It isn’t every day that we get to tour Alameda Coast Guard Island for the tour. Last weekend, we had a yacht charter that included a party of twenty Coast Guard Veterans in town. We were lucky enough to join them. They met us at Pier 40 in San Francisco, giving us the opportunity to make our way across the Bay, taking the scenic route past Treasure Island prior to making our way past the cranes of the Port of Oakland.
Since Coast Guard Island doesn’t offer galley services, we docked at Brotzeit for lunch, feasting on their Wurst Platter with their house made Bockwurst, Nurnberger, Bratwurst, Wurzige, and so much more. What a setting! If we hadn’t been on a mission to tour Coast Guard Island, we would have stayed on their sunny dock and enjoyed the view of the water.
Since we could not dock at Alameda Coast Guard Island, we made our way by land for the tour. We started at Working Dogs, meeting a few service dogs as we walked past numerous memorials for the dogs who have given their lives for the country. From this spot on the water overlooking the Brooklyn Basin, we toured the north part of the island, taking a peek at Building 42, the original Supply Building. Then we headed to the Westernmost tip where we viewed remains of old rum runners seized during Prohibition just visible at the edge of the water.
Our next stop included a view the Cutters docked at the piers. Such amazing vessels! For many in our party the visit to Emlen Tunnel was deeply touching. Emlen Tunnel is the base gym, named for Silver Lifesaving Medal recipient and first African-American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The tour ended at Auxiliary Memorial, dedicated to the many volunteers from 1939 to today.
With their hearts filled with pride, our party of veterans climbed back on board Just Dreaming Yacht. With time on our side, we made our way around the bay, past Angel Island, Tiburon and Sausalito to watch the Sunset beneath the Golden Gate bridge. As we got back to Pier 40 we sent them off with a salute of thank you for their service.
