Page 54 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to California

HIKE, BIKE,
EXPLORE
IDYLLIC MARIN
VISIT MARIN
Visitmarin.org
FIND YOUR OWN UNIQUE VIEW from atop
Mt. Tam, above; Stroll along quaint sidewalks
of Marin County, below.
MARIN COUNTY
The great outdoors, just minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge
With majestic Mount Tamalpais over-
looking Marin County, from its
Pacific Ocean shores to San Fran-
cisco Bay inlets, small towns nestled into
hillsides and a lively culinary and cultural
scene, there’s no question that Marin is one
of the most idyllic places in California.
Start with Tiburon, the county’s south-
ernmost town that looks as though it were
plucked from the Mediterranean coast with
its waterfront restaurants, shops and cafés.
Views of San Francisco are the backdrop for
sailboats that help Tiburon retain its salty
flavor as a historic shipbuilding center.
To the west are a string of Pacific coast
beach hamlets—Muir Beach, Stinson Beach,
Bolinas—where writers, poets and artists
whet their creativity and have long made
their home. One of California’s prime
protected havens of old-growth redwoods
lies nearby at Muir Woods National
Monument (reservations required, see
gomuirwoods.com).
West Marin:
Nature Lovers’ Paradise
Further west is West Marin, a paradise for
nature lovers. Point Reyes National
Seashore offers secluded beaches dotted
with sea lions and elephant seals, lush
forests and a picture-perfect lighthouse
clinging to the rocky coast. In winter, Point
Reyes is one of California’s top spots to view
gray whales on their annual migration.
Nearby are the blink-and-you’ll-miss-
them towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema,
B Y L A U R A D E L R O S S O
Inverness and Marshall, known for serving
locally-made cheese and fresh oysters from
the glistening waters of Tomales Bay.
Hikers and mountain bikers make a bee-
line for the trails of Mount Tamalpais, known
locally as Mt. Tam, where mountain biking
was born. A diverse terrain of redwood
forests, rolling hills, cascading waterfalls and
high trails and roads afford breathtaking,
top-of-the-world views of the Bay Area. It’s an
unforgettable experience for visitors, who, if
short on time, can take it all in by car.
Marin’s Small-town Charm
In central Marin County lie more than a
dozen towns—waterfront Tiburon, lush
Mill Valley and sweet San Anselmo and
Fairfax, among them—to enjoy with
acclaimed restaurants, boutiques and a vibe
that is quintessentially northern Cali-
fornian laid-back.
The sprawling Thursday and Sunday
farmers’ market at Marin Civic Center, in
the shadow of the county’s landmark Frank
Lloyd Wright-designed complex, is a one-
stop shop for local cheese, bread, fruit and
other beloved Marin foodie delights.
San Rafael, the county seat, is a thriving
cultural hub, home of the Smith Rafael Film
Center, art galleries, gift shops and the lov-
ingly preserved mission church—San
Rafael Arcángel—that dates from 1817.
A stroll along San Rafael’s lively downtown
hub is one more memorable experience of
Marin County, a place that seems to, simply,
have it all.
52 2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
MARIN CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU