Photo Friday: Fleet Week in San Francisco

Blue Angels, San Francisco 2007

October is a glorious month in San Francisco. Our Indian Summer brings warm days with crisp blue skies. If you want to appreciate the beauty of the topography of the Bay Area, this it the time of year to do it.

October also means Fleet Week, an annual event when the Navy is celebrated with a steady stream of activities including a parade of ships coming into the bay and an air show featuring the Blue Angels. 2010 dates are October 7-12. If you have plans to be in the area with kids, there is good reason to be excited. In my family, this is our favorite weekend of the entire year.

Flying over Alcatraz

The Blue Angels fly all over the world, but there is something particularly awe-inspiring about watching them buzz San Francisco’s landmarks.

Flying over the Palace of Fine Arts

They practice Thursday and Friday before the official weekend air show. The practice flights are as amazing as the real thing. If you want to avoid some of the crowds, you can watch them early, although the start time is flexible on those days which means everyone just stands around waiting for them to show up.

Where to watch them fly is a matter of great local debate. Part of the excitement for us is the noise, so we like to go where we can practically see the pilot’s head.

Treasure Island

Pro: panoramic view of the the entire bay

Con: limited overhead flights and possible heavy traffic on the Bay Bridge

Marina

Pro: heart of all the action and the most noise

Con: limited views of flights in other areas of the city

Golden Gate Bridge

I’ve never watched it from there, but I’ve always wanted to. I would imagine that the perspective is amazing and they definitely fly overheard quite a bit. Walking vs. driving on the bridge to see them is essential.

Boat in the Bay

The other place that would be an insane vantage point is on a boat in the middle of the bay among hundreds of other boats. If you have any friends with a boat, beg and bribe to go out with them.

For more of this week’s Photo Friday posts, check out Delicious Baby.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended San Francisco family hotels

Favorite San Francisco attractions with kids

Favorite San Francisco Spring activities with kids

San Francisco Bay Area summer camps