Fort Point Under The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge in The Presidio
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Fort Point and Crissy Field in The Presidio is a spectacular open public space recreation area with a long stretch of green grass where it once housed a number of temporary buildings for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition during World War I, and where seaplanes such as Pan American Airways’ historic China Clippers were known to land along the shore. Crissy Field later became an aviation field for the US Army military airplanes to protect the San Francisco Bay which closed after 1974, and is now operated and managed by the National Park Service for all to enjoy. Fort Point is a masonry seacoast fortification, it’s construction began soon after the Mexican-American War in 1853 and was later used during the Civil War. The Fort is a fabulously preserved part of San Francisco military history and is registered as a National Historic Site. Nestled literally under the Golden Gate Bridge, the Fort is open to the public and depending on what day you visit, you may find Civil War reenactments or even find yourself playing a role in the reenactment. Alfred Hitchcock filmed one of the scenes from his movie “Vertigo” at the edge of the Fort with the Golden Gate Bridge as the back drop, and with some Hollywood artistic licensing, steps were added into the water allowing Jimmy Steward as John Ferguson to more easily jump into the frigid water and rescue his costar Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster.
3 Photographs From Inside Fort Point and One From Outside Corner of Fort Point where Hitchcock filmed one of the scenes from “Vertigo”
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The fort is open to the public and for better or worse, it commands large crowds, some coming in tour buses. But as with most San Francisco destinations, it is less crowded on weekdays. Parking is limited unless you park further East along Crissy Field and walk back to the Fort which is not a bad idea since you will want to explore every inch of this entire area. And walking is the best way to take in the beauty of this park where you will be amazed by the inspiring views looking from the West to East, the Golden Gate Bridge to the Sausalito, Marin and Tiburon areas in the distance, to the isolation of both Angel Island and its history in West Coast immigration, and the infamous historical Alcatraz Island often celebrated in movies and folklore, and with the not too shabby backdrop of the East Bay. All this visual delight brings you directly to the Financial District and the Transamerica Pyramid Tower and the Bank of America Building in the background, with the Marina District in the foreground and if you peek really hard beyond the Financial District, you might even catch a glimpse of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. Coming back into view, from Crissy Field, you can clearly see the splendors of the Marina District and the spectacular classical architecture of the Palace of Fine Arts which was originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Until recently, the Palace of Fine Arts housed the Discovery Museum, it is now still the home of a grand theatre, and is the back drop of a splendid and tranquil Classical European garden and pond.
Artist Rendition of Crissy Field Looking Towards the Marina District, and a quiet tranquil scene at the Palace of Fine Arts
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Take a break from your hike and explorations of peaceful Crissy Field at the Warming Hut Café with a cup of java and some pastries, sip your coffee at the large open Torpedo Pier right outside the Café. You will find local families and their friends enjoying the Pier, fishing and crabbing with big huge crabbing nets. But watch your pastries, or you might find the local thieves in the form of both seagulls and pelicans taking off with your snack. It’s a common sight to see a recreational fisherman or crabber chasing after a gull who’s just snatched a price catch from their bucket!
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And of course, Crissy Field is one of the grand stages for The Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet Supersonic Jets air show during Fleet Week in San Francisco in October. After taking a break in 2013 due to budget cuts, the Blue Angels will once again zoom through the skies coming through the Golden Gate Bridge crossing the bay along Crissy Field in no more than a few seconds, and onwards between downtown highrise office buildings. Working in the downtown area during their death defying practice runs, I can honestly say they get so close to the buildings that you can almost touch them as they literally scream through. You actually hear them before you see them, having a top speed of over mach 1.7. Crissy Field is a perfect place to see these amazing supersonic jets, it offers “enough” parking during this event, but you still have to arrive early to stake your space as they fill up fast as it gets closer to show time. The venue is also large enough to allow everyone a good view of the jets as they perform their death defying acrobatics at speeds close to the speed of sound, and if you’re lucky, they may even entertain you with a vapor cone at transonic speed just before booming through the speed of sound. Literally with a loud audible boom! If you want to view The Blue Angels air show in San Francisco during Fleet Week from Crissy field, plan on getting out there around 11:30am to stake a comfortable claim on the field, spread out your towels, food, drinks, and assorted toys like a football or baseball or frisbee to keep you busy. Lay down, enjoy a nap, enjoy a book, enjoy the company of your friends and family, and enjoy the unmatched San Francisco views while you wait for the air show to begin. A number of other airplanes like the Team Oracle biplane and The Patriots Jet Team participating in the show will start to fly around 12:30pm. Just before the Blue Angels start to fly, you may be entertained by a United Airlines Boeing 747 flying so low to the Golden Gate Bridge you might even get an urge to call Homeland Security. But rest assured, it’s part of the show, at least for the many years I’ve attended. And just moments before the Blue Angels start to appear from the Sausalito and Tiburon skies, the Navy Aircraft C-130 affectionately known as “Fat Albert” will put on a dazzling show of acrobatics, flying at a 90 degree angle straight up towards the sky which is no small feat considering the husky build of the plane. My family and I have enjoyed watching the Blue Angels since my son was 2 years old, minus year 2013 when the Blue Angels were absent, my son is now 9 years old and the show is still one of the big events he looks forward to every year.
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