This is my last full day of my (anti)-Epic Speed trip, and describes my travels on January 18, 2015
Saturday morning, my one full day in the Bay Area with a Hostel switch I awoke to heading into the hostels dining room and being told we have too much Granola, eat it by the friendly Kayak club. I then pack up and leave my luggage at the front desk to have enough time to not rush on a morning of exploring the Marin Headlands before the Hostels formal check-out time. I start by heading out on the Lagoon Loop to enjoy some of the sounds of the waves of the Pacific Ocean.
I then decide to start climbing up into the highlands and looking at my primitive map decide on a 6 mile loop up to the top of Hill 88. Hill 88 is supposed to have impressive views except it was completely fogged in. At the top though the abandoned former military buildings were really spooky in the dense fog.
The trail heading down:
I then stopped at the visitors center and decided to head south a bit towards the Point Bonita Light house, it didn’t open until Noon so I leisurely walked down there and leasurely waited for the volunteer guides to get there and let us go through a really neat pedestrian tunnel and over a wooden pedestrian bridge to view the historic light house that on a clear day would have had a spectacular view of the Gold Gate Bridge. Again just fog today.
Marin Headlands has terrible cell phone service. I kept mine in airplane mode, not wanting to kill the battery. I checked it again at the lighthouse to a text from an old friend of mine who lives in Berkeley but I thought was away through tomorrow but turned out to be back today.
This means it’s time to leave the beautiful Marin headlands and head over to Berkeley.
I walked out past the lighthouse, walking quickly knowing but time the bus would be passing. It passed me as I neared the hostel with some extra time built in to head on another route deviation (the bus goes first towards the hostel and the lighthouse before making a second, smaller deviation where the actual terminus is before heading back towards San Francisco). I dash back to the hostel, grab my bag, running to just catch it at the Stables, on time at 1:33.
I pay cash this time, getting a generous 2.5 hours of travel time on my MUNI Transfer (their supposed to be for an hour and a half). It’s a much faster ride with an impressive view of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge over the fog that is finally clearing. I get off after leaving the bridge to transfer to local Route 28. I board this bus (since all are POP) the driver is a bit confused by this since I don’t tap anything so I flash my transfer. His reponse is to make sure I’m on the right bus. I’m staying at the HI-Fisherman’s Wharf and take this bus to the last stop before walking up the hill into Fort Mason. Fisherman’s Wharf is a total tourist trap but there is something really nice about staying in the old army fort that feels very parklike.
My bed is ready so I drop my luggage off, charge my phone and take a well needed shower after my hiking. I then head down the hill to the otherside and use the same transfer for a ride on MUNI Route 30 down Stockton Street to Powell Street–(7 Photos). There I get on BART.
I’m running early, the next train to come with the ridiculous 20 minute on the two operating route headways is to Dublin/Pleasanton. I take this train and notice the new BART map, the new peoplemover to Oakland International Airport is depicted as just a regular BART line:
so I decide I might as well head to Berkeley via the Coliseum Station–(9 Photos) to get some photos (without leaving Regular BART fare control) of the new BART to OAK Peoplemover–(23 Photos) (who’s official name I’m not even sure of). I get there and have a good fifteen minutes, getting some photos of the peoplemover from the BART platform and also take the footbridge over to the entrance to the peoplemover that has its own dedicated faregates (you actually leave the BART system, paying the Oakland International Airport $6 fee before you board and head to the airport).
I then head out to Berkeley–(19 Photos), getting there about 15 minutes early and getting more of a complete photo essay, I also find the creepy corridor to it’s platform elevator that is outside of fare control.
After a nice dinner and a movie I get back on BART at Berkeley, make the timed transfer at MacArtur and head to Embarcadero–(3 Photos). I find these step aside areas on the platform interesting.
From there I decide to take the F Market Street Line heritage trolley back to Fishermans wharf (paying another $2.25 MUNI fare) and climb the hill back up to my hostel in Fort Mason.