STORY INDEX
Itineraries, what to do, points of interest, restaurants, hotels, and background info, sorted by region. Napa Valley | Sonoma County | Marin County | Mendocino County | Paso …
Places/Activities
Great Marin County Hikes
Experience Marin’s pastoral soul on the coast and inland on a dozen-plus strolls. Generations of residents have lobbied, volunteered, and donated land to preserve Marin County’s open space. …
Great Marin County Hikes – Steep Ravine to Matt Davis Loop
Start near the water or in the forest for views of ocean and redwoods. A major crowd-pleaser and deservedly so, this 7.3-mile loop begins in Stinson Beach and heads …
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Great Marin County Hikes – Coastal Trail to Bass Lake and Alamere Falls
Oceanview trek’s sensory pleasures reward at every turn. This hike north of the town of Bolinas follows a section of the Coastal Trail to Bass Lake and Alamere Falls. …
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Great Marin County Hikes – Olompali State Park
Grateful Dead, Janis partied in this now-sedate Novato setting. On a sunny summer Saturday when other Marin County trails are bustling with hikers, fewer than a dozen people might …
Great Marin County Hikes – Dipsea Trail
Route of longtime Mill Valley–Stinson Beach race isn’t for the timid but rewards perseverance. With 688 stairs in the early going, an incline later on known as Insult Hill, …
Great Marin County Hikes – Tennessee Valley
One of the county’s easiest hikes is also among its most appealing, especially in springtime, when wildflowers bloom. Given that a planned community of about 20,000 people was proposed …
Hotel San Luis Obispo
New boutique hotel charms guests with eco-friendly touches and minimalist style. During a recent stay at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, I wasn’t particularly pining for Healdsburg but …
Allegretto Vineyard Resort Paso Robles
Palazzolike perch delivers casual yet refined luxury. Paso Robles’s future as a glamorous wine destination arrived a few years ago in the form of this beautifully realized resort …
Great Marin County Hikes – Rodeo Lagoon Trail Loop
Photo ops abound in shorebirds’ natural habitat. Egrets, blue herons, ducks, and other wildfowl inhabit the oval-shaped Rodeo Lagoon. The 1.5-mile, well-maintained loop trail rings the inlet, marked …
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