Trip Day

SF Skyline

It was that kind of day - crystal clear, cool and little wind. It was our trip day and walking over the Golden Gate Bridge was next on the list. The traffic was lite over the Bay Bridge from the East Bay side of things and we didn't have too much trouble finding a parking place somewhere in the Presidio among all the construction that is preparing for the 75th Bridge Anniversary celebration in mid-May. I had made a wish as we crossed the Bay Bridge, but never thought it would actually come true. There were many walkers and bikers and at some point I heard a girl calling out and pointing - a seal was swimming down below. It was exciting to watch as several seals dived and surfaced. A little further on as we checked over the side again, there were more seals, No! Dolphins! And several leaping together out of the water. OMG! We were glued now to the rail and didn't make much steady progress. We watched as a catamaran almost cut off a sloop that was about to go under the bridge. And then I saw it - a whale surfaced and flipped its tail and then resurfaced with blow hole bubbles and more tail flipping. That was the wish! And then there was the kite surfer with a red kite going back and forth and also crossing back and forth across the wake of a tourist boat near the bridge. And then the huge freighters leaving, and coming with a pilot boat alongside. And the red helicopter that shot under the bridge, then over it for what had to be a tourist thriller. And just before we returned to the SF side we saw surfers grabbing waves to ride them along the rocky shore edge and turn away as the waves broke into these shoreline rocks. It took us about 5 hours to cross over and back the total 4 miles. But what a show we witnessed! No tolls, No admission tickets.

Approaching the Marin side - Dead ahead is home in the East Bay

View from observation platform to Marin Headlands

Rocky shore near Fort where surfers spotted