My dad’s little family library had Jack London novels but I never had any interest in spending time on London fiction. However, in my last trip to Turkey, I was catching up with a high school friend who happened to ask very detailed questions about Oakland and mentioned that he would love to visit one day to see where Jack London lived. It turns out that he is a big London fan. As soon as we finished our drinks, he took me to the nearest bookstore and bought me a little present, a Jack London novel: Martin Eden. I finally got to read it a couple of years ago and decided to make Jack London an excuse to travel around with my friends.

This route starts from San Francisco, makes a stop in Oakland and arrives in Glen Ellen, where the Jack London State Historic Park is. The route takes six to seven hours hours in total. Here is the Jack London Route:

Oakland

Jack London lived and attended school in Oakland which is what makes Oakland an important first stop of our route.

Arizmendi Bakery

“Worker-owned” bakery on Lakeshore Ave, Oakland. Although it has not much to do with Jack London, a quick breakfast from Arizmendi Bakery is a good start to the day.

Empowerment Park

As we are already in the Lake Merritt area, it is not a bad idea to get the breakfast to go and have it at the Empowerment Park with a nice lake view.

Jack London Square

Oakland has a nice waterfront which is where Jack London Square is. After passing a couple of ugly neighborhoods, we reach Jack London Square. It is easy to park here to take a walk at the waterfront.

Jack London Statue

The Jack London Statue is at the Jack London Square, unsurprisingly. The statue is big enough so it is hard to miss. Heinhold’s can be a good place to visit although it is temporarily closed right now.

Glen Ellen

At some point in his life, Jack London bought a ranch in Glen Ellen where he moved to spend the rest of his life. That is why Glen Ellen is our second stop.

Les Pascals Patisserie et Boulangerie

It is not a bad idea to grab a bite before entering the state park. Les Pascals on the Arnold Dr is a great place to take a quick break. It takes slightly longer than an hour to get there from Oakland.

Jack London State Historic Park

This park is very well taken care of with several “attractions” among which the Wolf House is the most interesting.

Despite all the controversies about Jack London’s activism, literature, and lifestyle, he has enough history in the Bay Area that can help you spend an interesting day and learn about important figures of the pre-tech Bay Area. ●