Weekend out of San Francisco
Replies: 13 - Last Post: Feb 20, 2013 3:17 PM Last Post By: kenko
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Weekend out of San Francisco
HiI have a weekend free at the end of February when I am in SF (Friday night to Monday morning). Having seen a lot of the city I'm thinking about renting a car and getting out of the city. Thoughts are to drive north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin and beyond or alternatively drive south down Route 1 towards Santa Cruz. I'd appreciate any thoughts on the choice ad places to see and stay.
Interests are scenery, history, small towns, wildlife. I've stayed in Sonoma and really liked it....looking for somewhere else like that but ideally on the coast.
Thanks (in advance!)
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I highly recommend Mendocino village, taking Highway #1 north through Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay, mouth of Russian River (maybe stop at either Bodega Bay or Guerneville for lunch), to spend the night in Mendocino. Mendocino was the backdrop Maine whaling town for Murder She Wrote TV series. It originally was a California whaling town and there are souvenirs and sites reminiscent of that history. During the whale migrations, you can spot them from the cliffs. You can also go a few miles north of the village to Jughandle Creek State Park to see the stunted pygmy trees caused by the Labrador tea leaves leaching acids into the soil, causing calcified hard layers that roots cannot penetrate. There are roses and pitcher plants (insect eating) in bogs. In the village of Point Reyes Station, you will see the baby poultry -- chicks and ducks plus rabbits, in the Feed Store. I think that Audubon Canyon Ranch opens in April or March, but you will still see birds and waterfowl nearby at Bolinas Lagoon, just north of Stinson Beach. There are nesting great blue herons and snowy egrets at Audubon Canyon Ranch, plus trails throughout the ranch to see the wildlife. If you like oysters, Tomales Bay at Point Reyes has oyster farms and fresh oysters, depending on the season.3
I forgot to mention that at the north end of Bolinas Lagoon is a narrow, country road going west to the village of Bolinas. You will then see the sign pointing to world-renowned Point Reyes Bird Observatory, where you may watch the ornithologist interns capturing songbirds in mist nets and identifying them and banding them before releasing them back into the wild.At Point Reyes Station, Lucas Valley Road eastward about one mile will take you past Skywalker Ranch film studios owned by George Lucas.
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I would recommend driving south. Santa Cruz is great, but also fit in Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. If you have time, Hearst Castle is also worthwhile.5
Can't lose either way.If south, see if you can snag a room at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove.
Don't miss Point Lobos park just south of Carmel Valley en route to Big Sur.
Trekker's trek north is perfect as well.
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Highway #1 through Pacifica can be dismal with fog. (I don't have my notes on the tilde -- Anyo Nuevo Beach has the elephant seals.)I lived at Point Reyes Bird Observatory for a couple of months, when I was volunteering banding birds. I also did rent a room in a cottage in Stinson Beach for a couple of months during the Spring, when I volunteered as a Docent on weekends at Audubon Canyon Ranch. I have not be in the area for a number of years, but there may be more motels at Stinson Beach nowadays. Bodega Bay may also have more motels. There may be a few motels in the small communities north of the Russian River, such as Stewart's Point, Anchor Bay, Albion, and Gualala. There are a variety of lodgings, some quite expensive, in Mendocino village.
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If you decide on the route north, you'll undoubtedly drive Hwy. 1 up the coast. On your way back, consider cutting inland via Hwy. 128 through the Anderson Valley. If you like wine, there are great vineyards and tasting rooms, and if you like beer there's a great brewery to tour. Boonville (pop. 1,035) is largest town in the Anderson Valley, and is famed for having once been so remote that it developed a local dialect, Boontling.13
Sonoma is a great town-- Healdsburg is iconic also, although it is inland north of Santa Rosa about 12 miles.I like the casual coastal town of Gualala- very relaxed and casual. Mendocino is more touristy but very photogenic. Other great sleepy small coastal towns are Little River, Albion and Elk.
