The weather in Alameda this past week (until Saturday, anyway) was amazing. The morning sun was bright, warm, and the pesky morning overcast was absent. It was even warm enough for my human companion to ditch his Siberian fur hat (complete with ear flaps) and ski gloves.
With such great weather, I decided to check out the interface between the San Francisco Bay and our island paradise. From a geographical perspective, it is hard to determine where the Bay actually starts. Checking out Google Maps didn’t help much either and I saw no reason to contact the U.S. Geological Survey to get the definitive answer. After all, this is a blog about my adventures and I’m not an authority on topography.
From the map, it seemed like Towata Park would be the logical starting spot, but when I got there, it did not feel like the body of water there was part of the Bay. Looking across the water to see the Harbor Bay Club did not seem “Bay-esque” enough for a Bay view. I concluded it was a channel and made the editorial determination that for the purposes of this report, the Bay starts at Broadway.
This spot is in the middle of the Elsie B. Roemer Bird Sanctuary, which is maintained by the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD). They manage the entire section of the beach known as the Robert W. Crown State Memorial Beach. There’s a nice plaque describing how Elsie saved this area from development in the early 1970s.
The folks at EBRPD do a great job of managing the beach and maintaining the bathrooms and water fountains. There are also a few educational plaques explaining about the importance of intertidal zones and controlling invasive species.
Speaking of invasive species, someone needs to tell the EBRPD that canines are not an invasive species prohibited from the beach, and that we should have some small section of the beach so we can romp in the water. Apparently, the park folks are not into partying either, because there is a sign posted banning any martinis with olives on the beach. My human companion was left wondering if that includes both the original gin and the more recent vodka versions or not.
As I was walking along the path, I found a strange contraption that my human companion though was something called a “pay phone.” I looked at him as if he was crazy. There was no touch screen and the part you hold in your hand was connected by a cord to the box attached to the ground. How could you talk and walk at the same time? Oh—another thing. One has to put money in this “phone” in order to make it work. I have never seen anyone put money in their cell phone. Besides, there isn’t even a place to put a debit or a credit card. This was definitely NOT a phone.
Further down the road, I saw a building with a big “BOWL” sign and thought I would stop to get a quick snack. I searched everywhere and could not find a bowl of food anywhere. There wasn’t even the scent of food in the area! What gives?
Is it just me, or is the signage located at the intersection of Shoreline Drive and Grand Street a bit confusing. Bike Lane, NO U -Turn, DO NOT ENTER, and a small “Except bike” signs all converge at this location. Question: can a cyclist make a U-turn here?
The end of Shoreline Drive marks the border of the Crab Cove section of Crown Beach which seems like a good place to end this report. There is a kite board/windsurf/standup rental place there, and you can enjoy a nice view of the San Francisco skyline.
Next week, I will head into the Crab Cove section of the park…that is, if they will let me in.
In case you are wondering what happened to the dock is in the “Dock of the Bay” title, catch my report next week to find out!
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.
