San Francisco Bay, seen from the Presidio.

When I spend a morning or afternoon at the Presidio introducing people to Andy Goldsworthy's Tree Fall, this is the view I have to the north. 

The big tree is the Centennial Tree planted by the U. S. Army in 1876 to mark America's 100th birthday. Since the Army still occupied this place in 1976, there is a Bicentennial Tree nearby.

The building with the red roof is the Visitor Center for the Presidio in its present form as a national park. Back when the Army was here, it was the brig. It still has the bars on the windows.

On the waters of San Francisco Bay, sailboats are out most any day when you don't see white caps. They seem to get along just fine with the cargo ships that come through on their way to the Port of Oakland.

The mountain is Angel Island, which was used to quarantine people from China after the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882. That law was in effect until 1943. Laws passed in 1952 and 1965 outlawed excluding people based on race or national origin.

The views to the east, west, and south are also interesting.