Vacation in Marin and Sonoma county, advice needed

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

My wife and I are going for 10 days or so in late July. We are quite familiar with the Bay Area having lived there for several years in the past and visiting at least once a year now (escaping the horror of living in SoCal). WE also take a couple trips up the Central Coast every year. However, we have explored Marin and Sonoma counties very little, so this will mostly be new to us.

We are tentatively planning on a few nights in Sausalito/Mill Valley area (will visit Muir Woods, areas with views of the Bay), 3-4 nights in Guerneville or Healdsburg area and 3-4 nights in Bodega Bay area, then a couple nights in Half Moon Bay before driving back home.

We have no kids or pets and are always looking for QUIET and PRIVATE accommodations in these areas. Usually we stay in vacation cottages whenever possible. We are looking for recommendations for cottages or quiet BBs or quiet hotels in these areas.

We love wine and wine tasting, but we are not connoisseurs and only like trying one or two wineries a day (We are not into swilling and spitting). Wine and food are not the focus of the trip however, and mostly we are into hiking, beachcoming, photography, exploring, etc.

Any recommendations (including money-saving ones of course!) you may have for us would be great! In addition to accomodations, we are interested in restaurant/take-out recommendations, as well as recommendations for wineries, hikes, beaches, bookstores, music stores (CDs and LPs) and the like.

Thanks!

 

[AdaBeansonFire]

There some beautiful cottages on Tomales Bay/Marshall CA.  Nothing beats being right on the bay and minutes from some of the best oysters around. And you are also just 30 minutes for Point Reyes for hiking.  We've stayed at the Poet's Loft and Bayglow cottage. I'm pretty sure that both are on AirBnB. They also have their own websites. Not the cheapest but they both have full kitchens so you can save money on meals. Have a great time!

[Glenstache]

If you want to be a bit more out of the way, you might skip Bodega Bay and head east from Healdsburg past lake sonoma to the Sea Ranch and Gualala areas and then head down the coast towards your destinations further south. If you stay in Sea Ranch, there is a lot of private coastline to walk and explore. If you are a lover of photography, the Alinder gallery in Gualala is worth a visit (Alinder was the last assistant to Ansel Adams).

[calimom]

Personally I like Armstrong Woods on the outskirts of Guerneville over Muir Woods. Less people, less hassle and the quiet beauty of the redwoods. Guerneville has some cool restaurants like Boon, and the same owners have a small hotel on the road to Armstrong (have not stayed there but looks nice). And if you're into kayaking, Burke's has rentals that will take you from Forestville to Johnson's Beach in Guerneville. There are lots of wineries in the Russian River Valley. Those more familiar may recommend a few. Most are lovely with beautiful landscaped grounds. Tasting fees may be charged, but waived if you buy wine. Healdsburg is nice to walk around, accommodations and restaurants are pricey.

In Marin, you can't go wrong taking Sir Francis Drake to the ocean. Pack a picnic and stop in the park along the way or at the water's edge. So many wonderful parks stretching from west Marin to west Sonoma. I believe parking passes are about $7. Lots of good hiking. Midweek is good. Inland, there's lots of damage from the wildfires of last fall, but the town of Sonoma is still largely intact.

Have a great trip!

[dragoncar]

If you want to be a bit more out of the way, you might skip Bodega Bay and head east from Healdsburg past lake sonoma to the Sea Ranch and Gualala areas and then head down the coast towards your destinations further south. If you stay in Sea Ranch, there is a lot of private coastline to walk and explore. If you are a lover of photography, the Alinder gallery in Gualala is worth a visit (Alinder was the last assistant to Ansel Adams).

Sea ranch is the bomb but don’t drive those seaside cliffs at night if you have a fragile stomach.  I’d guess half of those places or more are permanent rentals and they have a lot of competition since it’s a trek.

I’ve generally found all the options mentioned have good deals on Airbnb (or similar) if you choose dates wisely (I prefer off season)

[JoJo]

I also like airbnb for this area.  If you haven't used it before, there's a $40 off your first stay if you use my link here:  https://thehotflashpacker.com/airbnb/

I find the wineries have gotten pretty expensive for tastings (used to be a free drunk fest so they have cracked down).  I liked the tour at Korbel (sparkling wine).  This one used to be free, not sure now. 

Iterate the ideas of the coast & Muir Woods but the woods are crazy busy on the weekends so get there early.    for the coast, Point Reyes is great. 

[Rylito]

For the Sausalito/MV part of your stay, if you are planning to stay in hotels, all the hotels in Sausalito are lovely, although of course none of them are cheap.  The Sausalito Inn would be the cheapest, but may be the least quiet, since it's located right on Bridgeway near the ferry landing, which is hopping during the summer.  If it's in the budget, Inn Above the Tide is amazing with outstanding waterfront views that can't be beat, and a wine and cheese offering that could easily be your dinner for the night.  It is also very quiet despite proximity to the ferry landing.  Cavallo Point is another incredible place, with prices to match, and is out at Fort Baker so provides easy access to great hiking in the Headlands.

If you are looking into AirBnB/VRBO places, Muir Beach provides a lot of peace and seclusion, although its seclusion means you will have to drive everywhere else you want to get to, on a very twisty road.

Food: F3 and Saylor's have reasonable happy hour specials M-F.  Driver's and Mollie Stone's markets in Sausalito are pricy but have good take-out offerings.  Feng Nian has good lunch specials M-F and you can often find deals for Taste of the Himalayas on Groupon Plus.

If you plan to drive to Muir Woods, parking is now by reservation only.

[Sibley]

If you're interested in architecture at all, the Marin County administrative building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's a public building, so as long as you're not causing trouble you could walk around. They may even do tours, I have no idea.

[Glenstache]

+1 on Russian river. They are famous for Pliny, but I would reccomed a flight of tasters as many other offerings are good,

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Thanks for the excellent advice folks. Based on the advice, I think we will skip Muir Woods in favor of Armstrong. These areas along the Russian River, the coast, and small(er) towns (Healdsburg, Geyserville, Guerneville) look really wonderful--great quality of life, gorgeous scenery, tons of great wine, food, etc. In other words, the complete opposite of SoCal!

When my wife and I retire (Still a ways off), if we are still living in SoCal, getting the F out will be our very first priority. Some of our recent vacations have been partly with this in mind--i.e., scouting out possible retirement locales. We went to Ireland last year (can get citizenship due to Grandmother being born there and a citizen), partly with this in mind. Sonoma this year will be partly for that reason. I know the Bay Area is just about the worst in the nation in terms of cost of living, but further out in Sonoma county, buying (or building) a small house may work well for us. . .

Anyway, one thing that looks very cool is the Charles Schultz museum!

[dragoncar]

If you're interested in architecture at all, the Marin County administrative building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's a public building, so as long as you're not causing trouble you could walk around. They may even do tours, I have no idea.

Plus you can catch a rocket to Titan

[facepalm]

I live and work in Marin. I'll post up Marin recommendations first, then Sonoma.

Food and drink: If you like beer and brewpubs, I suggest giving Marin Brewing Company a try, they are located in Larkspur Landing. They have a great IPA and outdoor seating. They also have a sister brewery in Novato, Moylans. Food is only so so, but the beer is great. I'd also give Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax a shot. A bit out of the way but it is on Sir Francis Drake if you are heading toward the coast. There is also Lagunitas brewery in Petaluma, but I don't personally care for their beer. Pelican Inn at Muir Beach is a neat place to have a drink.

Breakfast: I can recommend Half Day Cafe in Kentfield and the Dipsea Cafe in Mill Valley. Also consider Theresa and Johnny's on fourth street in San Rafael (cash only) and the Crepevine, which is a little further up fourth street. There is also Lighthouse Cafe in Sausalito. All of these can be busy on weekends.

For lunch you have lots of options. I would definitely check out Sol Food in downtown San Rafael, they have the best Puerto Rican food in the area. Scomas in Sausalito had good seafood, can be pricy, but you can enjoy a meal right on the water. I also like Gott's in Greenbrae (The best is the St. Helena location, the original).

For lunch or dinner, I highly recommend the Station House Cafe in Pt. Reyes Station. Food is fantastic, and the popovers are outstanding, but popovers served only after 4. Pt. Reyes Station is a fun little town on Highway 1 that you should definitely check out. Further up Hwy 1 try Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Great oysters, shitty parking. Pizza here is a wash, and I'll skip recommending Mexican since your options are better further south.

These are all places that I eat at regularly.

Places to avoid: Marin/San Rafael Joes. Stinson Beach--shitty parking, but might be OK for an AirBnB.

Getting around Marin: Drivers here don't suck as bad as the drivers in the East Bay/South Bay, but can be very clueless. Hwy 101 north is crowded during the afternoon commute and comes to a standstill at the Novato narrows. Getting to the coast from 101 easy. Most people go through Mill Valley by taking Panoramic, if you were going to hit Muir Woods then drive to the top of Mt. Tam and head over to the coast that route is OK, but crowded on weekends. An easier route is taking Sir Francis Drake through Fairfax and Woodacre, eventually dropping in to Olema. Weekend traffic on HWY 1 can be thick, but weekdays are not bad. Another way to get to the coast is to take Novato Blvd. through Novato, and when it finally dead-ends go left and head toward PT. Reyes Station. On the way you can stop at the Marin French Cheese Factory, which is a nice spot of a snack or picnic. Speaking of cheese, Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes Station is worth a visit.

I'll add some places to visit next.

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Thanks for all the advice facepalm, will definitely check out some of those places! Station House Cafe sounds great!

We lived in the Bay Area for several years (Davis first, Pleasanton  later), and didn't find the East Bay drivers to be that crazy. We really enjoyed our time there.

Ages ago, we drove up north from SF to Marin on the Golden Gate Bridge and stayed the night in Stinson Beach. I could not believe how insanely fast the drivers were going around those curves north of the bridge--locals I guess who get sick of slowpoke tourists, but I am not a slow driver by any means! We also found Stinson Beach to have a very strange vibe. We stayed in a motel overnight. My wife said it reminded her of some little town from a horror movie in which all the locals are hiding some horrific secret and they have to kill any outsiders who find out!

Have also heard strange things about Bolinas--i.e., that the highway signs pointing to the town are invariably taken down. I guess I don't blame them in a way, but still kind of strange. I am a bit curious about the town because of the Bill Evans piece "Hullo Bolinas".

If you were to retire in Marin or Sonoma county and were looking for an affordable small house, what would you recommend?

[facepalm]

Thanks for all the advice facepalm, will definitely check out some of those places! Station House Cafe sounds great!

We lived in the Bay Area for several years (Davis first, Pleasanton  later), and didn't find the East Bay drivers to be that crazy. We really enjoyed our time there.

Ages ago, we drove up north from SF to Marin on the Golden Gate Bridge and stayed the night in Stinson Beach. I could not believe how insanely fast the drivers were going around those curves north of the bridge--locals I guess who get sick of slowpoke tourists, but I am not a slow driver by any means! We also found Stinson Beach to have a very strange vibe. We stayed in a motel overnight. My wife said it reminded her of some little town from a horror movie in which all the locals are hiding some horrific secret and they have to kill any outsiders who find out!

Have also heard strange things about Bolinas--i.e., that the highway signs pointing to the town are invariably taken down. I guess I don't blame them in a way, but still kind of strange. I am a bit curious about the town because of the Bill Evans piece "Hullo Bolinas".

If you were to retire in Marin or Sonoma county and were looking for an affordable small house, what would you recommend?

Happy to help. I was born in the City , but grew up in the East Bay (Walnut Creek) before moving to Marin (I have family here). East Bay drivers drive crazy fast on the freeway--85+ is the norm around Concord/Trivalley area nowadays. USed to be much more mellow therel. Highway 1 isn't bad really--yes, the locals drive fast, but don't let it bother you. More often than not, they just pass you. I get passed all the time when I am on the moto (across the double yellow) and pass others frequently.

Bolinas is more rumor and mystique than anything else--really just another sleepy coastal town. Surprisingly easy to find. The only thing worth seeing there is Duxbury reef at low tide. I'd skip it and spend time at Pt. Reyes instead.

Retire in Marin? What is your budget? At present, you can barely touch a tract home in Novato for less than 800K. South of that, expect to pay over 1 million plus for a very ordinary home. Marin is the very definition of a seller's market. The market is limited in terms of available properties, and some never even come up on MLS. The property next to mine sold for 650K+, was never even listed, and is a 3 bedroom condo. I'll be retiring in 5 years, and will more than likely head to Lake County or Grass Valley, if I stay in state. Still close to the Bay Area, but much more affordable. But if you ra form SoCal you already know the pain of unaffordable real estate. If I were to retire here I would live in San Rafael. It is the most diverse town and has the most going on, plus it has excellent access to heath care and services.

I attended UC Davis--loved it, except for the summers.

[dang1]

take Highway 1 north and spend a couple of nights camping in the middle of the week at Salt Point. Then to Point Arena lighthouse. Take Mountain View Road to 128 for the Anderson Valley wineries. Then 101 south. That should take a couple of days.

[dragoncar]

take Highway 1 north and spend a couple of nights camping in the middle of the week at Salt Point. Then to Point Arena lighthouse. Take Mountain View Road to 128 for the Anderson Valley wineries. Then 101 south. That should take a couple of days.

Wineries?  Psh...



Just kidding, I went to Paraduxx and it was pretty good.  Stole their lavender.