UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE and A WALK IN THE REDWOODS: Marin County, CA

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Baker, Sausalito, CA

If there is one image that symbolizes San Francisco it is the Golden Gate Bridge, the soaring metal structure that connects the city with Marin County to the north. During the recent Christmas holidays, which we celebrated in Oakland, we had a guest who had never been to California. The Golden Gate Bridge was a must-see on our list of things to show her.

Round safety mirrors mark sharp turns in the hiking path so that bicycle riders–and pedestrians-- can check for oncoming traffic.

So, on a bright sunny day, we headed across the Richmond Bridge from the East Bay to Marin County, where we planned to hike to the north end of the bridge. In Sausalito we took the road to Fort Baker and parked at the end of the road near the fishing pier. Although there were quite a few fishermen, we didn’t see anyone actually catch a fish.

Hiking and biking path from Fort Baker to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We then proceeded on foot along the path as it wound its way under the bridge and up the hillside to the visitor area on the west side of the bridge. It took us about fifteen minutes to get to the top.

There a series of information signs explain how the bridge was built. On a previous visit with another guest, an engineer, this was his favorite part of our excursion to the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge is painted red.

A fenced walkway under the bridge allows pedestrians to cross from one side of the roadway to the other. As we walked under the road we could hear and feel the roar and vibration of the traffic above us as we got a close-up of the giant steel beams that support the bridge.

Lone Sailor Memorial

The visitor area on the east side, called Vista Point,  provides spectacular views–of the bridge, the city, and surrounding San Francisco Bay. In the middle of the parking area stands a large monument–the Lone Sailor Memorial, honoring the people who serve in the Navy, Merchant Marine, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

View from the Lone Sailor Memorial. In the background is a classic car filled with stuffed teddy bears, apparently also enjoying the view!

After admiring the view along with dozens of other tourists and taking numerous photos, we retraced our steps back to our car at Fort Baker. We had brought a picnic lunch which we ate at one of the picnic tables along the road into the fort.

Redwoods in Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA.

Our next stop was to another classic tourist sight for visitors to California–the giant redwoods. We didn’t have time to go to Muir Woods, the national park famous for its trees, even though it was just a short drive away. Instead, we went to Mill Park in the nearby town of Mill Valley, where a beautiful redwood grove is a city park next to the public library.

Downtown Mill Valley

My parents lived in Mill Valley for thirty-seven years and although I never lived there  I often visited, so, for me, this trip to the redwoods and the Golden Gate  Bridge brought back many memories. 

Enjoying Peet's Coffee, Mill Valley, CA

For the final event of our day’s outing, we stopped for coffee at a shop in downtown Mill Valley. Then we headed back to Oakland as the winter sun set beyond the Golden Gate on the other side of the Bay.
                                               

SAN FRANSICO BAY-DELTA MODEL, Sausalito, California

One of my favorite places in the San Francisco Bay area (and unknown to most people) is the Bay Model, a working demonstration of water flow in and out of San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. Tucked along the waterfront in Sausalito, the Bay Model is located inside buildings that were part of a bustling shipyard during World War II.  (An exhibit on the main floor of the building displays photos and artifacts from the shipbuilding era.) 

Built in 1957 by the Army Corps of Engineers to test the impact of proposed changes in the Bay, the Bay Model spreads over 1.5 acres.  As you walk the ramps and platforms around the water, you can orient yourself by signs and the miniature bridges that connect the land around the bay–the Golden Gate connecting Marin County to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge crossing from San Francisco to Oakland on the east side and, to the south, the long San Mateo bridge over the shallow water of the tide flats.  Unlike in real life, in which the tide changes every twelve hours, the schedule of the model is speeded up so that the tide comes in and goes out every 14.9 minutes, whooshing through the Golden Gate and visibly creeping up the adjacent shores. It makes you realize the drama of this daily cycle and how important it is to people and wildlife along the shores.

Until about ten years ago, the Bay Model was used for scientific purposes, as a place where people made important calculations about water movement in San Francisco Bay.  Now, those calculations are done by computer and the model is no longer used in the same way for scientific research.  Instead, it has become an educational facility.  (I remember going to visit when it was a working model and watching scientists taking their measurements.)  The building has been recently remodeled (it was reopened in January 2012) and now has a handsome redwood entrance to the visitor center with a gift shop and art gallery.  In one corner is an amazing scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge made by a 14-year-old student as a 4-H project. Inside the main building along the walkways are photos, state-of-the-art videos, interactive displays, and explanatory panels telling about the history of the model, how it works, and the ecology of the Bay Area.  On the day I visited with a friend we did a self-guided tour, but ahead of us was a school group getting a tour with a docent.  Whether you go by yourself at your own pace, or with a group, it will definitely give you a new perspective on San Francisco Bay.

After our visit to the Bay Model we explored downtown Sausalito, had lunch at one of the many cafes in this popular tourist town, and then went to Fort Baker for a close-up of the real Golden Gate Bridge from below.

Visiting Information:
The Bay Model is at 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965, telephone (415) 332-3870.  For directions, hours, and more information go to the website http://www.spn.usace.army.mil/bmvc/.

How do they make the tide in the model? To recreate the rising water level of a flood tide, more water is pumped into the Pacific Ocean area with less water allowed to flow out.  To model the falling waters of an ebb tide, less water is pumped in and more water is allowed to flow out.  A valve system controlled by a computer controls the flow of water.