Vallejo Adventure: California’s Gateway to Thrills, Culture & the Bay Area
A family vacation without breaking the bank
It’s my last winter break before college and we’re en route to Vallejo. Dad drives while Mom and my younger sister, Sarah, catch up on sleep. They’ll need the rest: I promised Sarah a roller-coaster marathon when we hit Six Flags, and she’ll hold me to it. We have a long weekend and big plans ahead of us.
Our family has always wanted to explore the Bay Area, but saving for college and the general expense of life took precedence. Earlier this year, Sarah wrote an essay about the shipyard on Mare Island, and the research led Sarah to discover more about coastal Vallejo: it’s home to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, accommodations are reasonably priced, and it’s just a quick ferry ride to San Francisco. We found our solution—mom and dad were thrilled.
And so was I. High school is quickly coming to an end—only one semester and a short summer lie between now and me moving away for college. Pretty soon, I’ll be devoting weekends to college visits, filling out applications, and writing admittance essays. Family vacations will be harder to plan, and even harder to pull off, once I no longer live under the same roof—everyone will be on different schedules. It may never be like this again, so I was determined to live up each and every moment of our weekend getaway in Vallejo.
Welcome to Vallejo
As the sun sets, the first thing I see as we pull into downtown Vallejo is Georgia Street. The main drag is populated by brick buildings, boutiques and restaurants. Couples, hipsters and families walk in and out of doorways belonging to brightly lit galleries, dimly lit pubs and quaint cafés. Twinkling lights decorate the trees on many of the Downtown streets.Sarah is taking Snapchat videos through the window as my mom spills out random facts.
“Vallejo was formerly our state capital,” Mom says. “Twice, actually, before the capital landed back in Sacramento. And its founder was originally going to call it…”
“Eureka!” Dad chimed in.
“Yes, dear. Eureka.” Mom laughed. “But they ended up naming it after the town’s founder instead, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo.”
Mom is a treasure chest of statistics, facts, and stories about all of the places we’ve visited. Once each destination is decided, she begins her homework. I can’t say it’s not useful.
A look into history
We do a quick breakfast at the hotel and get an early start on the day. We’re headed to Mare Island, the location of the shipyard Sarah wrote about; it was in service until 1996.
We walk through the doors of the Mare Island Museum and are immediately transported to Vallejo’s past. Established in 1854, the shipyard at Mare Island was the first of its kind on the West Coast. Exhibits featuring hundreds of artifacts chronicle the shipyard’s history, from the Civil War to the Cold War.
Sarah tells me, “During WWII, this shipyard became the largest ship construction and repair site in the world. It was the economic engine of early Vallejo, and by the end of the war, they had produced more than 15 submarines and 300 various other ships.”
“What’s next, Caterpillar?” I ask Sarah, calling her by an old childhood nickname.
“Show me the way, Butterfly,” she replies in the same fashion. I’m going to miss this call and response.
We browse old photographs and learn of a true love story that emerged here. A young Marine was hospitalized on the island and met a Navy yeoman during his recuperation. They fell in love and got married in the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel. They came back to renew their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary. It’s easy to see how love could blossom in such a beautiful place.
Adrenaline junkies
When we arrive at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom the next day, Sarah and I have a plan: ride as many roller coasters as possible and catch an animal show. And the best part? Mom and Dad want to join the marathon.
“You snooze, you lose!” Mom says to me, as her and Dad snag the front two seats on Medusa, the longest and highest coaster in Northern California. Before I can respond, we shoot off toward a 150-foot hill, a 150-foot drop, and a 128-foot vertical loop. One thing I can say confidently: my parents are the reason I’m up for new adventures—like college.
Next, we go to Odin’s Temple of Tiger to see proof that some cats can swim, and actually like getting wet. Odin, the namesake, is a magnificent white Bengal tiger that became famous for his underwater diving skills. He spends his days sunning in an enclosure now, so the show we stay for is to see a female Bengal tiger, named Akasha, take the plunge. Her bold stripes capture all our attentions as she dives and swims in the crystal-clear water. She carries herself so gracefully, and with no fear—I feel inspired all over again. After the show, we hop on a few more coasters before taking our leave.
Sarah jumps on my back for an impromptu piggyback ride.
“Can you still carry me, Butterfly? Am I too heavy?”
I laugh. “No, you’re good.”
“Good, cause I’ll always have your back, bro,” she gleefully says while hugging me tightly.
A day on the bay
We take the Vallejo Ferry—a smooth, speedy ride—to San Francisco and begin our final vacation day on the bay. It’s about a 55-minute trip, and it goes quickly as soon as the city’s skyline comes into view (the anticipation made more intense with each familiar building outline). We’re soon docked at the Ferry Building Marketplace—our exploration of the city on-foot begins immediately. We begin with PIER 39. Mom and Sarah enjoy hopping from one store to the next while Dad and I take in the bay views.
“Isn’t it something?” he says as he composes a shot of a two-tiered Venetian Carousel. The shutter clicks and he says, “Hey, look—I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”
“When you graduate this spring. It doesn’t matter what path you take, as long as you are happy, and are creating something of your own. It’s going to be tough on your own at first, but I know you’ve got the ability to handle it.” he says.
Dad’s right. I’m nervous, but just as excited for the next big adventure of my life. We smile at each other. “Come on, let’s go find your mother and sister.”
We take the RocketBoat for a thrilling, high-speed tour of the city’s historic waterfront. For 30 minutes, we all cling tight to the boat restraints, and each other, through every wild twist and turn the captain takes in the speedboat. We get a nice hair tossing, but still crave more action on the bay, so we catch a tour of Alcatraz. We’re so glad that we made advance reservations, since no trip is complete without a visit to the infamous prison, once known as the toughest penitentiary in the U.S. Back on the main land, we head to Fisherman’s Wharf to eat some delectable crab at The Franciscan Crab Restaurant before catching the ferry back.
It’s late afternoon when we board. Sarah naps on Dad’s shoulder while Mom dives into another book on her tablet. For the first time all weekend, I’m alone. I watch the city once again disappear in the fog, and Dad’s words from this morning really begin to sink in. I am overcome with a feeling of determination, but also gratitude.
I may not know exactly what lies ahead after graduation, but I know that as long as I have my family—and memories of adventures such as this—I’ll continue to be inspired to seek out more.
Make Vallejo your basecamp for exploring the Bay Area and set your itinerary.