earliest ferry from Pier 41 at 9:45 AM.
Someone told us that the Angel Island biking trail was supposed to be easy, so we were expecting a leisurely ride. We're not sure who said it was easy, but it definitely was not! We thought it was actually a lot harder than the Golden Gate biking trip. To add to it, the weather was really sunny and hot that day. The first half of the trail was mostly uphill, with little shade, so it was hard and hot. :( We somehow managed to bike halfway and took a lunch break. Our friend packed sandwiches for lunch which was really good.
The ferry back to San Francisco did not leave until 3 PM, so we had a lot of time to kill. We waited at the only restaurant in Angel Island until it was time for the ferry ride back. We decided that this was definitely not an easy trip, and we probably won't be biking for a while. :)
A couple tips if you are going to Angel Island:
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| Angel Island |
Someone told us that the Angel Island biking trail was supposed to be easy, so we were expecting a leisurely ride. We're not sure who said it was easy, but it definitely was not! We thought it was actually a lot harder than the Golden Gate biking trip. To add to it, the weather was really sunny and hot that day. The first half of the trail was mostly uphill, with little shade, so it was hard and hot. :( We somehow managed to bike halfway and took a lunch break. Our friend packed sandwiches for lunch which was really good.
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| Such a hot day! |
During our ride, we noticed a lot of abandoned buildings, which was a little bit eerie. We read some of the board explanations, and it looked like many were old concentration camps for Japanese/German prisoners of wars and/or prisons. Angel Island was also the first point of entry for immigrants coming to the United States from the Pacific side. While we were biking, we saw some segway and tram tours that looked much more fun (or at least easier :p). The last half of the trail was actually pretty easy because it was mostly downhill.
The ferry back to San Francisco did not leave until 3 PM, so we had a lot of time to kill. We waited at the only restaurant in Angel Island until it was time for the ferry ride back. We decided that this was definitely not an easy trip, and we probably won't be biking for a while. :)
A couple tips if you are going to Angel Island:
- We actually would not recommend biking at Angel Island. The trail was hard (at least for us). It would have been more fun to just do hiking, or the segway tour looked pretty interesting (and much easier than biking).
- Do not go when it's hot. The day we went was pretty warm, and there weren't a lot of shady spots on the bike trail. We'd probably recommend going during spring or fall.
- There was only one restaurant on the island. So we recommend packing your lunch.
The pictures are simply amazing . I had been following your blog for quite some time, I love the way you are posting the articles and pictures you post. I m also fond of visiting different places and hope so that I will soon be able to visit this lovely place too. In my last Germany trip I lost my detailed Germany Road Map but this time I will be more cautious and enjoy my trip upto its extent.
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