EXPLORE THE BAY AREA VIA FERRY
Sailing away on a Bay Area ferry is like having your own little party cruise but much cheaper. The ocean breeze whistling in your ears, the cold beers with happy, Hawaiian shirt-clad strangers, the views of Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge — sorry BART, but why wouldn't people take the ferry as often as humanly possible?
The ferry is not just for commuters. It's a little adventure all its own. And summer and fall are the perfect time to get out on our water-based fun-time transit and have some fun, both aboard and after you disembark — tasty eats, interesting sights and more. Here are four suggestions on how to turn a ferry trip to Alameda, Oakland, San Francisco or Mare Island into something more.
A quick note: We chose the San Francisco Bay Ferry, because it has more routes than the also-splendid Golden Gate Ferry. Whether you use your Clipper card, an app or a paper ticket, ferry fare ranges from $4.60 to $9.30 one way, and kids under five are free. Find details and schedules at https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/.
Without further ado, here's what to do when you're …
Arriving in Mare Island
The scenic journey from San Francisco to Vallejo takes about an hour, and from there, it's another 15-minute ferry ride to Mare Island. A historic military hub for boat and submarine construction, the island now is home to funky art installations, a bustling brewery and the Vino Godfather Winery, and some of the neatest views of humongous ship-building machines in the entire Bay.
EXPLORE >> On Sunday afternoons, the Mare Island Art Studios open their doors to show off paintings, sculptures and quirky marionettes, as well as gifts like driftwood talismans and upcycled clothing. Outside, you'll spot elaborate Burning Man creations, including a three-story Victorian house on wheels (110 Pintado St., Vallejo; mareislandartstudios.com). Alden Park is a totally unique, war-tinged oasis surrounded by dozens of concrete bomb shelters. You'll find military hardware, including a 28-foot, submarine-launched Polaris missile, exotic tree species planted by a 19th century Navy commander and an old wooden bandstand that's perfect to lounge in while admiring the weirdness of it all (Eighth Street at Railway Avenue, Vallejo).
EAT AND DRINK >> In the historic core lurks Savage & Cooke with its chic iron-and-wood vibes and Southern fried chicken, shrimp and grits, pimento cheese and fluffy buttermilk biscuits. The distillery, which is connected to the restaurant, offers tours and whiskey and bourbon tastings by reservation (1097 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo; savageandcooke.com). Mare Island Brewing in the Coal Sheds is spacious enough to hide a blimp and thronged with locals enjoying projected sports games, foosball and darts, and an outdoor beer garden overlooking the industrial Napa River. The on-site Pie Wagon serves burgers with loaded bakedpotato salad, shrimp louie, seasonal hand pies and other tasty delights (850 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo; mareislandbrewingco.com/ coal-shed).