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By Root 709 0

village and a Hollywood Western set—imagine San Francisco reduced to toy dimensions. The seacoast town rambles over a series of green hills and ends up at a spindly, multicolored pier on the waterfront, like a Fisherman’s Wharf in miniature. In reality, it’s an extremely plush patch of yacht-club suburbia, as you’ll see by the marine craft and the homes of their owners. Ramshackle, color-splashed old frame houses line Main Street, sheltering chic boutiques, souvenir stores, antiques shops, art galleries, and dockside restaurants. Other roads are narrow, winding, and hilly and lead up to dramatically situated homes. The view from here of San Francisco’s skyline and the islands in the bay is a good enough reason to pay the precious price to live here.

Although there is a hotel in Tiburon, I wouldn’t recommend staying there: It’s a 1-block town, and the hotel is very expensive. There are no hotels on Angel Island. Both destinations are better as day trips.

Essentials

Ferries of the Blue & Gold Fleet ( 415/705-5555; www.blueandgoldfleet.com) from Pier 41 (Fisherman’s Wharf) travel to both Angel Island and Tiburon. Boats run on a seasonal schedule; phone or look online for departure information. The round-trip fare is $15 to Angel Island, $8.50 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under. The fare includes state park fees. Tickets to Tiburon are $11 each way for adults, $6.75 for kids 5 to 11, and free for kids 4 and under. Tickets are available at Pier 41, online, or over the phone.

By car from San Francisco, take U.S. 101 to the Tiburon/Hwy. 131 exit and then follow Tiburon Boulevard all the way downtown, a 40-minute drive from San Francisco. Catch the Tiburon–Angel Island Ferry ( 415/435-2131; www.angelislandferry.com) to Angel Island from the dock at Tiburon Boulevard and Main Street. The 15-minute round-trip costs $14 for adults, $12 for children 5 to 11, and $1 for bikes. One child 2 or under is admitted free of charge with each paying adult (after that it’s $3.50 each). Boats run on a seasonal schedule, but usually depart hourly from 10am to 5pm on weekends, with a more limited schedule on weekdays. Call ahead or look online for departure information. Tickets can only be purchased when boarding and include state park fees. No credit cards.

Angel Island and Tiburon.

What to See & Do on Angel Island

Passengers disembark from the ferry at Ayala Cove, a small marina abutting a huge lawn area equipped with tables, benches, barbecue pits, and restrooms. During the summer season, there’s also a small store, a gift shop, the Cove Cafe (with surprisingly good grub), and an overpriced mountain-bike rental shop at Ayala Cove.

Angel Island’s 12 miles of hiking and bike trails include the Perimeter Road, a paved path that circles the island. It winds past disused troop barracks, former gun emplacements, and other military buildings; several turnoffs lead to the top of Mount Livermore, 776 feet above the bay. Sometimes referred to as the “Ellis Island of the West,” Angel Island was used as a holding area for detained Chinese immigrants awaiting admission papers from 1910 to 1940. You can still see faded Chinese characters on some of the walls of the barracks where the immigrants were held.

The 1-hour audio-enhanced open-air Tram Tour of the island costs $14 for adults, $13 for seniors, $9.50 for children 6 to 12, and is free for children 5 and under; schedules vary depending on the time of year. Tours generally run at 10:30am, 12:15pm, and 1:45pm on weekdays, with an additional run at 3pm on weekends and holidays. But check in at the Cove Cafe upon arrival on the island for current day’s tram schedule.

Guided Segway tours of the island are available as well, March through November. The 21⁄2-hour interpretive tour circles the island’s paved Perimeter Trail and costs $65, plus a $3 processing fee. Tours leave at 10:30am and 12:30pm daily. All riders must be 16 years and older. To make tour reservations call 415/435-3392 or visit www.angelisland.com.

During the warmer months you can camp at a limited number of reserved