Archive for North Bay Sightseeing
October 5, 2008 at 3:45 pm
· Filed under North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged West Marin b&b, West Marin ca, West Marin cafe, West Marin coffee, West Marin culture, West Marin english pub, West Marin kids, West Marin pelican inn, West Marin restaurants, West Marin Shopping, West Marin stinson beach
Coast
Marin CA
Eclectic and bucolic, the western part of Marin County is one of the most protected natural areas of the United States. The people who live here are funky, yet sophisticated. Some of the key highlights are the Pelican Inn at Muir Beach for an authentic English pub and B&B, Stinson Beach for some true California beach culture, the cult town of Bolinas (take your first left once you pass the lagoon just north of Stinson Beach – the locals tend to chop down any highway signs pointing visitors to their little hamlet…also keep an eye out for egrets and herons along the way) for a little 1960’s throwback hippie culture, and Point Reyes Seashore for one of the best places on the West Coast to watch the annual whale migration in the winter (it’s also one of the windiest spots you’ll ever experience).
www.pointreyes.org
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 5, 2008 at 3:37 pm
· Filed under North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged America's oldest lighthouses, Marin Headlands, Marin Headlands Visitors Center, Point Bonita, Point Bonita Lighthouse
Coast
Marin CA
P: 415.556.0560
One of America’s oldest lighthouses is just a short drive from San Francisco. They offer special sunset and full moon tours, too! Take the Marin Headlands exit which snakes directly west of the Bridge. Fore more information about things to see and do in this area, stop by the Marin Headlands Visitors Center at Bunker and Field Roads.
www.nps.gov/goga/mahe/pobo/
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 5, 2008 at 3:35 pm
· Filed under North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged Giant Redwoods, Giant Redwoods bay area, Giant Redwoods california, Giant Redwoods hiking, Muir Woods, Muir Woods ca, stinson beach
Coast
Marin CA
P: 415.388.2596
This area of majestic redwoods is often overly crowded, but still a worthwhile destination. Take the Muir Woods/Stinson Beach (Hwy. 1) exit off of Highway 1 in Marin, then follow the signs. As you leave the park, if you take the Stinson Beach turnoff, you’ll find a charming little pub called The Pelican Inn, a good spot to stop for lunch and a pint of bitters. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.
www.nps.gov/muwo/
www.bestofbayarea.com
Web Directory – Events Calendar – Newsletter
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October 5, 2008 at 3:34 pm
· Filed under Dog Friendly Parks, Hiking, North Bay, North Bay Sightseeing, Outdoor Activities ·Tagged marin hiking, mount tam hiking, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Tamalpais hiking, Mount Tamalpais maps, Mount Tamalpais ranger station, mount tamalpais sightseeing, Mount Tamalpais walking, Mountain Home Inn, mt tam, mt tam hiking, pantroll ranger station, Sleeping Lady
Mill Valley
The crown jewel of Marin, the “Sleeping Lady” is a 6,200 acre park and considered to be one of the “power” energy spots of Northern California. It’s a great spot to mountain bike, hike, or just gaze at the bay area from 2,000 feet above sea level. A couple of the highlights are the Mountain Home Inn (801 Panoramic Drive; 415.381.9000) for brunch and the Pantoll Ranger Station for great 360 degree views.
www.bestofbayarea.com
Web Directory – Events Calendar – Newsletter
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October 5, 2008 at 3:29 pm
· Filed under North Bay Restaurants, North Bay Shopping, North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged ark row, downtown tiburon, Downtown Tiburon ca, Downtown Tiburon shopping, guaymas, sam's anchor cafe, Tiburon ca
Tiburon
Tiburon is the last bastion of homegrown stores in Marin. Without a chain in sight, Main Street is a collection of pricey boutiques, eclectic shops and historic buildings. The nicest thing about this neighborhood is how walkable it is (plus the view of San Francisco are spectacular if you go into any of the dockside restaurants like Guaymas or Sam’s Anchor Cafe). Look for Tiburon’s Ark Row further down Main Street, a borough that in the 1890’s was a houseboat neighborhood.
www.tiburon.org
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 4, 2008 at 4:54 pm
· Filed under North Bay Shopping, North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged Downtown Mill Valley, Downtown Mill Valley shopping, Mill Valley ca, Mill Valley cafe, Mill Valley coffee, Mill Valley maps, Mill Valley parking, Mill Valley restaurants, Mill Valley shopping, Mill Valley stores
Mill Valley
Sunnyside and Miller Avenues
This former mill town has become a hotbed for bourgeois bohemian families. An off mix of laid-back attitudes (middle-agers playing hackey sack in the town center) and Yuppie lifestyles prevails here. Browse the cute little boutiques, have a latte at the popular Depot coffee house and bookstore, and do some great “only-in-Marin” people watching.
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 4, 2008 at 4:52 pm
· Filed under North Bay Sightseeing ·Tagged Dipsea hiking trail, Dipsea Trail, Dipsea Trail hiking, Dipsea Trail maps, marin co hiking, stinson beach
Mill Valley
One of the best-known rural running races in America is the annual Dipsea race that takes runners from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach in Marin County. The trail is about 7 miles long and traverses some incredible terrain. It is the most interesting and difficult run in the Bay Area, partly due to the 676 steps that you have to climb at the start of the run. It passes through Mount Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods National Monument, the Golden Gate Recreational Area and deposits you at the beach so it truly is an opportunity to see the finest diversity of nature in the Bay Area, assuming that you don’t pass out from exhaustion. We recommend doing this run with someone who knows the trail or with a guidebook. We’ll tell you how to start but the rest is up to you and your guide or guidebook. In downtown Mill Valley, go down Throckmorton and take a left on Cascade Drive with the Old Mill Park on your left. The beginning of the Dipsea Trail looks like a driveway that is straight ahead as Cascade begins to bear to the right. Go up that stairway and it will soon lead you to the dreaded stairs. Good luck!
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 4, 2008 at 4:50 pm
· Filed under Misc, North Bay Sightseeing, San Francisco Sightseeing ·Tagged Angel Island, Angel Island biking, Angel Island hiking, Angel Island tours, Biking Angel Island, Biking on Angel Island
Biking on Angel Island
Angel Island
Jump on a ferry from Tiburon and explore the “jewel” of San Francisco Bay. With an incredible history as a civil war fort, an immigration center (the “Ellis Island of the West”), and more, you’re bound to have a day of adventure. You’ll find extensive hiking and biking trails, picnic facilities, a cafe, beaches, and great photo spots of San Francisco and Alcatraz. Call 415-435-2131 for ferry information and 415-897-0715 for park information.
angelislandferry.com
www.bestofbayarea.com
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October 4, 2008 at 1:12 am
· Filed under Biking, North Bay Sightseeing, San Francisco Sightseeing ·Tagged Bike to Sausalito
Embarcadero
1937 Lombard Street
San Francisco CA
P: 415.567.1192
Whether you are an avid bicyclist or not, you’ll enjoy this alternative way to experience the Golden Gate Bridge. Rent a bike at Holiday Adventures (1937 Lombard Street; 415-567-1192) and ask them the safest way to the Bridge (stay off the busiest streets). Ride across the Bridge and down into Sausalito on a road that is windy and slightly dangerous for kids. Once you get to the flatlands of Sausalito, ask where the ferry terminal is on Bridgeway in the middle of town, and take a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf (then, there’s that last part of riding back to the bike store which is sort of a bummer but bask in the knowledge that you just traveled over one of the world’s leading tourist icons).
www.bestofbayarea.com
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