Angel Island: Ellis Island of the West

It was only a 15 minute drive from my pit stop in Mill Valley to Tiburon...where I would be catching the ferry to Angel Island State Park.  I had picked up a sandwich from the grocery store for lunch since there really isn't much on the island.  I parked my car in a lot about a third of a mile away.  It was only $5 for the day, so it was worth the short walk.  When I arrived at the ferry dock, there was only one small group with kids waiting.  Within the hour, many bike riders showed up, as well as more kids and more people.  Because of the sheer number of ferry goers, it took awhile to load up.  While I was waiting, I spotted a California sea lion in the water eyeballing the activity.

We left Tiburon a bit late, but it was only a short 10 minute ride to Angel Island.  I'm not much of a boat person due to my propensity for motion sickness.  Thankfully, it was smooth sailing and I enjoyed the ride.

After disembarking, I was waiting for the shuttle to take me to the United States Immigration Station (USIS) when I noticed a female Canada goose proudly strutting around with her brood of eleven goslings! 

It was only about five minutes to the USIS, which from 1910 to 1940 served as the equivalent to Ellis Island on the East Coast.  The station processed immigrants from the Far East, and imprisoned World War II POWs from Germany, Japan and Italy.  By far, the greatest number of foreigners staying at the USIS were from China, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  This legislation prohibited immigration by certain nationalities, and the station barracks housed such people until they were either granted admission or deported.  Newcomers to the island arrived at the wharf and after processing were assigned a bunk at the barracks.

Of much interest in the barracks are the Chinese characters...which are actually poetic verses...carved into the walls.  At the time, attempts were made to fill in and paint over the poems, but the detainees just kept replacing what was erased.  Another interesting thing was the paint itself...it's the original stuff!  Visitors are asked to refrain from touching any of the painted walls to help preserve them.  Oh, and that's the original leaded paint, too. 

While I was waiting for the shuttle for the return trip to the dock, I noticed some grass with pretty seed heads.  Always looking for a photo opportunity!

During the shuttle ride, I saw the ferry approaching from Tiberon.  It had been overcast all day and while admiring the view from the ferry, saw the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in misty clouds.

Tomorrow, I'm going to spend the day among the redwoods.  I love big trees...sequoias, redwoods and my own backyard red cedars.  Only two more days of road trip fun...