O Explore Jack London’s Bay Area O
Legendary author, Jack London, was known for setting his novels in adventurous settings like the Yukon Territory and the High Seas but London’s formative years, and his final years, were spent in the
Bay Area.
Born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland, and eventually settling down in Glen Ellen, 100 years after
his death it is still easy to visit sites that played important roles in the famous author’s life.
This 3 day itinerary provides a guideline for visiting the three cities that shaped his life and just may
inspire you to “discover your call of the wild”.
San Francisco Day One
Jack London began his life in the developing metropolis of San Francisco on January 12, 1876. Flora, Jack’s mother, never content for long
in any spot, moved the family 4 times in the first three years of Jack’s
life. Visit the location of their first home at 615 Third Street between
Bryant and Brannan. The home was destroyed by fire in 1906 however
a plaque marks the birthplace and original home of the noted author
on what is now a branch office of the Wells Fargo Bank. Tour the Bernal Heights area to get a sense of Jack’s second residence which was
probably located on Gunnison Ave near Precita Ave. While there is no
address for this home or the third historians note the third dwelling was a
Courtesy of Huntington Library
six room flat on Folsom Street opposite the old plaza. 920 Natoma Street was the 4th and final location of the London residences before moving to Oakland in 1879.
Before you go house hunting however we recommend you develop an appreciation for Jack’s love of
the sea. Jack’s passion made him a frequent sailor of San Francisco Bay. At Pier 39, take a five hour
whale watching and wildlife adventure tour on a catamaran with a marine biologist. You will board the
65 foot Kitty Kat, the most advanced vessel for a wildlife expedition in San Francisco. Make sure you
bring your camera because as you sail under the Golden Gate Bridge you’ll be awed by vistas of Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, and Point Reyes National Seashore much as they appeared 100 years ago.
Watch for sea birds, sea lions, Dolphins, porpoises and humpback, blue or killer whales depending on
the migration season. Sign up for a tour by visiting Viator.com
Complete the day with Jack’s favorite foods: oysters with steam beer on the wharf before heading to
North Beach to enjoy Jack’s particular favorite: duck and Italian spaghetti. Panta Rei, Acquolina, Pantarei or Globe Restaurants are all good choices for imbibing!
Jack London Square and the City of Oakland Day Two
Though he was born in San Francisco, London grew up in the city of Oakland, just across the bay.
Start your tour at Oakland’s City Hall. In 1917, a year after London’s death his widow, Charmian,
planted a coast live oak here. The anchor and focal point of the city’s Civic Center Plaza, this oak
is meaningful to the city on several levels: It’s a particularly beautiful specimen of the trees that lent
Oakland their name, and an image of this tree appears at the center of Oakland’s city logo.
From City Hall, head about one mile down Broadway to the
waterfront and your next destination, Jack London Square.
By all accounts, London lived a rough-and-tumble life in
Oakland, spending much of his time on the waterfront working as
an oyster pirate and sailor. His adventures would later inspire his
work, including his 1904 novel, The Sea Wolf.
Today, the port of Oakland is still a busy, working waterfront,
though it’s better known now for the bustling square that fittingly
bears London’s name.
Courtesy of Huntington Library
Follow in London’s “wake” by exploring the “high seas” with
an adventure on the San Francisco Bay aboard the Bay Voyager. The 90-minute “Touch of Gold”
excursion offers views of Oakland and San Francisco: Jack London Square (where the tour begins),
the Port of Oakland, Golden Gate Bridge, the USS Papanito (a WWII submarine), and the SS
Jeremiah O’Brien (a WWII Liberty ship). The three-hour “Bay Hopper” trip visits those sites and more,
providing an in-depth guided tour of the bay and venturing further out past the Golden Gate Bridge.
A more intimate water experience is found with California Canoe & Kayak, where you can try standup paddle boarding, kayaking, and other waterfront adventures.
At the foot of Broadway, overlooking the water, don’t miss the life-sized bronze statue of a young Jack
London, created by artist Cendric Wentworth.
From there, get contemplative and head over to Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon. Opened in
1883 and constructed from the timbers of an old whaling ship, the saloon looks much the same today
as it did 100 years ago when London was a fixture there.
Now registered as a National Literary Landmark, this was one of London’s favorite places to sit and
write notes for his future books. In fact, London was such a regular presence at the saloon that the
establishment’s owner, Johnny Heinold, reportedly lent him the money for his first year’s tuition at
U.C. Berkeley.
Just outside Heinold’s sits Jack London’s Cabin, a recreated model
of the cabin London lived in during his time in the Yukon. You may
also notice a string of distinctive wolf tracks on the pavement outside the saloon and cabin. The tracks mark the path of the Jack
London history walk, which highlights points of interest in the stories
of Jack London, the city of Oakland, and its port.
Once you’ve filled up on the area’s history, delve into its present with dinner at one of the numerous
restaurants filling Jack London Square today.
Stay close by for the night by checking into the Waterfront Hotel. Right in the heart of Jack London
Square, this modern, nautically-themed hotel seamlessly incorporates the Oakland waterfront’s
culture and heritage with a sleek, bright atmosphere.
Sonoma and Glen Ellen Day Three
From Oakland, hop on I-80 E and quickly merge to 580 W, until you hit Highway 101 N, eventually
merging onto CA-37 E. After about eight miles, switch over to CA-121 N, continuing onto Highway 116
and onto Arnold Drive heading north into Glen Ellen. This tiny town is really more of a modern-day
village. However, what Glen Ellen lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm, not to mention
history: Jack and Charmian London moved to little Glen Ellen in the early 1900s, seeking a natural
respite from urban life.
Today, visitors still come to Glen Ellen for more or less the same reason, though there are considerably more modern amenities in town than there were in London’s day. To sample the lux side of the
backcountry, stop in for a dinner of oysters and martinis at the Glen Ellen Inn, or lamb meatballs or
house-made cavatelli pasta at the Glen Ellen Star.
You could check in for the night at the “secret cottages” at the Glen Ellen Inn and you’ll have an easy
walk home after dinner. The private cottages at this little spot abut the Sonoma Creek and come
decked out with high-end touches like fire places and Jacuzzi tubs.
As an alternative, the nearby Jack London Lodge is a great pick for vintage décor at reasonable
prices; the inn’s attached Jack London Saloon drives the turn-of-the-century charm home with an
antique polished-oak bar and a collection of London photos and memorabilia.
Jack London State Historic Park
Wake up this morning ready to get in touch with the Great Outdoors. Glen Ellen’s landscapes and
lifestyle inspired much of London’s later writing, including his novel, Valley of the Moon, and today
you’ll find out why. From downtown Glen Ellen, drive one mile uphill on London Ranch Road; at the
top of the hill you’ll come to Jack London State Historic Park.
London bought several adjoining farms on this site at the beginning of the 20th century, combining the
parcels of land to form his “Beauty Ranch”. London died in 1916, and after Charmian died 40 years
later, the Beauty Ranch land was preserved in Jack’s memory at her request.
Today, it’s still easy to see the marks the London’s left on the land here.
From the park’s entrance, start out by following
signs for the House of Happy Walls museum.
Charmian lived in this stately fieldstone building
until 1955; today it’s a museum dedicated to her
husband. The museum is filled with the couple’s
former possessions, first editions of London’s
books, and special exhibits.
About one-third of a mile further down the
same path, you’ll come to London’s gravesite.
Courtesy of Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
Before he died, at the age of 40, London asked
Charmian to bury him in a grassy knoll here, and to cover the grave with a big red boulder. After
Charmian’s death decades later, her ashes were laid to rest in the same place.
The boulder on the London’s’ gravesite comes from the ruins of the Wolf House, which is located a bit
further down the same path. Begun in 1911, the Wolf House was to be Jack and Charmian’s dream
home. The house, though, was destroyed by a fire in 1913 before the London’s were able to move in.
All that remains of the house are the ruins. Set against the verdant trees and grassy hills of the
surrounding landscape, they are hauntingly beautiful.
Other trails will lead you to the Beauty Ranch areas of the park. When he was still alive, London
dreamed of turning his ranch into a model farm where he could raise livestock and grow fruits,
vegetables, grains, and wine grapes all on one property. London pioneered sustainable farming long
before it became a standard practice in Sonoma County.
Though London died before his dream could be fully realized, visitors can still find evidence of his
impressive efforts. Make sure to take a look at the two cement silos London designed personally,
wander around the still-intact stone barns where he kept his horses and marvel at the innovative “Pig
Palace”, a 17-pen piggery that cost London $3,000 to build in 1915.
Over the summer months, the Transcendence Theatre Company transforms the Beauty Ranch’s
winery ruins into an open-air stage with its hugely popular Broadway Under the Stars series.
Finally, don’t miss the London’s’ cottage,
where they were sleeping the night a fire
consumed the Wolf House. The woodframe cottage was restored in 2006 and is
decorated in a manner reflecting Jack and
Charmian’s bohemian lifestyle. Docents are
available to interpret the history of the place
and to highlight paintings, sketches, and
photos from the London’s personal collection.
Back in the town of Glen Ellen, the London
name is still widely revered today. The Jack London Village, located inside a historic building that
was once home to a gristmill, makes for lively stop. Today, this 19th century building houses shops,
restaurants, and wineries.
One notable winery in Glen Ellen is Benziger Family Winery, located next to Jack London State
Historic Park; it is known for bio-dynamic winemaking and offers vineyard tram tours.
In the neighboring town of Kenwood, Kenwood Vineyards produces a series of Jack London wines
from grapes grown on Beauty Ranch (including Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel)
with – appropriately – a wolf gracing the label.
Visit the winery to pick up a bottle, then head back to your inn to relax with a glass of wine and a copy
of the Valley of the Moon. It’s the perfect way to wrap up your time in Glen Ellen as London said:
enjoying “a quiet place in the country to write and loaf in and get out of nature that something which
we all need, only the most of us don’t know it.”
JACK LONDON STATE HISTORIC PARK
2400 LONDON RANCH ROAD
GLEN ELLEN, CA (707) 938-5216
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
WWW.JACKLONDONPARK.COM
Courtesy of Huntington Library
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