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Pack
a picnic lunch, sunscreen and some layers. Indian summer brings
ideal conditions for a spin north up the California coast.
Youíll
find the roadtripperís requisites along Highway One: jaw-dropping
vistas, markets and roadside stands, rolling pastures and sepia
hills. Toss in the mighty Pacific, and occasional sleeping seals.
Voila! Youíve got Northern California.
Autumn
brings fewer tourists to the coast, and welcomes crisp colors, deepening
skies and early-bird gray whales. Fog season fades with summer,
but start your trip past 11 to ensure that itís all burned off.
Roll north across the Golden Gate Bridge (orange, in fact.)
Crane your neck for the spectacular views, but do so safely - 42
million cars traverse the span each year.
Side-trips
options open up in Marin County: Upscale, boho Sausalito, famed
for houseboat living and fat city views; the craggy trails and scattered
military relics of Marin Headlands (415-331-1540), 54,000 acres
strong.
Continuing
north, follow signs for Highway One/Shoreline Highway. Hook a left
at the Mill Valley junction and start winding west into the canyons.
Bookmark
the turnoff for the Panoramic Highway, which twists up past Mount
Tamalpais on its way to Stinson Beach. At 2,571 feet, Mount Tam
is Marinís highest point, renowned for its 360-degree ocean and
city views. Base-camp at Mount Tamalpais State Park (415-388-2070),
where dozens of sites await on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Back
on Highway One, tranquility reigns at the Green Gulch Zen Recreation
Center (415-383-3134), a Buddhist farm and retreat center with
organic gardens, tea ceremonies, and Sunday meditation sessions.
Long-term stays available.
If
youíre toting the relatives, veer toward Muir Woods National
Monument (415-388-2596). Thick groves of 1,000-year redwoods
support thriving ladybug colonies and busloads of tourists, whoíve
been accessing its paved grounds since 1908.
Crowds
thin out at Muir Beach, a semi-circular sandy cove popular
with beachcombers and feasting families. Hit the cooler, or hike
any number of trailheads up and over the wind-swept ridges.
The
Coastal Trail ascends the steps north toward the Muir Beach Overlook,
a rocky outcropping and former World War II era battery. Sweetheart
posting, no less: ripe views sweep Point Reyes and the shipping
lanes toward San Francisco. On clear days, youíll spot the Farallon
Islands, 27 miles offshore. Book passage with the Oceanic Society
(415-561-6622) for boat trips to the biosphere preserve.
Highway
One leads from the overlook parking lot over the spine of a ridge,
through a series of curves clinging to the hillside. Both hands
firmly on the wheel here. Set below the highway on a table above
the ocean, Steep Ravine Environmental Camp (415-388-2070)
offers a closer look, courtesy of 6 campsites and ten primitive
cabins, a steal at $30 nightly. Trails spiderweb from here as well,
most notably north 1.5 miles toward Stinson Beach. Donít be shocked
by the all-over tans youíll see passing clothing-optional Red
Rock Beach.
Stinson
Beach is the Bay Areaís top beach town, and itís obvious why.
A 3.5-mile spit bowing from the cliffs around toward Bolinas Lagoon,
and Point Reyes National Seashore, Stinson has space and activities
for all comers.
Rent
a kayak at Stinson Beach Health Club, drown some worms, kick a football
or just kick back, on the beach or at one of 100 picnic sites. Culture
vultures can get their fix during the annual Stinson Beach Shakespeare
Festival (415-868-1115).
North
of Stinson, Bolinas Lagoon unfolds, its wetlands a bird sanctuary
harboring herons, pelicans, and sunbathing sea lions. Egrets rule
the roost at Audobon Canyon Ranch (415-868-9244), a private
rookery of four canyons that supports 90+ bird species.
To
reach reclusive Bolinas, donít look for road signs - locals
pull them down so quickly, the state quit trying. Swing left instead
at the junction by Olema Valley Ranch, the stately white farmhouse
just past Bolinas Lagoon. The turn comes quickly, but itís hard
to miss. (Just remember: If you reach Dogtown, youíve gone too far.)
Bolinas
defies commercialism, more or less, preferring to stay as much the
small hippie town as possible. Drive the back roads to view its
offbeat properties, the odd VW Microbus overgrown with bougainvillea.
A
handful of stores comprise Bolinasí downtown, set by the bend where
lagoon meets ocean, Replenish your trail mix at the Bolinas Peoples
Store, or dig into local history at the Bolinas Museum (415-868-2006).
Localspeak lives on at Smileyís Schooner Saloon (415-868-2006).
Last call already? Smileyís rents its cabins out back.
Activities
abound in Bolinas. Surf Bolinas rents gear and know-how (ask about
the offshore southerly break.) Ornithologists flock to Point
Reyes Bird Observatory (415-868-6655), past the Coast Guard
Station down Mesa Road. From the Palomarin trailhead at the Mesa
Road terminus, hike 3 miles to Alamere Falls, which cascades 50
feet over a lip onto the beach below. The intrepid can trek to Point
Reyes, or drive back out on Highway One.
At
Olema, explore the Epicenter, ground zero for the 1906 San
Francisco Earthquake. Walk the quake loop by Bear Valley Visitor
Center (415-663-1092), at Point Reyes National Seashore. Split west
from Highway One on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to access Point
Reyes attractions. Lunch in Inverness, or shuck your own at Johnsonís
Oyster Company (415-669-1149), a working oyster farm.
Kayakers
put in at Chicken Ranch Beach for smooth gliding on Tomales Bay.
It might get wiggly, though: beneath the waters churns the San Andreas
Fault, which separates Point Reyes from the mainland.
Donít
miss the hike to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, protecting seafarers
since the 1870s. The climb down ainít so bad, but those 308 steps
add up on return.
Stretch
in Point Reyes Station, a perfectly-scaled old depot town
turned boutique village. Marinís agrarian roots are evident, as
at Tobyís Feed Barn (415-663-1223), your hay bale and organic snack
chip stop. Crowds pack Bovine Bakery (415-663-9420) for good reason:
its fruit slippers are to die for. For a sturdier lunch, try the
Station House Inn (415-663-1515), well worth the wait for its courtyard
seating.
Cap
your day in Point Reyes Station, or continue further, toward the
dramatic Sonoma Coast.
Next:
Tomales to Mendocino
–
Jay Cooke is a San Francisco-based travel, food, and culture writer.
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