I recently met a man from Sausalito. Although he has come to my hometown to visit me a couple of times, I haven’t had the chance to get to Sausalito (but will be going soon).
So, Marin County area dopers (or anyone else for that matter), give me the scoop on the area. Tell me what is so wonderful about the area.
Thanks!!!
Rich people live there. They have really good wine.
Sausalito is BEAUTIFUL!! Incredible views, lots of antique shops, great restaurants. Minus several thousand points on being quite close to San Quentin, but other than that, one of the nicest places in the bay area to live.
Sausalito is a pretty ritzy area. It’s small, it’s right across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The downtown area is very touristy, but there are a lot of nice boats around there, the views are very nice, and it’s very convenient to San Francisco without some of the drawbacks of actually being IN San Francisco.
So basically, I need to do some serious clothes shopping before I get there and read the most current “Food and Wine.”
Anything that is a real must to see while I’m there, either in SF or the Marin area?
BTW, thanks for the input.
Actually no. On both counts. You should be yourself. You may wish to do some clothes shopping of the Oh good grief it’s COLD here variety, since I notice your location says Florida. When the fog rolls in, which is often, it’s about 50 degrees and a very damp 50 degrees at that. However, I think you’ll be far more comfortable with good walking shoes and clothing that you are happy in. There are more tourists than locals in Sausalito and the range of clothing styles & formality is quite wide ranging throughout the SF Bay Area.
As to what you should do while you’re visiting depends on what your interests are. If you like wine, a visit to wine country (about an hour or so away) is a very nice thing to do. You can try different things, you don’t have to be knowledgeable at all, it’s about what you like. It’s also a nice drive up there and a chance to get warm if the fog doesn’t leave the bay. SF has great museums. There’s a Marc Chagall exhibition up at the Museum of Modern art if you like that sort of thing. I think Alacaraz is a great experience. Golden Gate Park is very nice, esp the Japanese Tea Garden there. There is good variety of shopping, plays, musicals, dining of all kinds. Marin is more private and outdoorsy. Although they also have good shopping in several places.
Whatever you do, you’ll have fun, esp seeing as how you’ll have a local guide with ideas of his own.
grumble hamsters … didn’t even know it didn’t post!
Ok, try again … this way you get the less wordy version, anyway!
First, rich people in Marin County isn’t the same image as the rich people image I saw in Fla. or anywhere else I’ve been on the east coast. Think GQ Hippies, kinda, but more modern and upscale than that. So no worries on the "gotta dress myself and be a walking encyclopeida of wines and foods, naw… WAY more laid-back than that.
Clothing… Figure there is a CHANCE you’ll be able to wear Florida summer clothes in the daytime, Maybe. Most likely you’ll want Florida fall and Florida winter clothes. While it could be 100 degrees at my house, next week, it will probably be in the 70’s in Sausalito, in the day time, and cold to nearly cold at night. AND, when you go to Alcatraz, the boat ride WILL be sweatshirt + jacket cold, most days.
Things to do:
ABSOLUTELY go to Muir Woods. It’ll be nearly in your back yard from Sausalito, the Redwoods are amazing. Not to be missed. And as you walk among them, think along these lines … a lot of the propagation of Redwoods is from burls or new sprouts from exitisting root systems. That means those 500-700 year old trees your walking among, are the “baby sprouts” from much older root systems. They are lovely. There is a short paved path, if you don’t like to walk much, and several Wonderful trails to walk if you Do like to walk. (45min - 3 hour loop trails, all well mapped)
For some odd reason, Alcatraz is one of my favorite ‘tourist’ things to do in the city. Your friend will have to make reservations ahead of time. It is a great tour. I’ve been 8 times. (That was finally ‘my fill’ … now I let my visiting friends go on their own.)
China Town, while difficult, if you’re actually trying to get somewhere, and have to go through it, is a VERY interesting drive through or walk. Facinating cultural cross section.
Callestoga is also within a day-trip range, with natural hot springs, and hot mud baths. Very relaxing. Lots of other spa type treatments, and cute little shops and some nice restaurants. If you’re going for the spa stuff, it’s worth it to get a room and make it an overnight.
That’s a bit. Again, the dress code in the San Fran area is “wear what you like.” No Matter What you Wear and no matter Where you Go, there will be someone there dressed more “up” than you are, and there will be someone there dressed more “down” than you are. Period. Even in the restaurants in the Bay Area, wear what you like. With the exception of some of the $100/plate and up places, those are a bit more dressy.
Just come and enjoy!
Marin county has one of the highest costs of living in the entire USA. It also has some of the highest property values in America. Along with that comes some of the most beautiful scenery in Northern California. Sausalito is a charming little artists colony and tourist trap just north of the Golden Gate bridge. From its slopes one may view some of the most stunning vistas of San Francisco to be seen in the entire bay area. Take the ferry to Angel Island and enjoy a picnic lunch after some brisk hiking upslope for more smashing views of the city.
In between Sausalito and the northern foot of the Golden Gate is an odd little one lane tunnel that will take you out to Fort Cronkite. If the wind and tides have been kind, you may find yourself walking on a beach largely composed (in parts) of tiny jade pebbles. Be sure to head uphill to the Point Bonita lighthouse. Situated at land’s end, the Pacific Ocean opens up before you as you stand on the lighthouse’s observation platform. On the surrounding hills, old gun emplacements were meant to repel any invasion of the bay. Much later, Nike Zeus interceptor missile installations were located nearby.
Stop off at both ends of the Golden Gate bridge. This great engineering masterpiece is one of the best known landmarks in the world. The north plaza features a new bronze sculpture saluting our military seafarers. At the southern foot are beautiful gardens and a cross-section of one of the main support cables. The wires running through these yard thick cables would circle the earth three times. Nearly a mile long, its twin support towers are taller than the Washington Monument. The roadbed is designed to sway a total of 27 feet and withstand a broadside of 100 MPH winds.
San Francisco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It has a wealth of museums and some of the finest dining in America. The recently opened Asian Art Museum has one of the finest jade collections. Assembled by Avery Brundige during his tenure as head of the International Olympic Committee, it contains fabulous specimens of the carver’s art. Golden Gate Park is just one of the famous parks that combine to form the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This is one of the most visited park systems in the entire country. Larger than New York’s Central Park and once consisting largely of sand dunes, it is now home to fantastic flower gardens. The Strybing Arboretum, Japanese Tea Garden and Conservatory of Flowers contain thousands of specimens. The Academy of Sciences is in the heart of the park and houses the Steinhart Aquarium. With 165 aquatic tanks and thousands of specimens from around the world it is a premier facility that supports ongoing research projects and seasonal exhibits.
San Francisco’s Chinatown district houses one of the largest Asian communities in the United States. Visit Sam Woh for good Chinese food in an authentic jook noodle house. Open until 2:00 AM it is the classic after hours dive. Be sure to sample the pinnacle of Southern Chinese cuisine known as dim sum. Waiters will trundle past your table with carts full of the most scrumptious little dumplings and plates of steamed vegetables. Wander through the herbal medicine shops and look at the jewelers offering jade for sale. Almost everything is overpriced but worth window shopping for.
The San Francisco bay area is one of the most diverse regions of any in the entire nation. One hundred miles north is the Napa wine country and home to incredible dining experiences. Up the coast is windswept Point Reyes seashore. Oyster farms and quaint country stores offering fine cheeses from the local dairies make this a beachcomber’s paradise. Another hundred miles north is the artist’s colony of Mendocino and farther inland you can go canoeing on the Russian River. Art and wine festivals go on all through the summer and galleries abound. Bring a camera because you will run out of adjectives trying to describe the scenic natural beauty to your friends back home.
And if you’re worried about what to wear, then head off to Black Sands Beach and wear nothing!
(and the views of the SF skyline will give you something to look at while averting your eyes from your fellow beachgoers.)
But seriously, the road that winds up and down the hills on the east side of the Marin entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge, past the often crowded initial lookout spot, is dotted by many nice and secluded beaches (including Black Sands) with some excellent views of SF and the Pacific.
Thanks everyone for their input. Seems like a wonderful place and I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Zenster, does the Chamber of Commerce know about you? Thanks for all the hard work and links!