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pricey bayside restaurants, antiques shops, and galleries you’ll see hamburger joints, ice-cream shops, and secondhand bookstores. Sausalito’s main strip is Bridgeway, which runs along the water; on a clear day the views of San Francisco far across the bay are spectacular. After admiring the view, those in the know make a quick detour to Caledonia Street, 1 block inland; not only is it less congested, but it also has a better selection of cafes and shops. Since the town is all along the waterfront and only stretches a few blocks, it’s best explored on foot and easy to find your way around.

Essentials

The Golden Gate Ferry Service fleet, Ferry Building ( 415/923-2000; www.goldengate.org), operates between the San Francisco Ferry Building, at the foot of Market Street, and downtown Sausalito. Service is frequent, running at reasonable intervals every day of the year except January 1, Thanksgiving, and December 25. Phone for an exact schedule. The ride takes a half-hour, and one-way fares are $7.45 for adults; $3.70 for youth 6 to 18, seniors 65 plus, and passengers with disabilities (50% off full fare); children 5 and under ride free (limit two children per full-fare adult). Family rates are available on weekends.

Ferries of the Blue & Gold Fleet ( 415/705-5555; www.blueandgoldfleet.com) leave from Pier 41 (Fisherman’s Wharf); the one-way cost is $11 for adults, $6.75 for kids 5 to 11. Boats run on a seasonal schedule; phone or log onto their website for departure information.

By car from San Francisco, take U.S. 101 N. and then take the first right after the Golden Gate Bridge (Alexander exit). Alexander becomes Bridgeway in Sausalito.

What to See & Do

Above all else, Sausalito has scenery and sunshine, for once you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, you’re out of the San Francisco fog patch and under blue California sky (we hope). Houses cover the town’s steep hills, overlooking a forest of masts on the waters below. Most of the tourist action, which is almost singularly limited to window-shopping and eating, takes place at sea level on Bridgeway.

Sausalito is a mecca for shoppers seeking handmade, original, and offbeat clothes and footwear, as well as arts and crafts. Many of the town’s shops are in the alleys, malls, and second-floor boutiques reached by steep, narrow staircases on and off Bridgeway. Caledonia Street, which runs parallel to Bridgeway 1 block inland, is home to more shops.

Bay Area Discovery Museum If you just can’t stand the thought of one more trip to Pier 39 or Fisherman’s Wharf and are looking for something else to do with your kids (infants to 8 years old), check out this museum. Located on 71⁄2 acres in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Fort Baker, the museum offers spectacular (jaw-dropping even!) views of the city and Golden Gate Bridge (you’re literally at the northern base of the bridge) and is also the ultimate indoor-outdoor interactive kids’ adventure. Tot Spot is tops for crawlers and toddlers (up to 42 in.); Lookout Cove is a 21⁄2-acre outdoor area with a scaled-down model of the bridge that kids can add rivets to, a shipwreck to explore, tidal pools, and lovely site-specific art; Art Studios splits kids into age groups 5 and under and 6 and older; and the Wave Workshop re-creates the habitat under the bridge. There’s even a small cafe that serves yummy, organic food far better than typical family-friendly fare. Remi Hayashi, a California Culinary Academy grad, is at the helm here, serving up Niman Ranch hot dogs, fresh sandwiches, panini, and pizzas plus a host of snacks. One thing to note: If you’re here alone with two kids of different ages, it can be difficult to navigate, as they do keep the little ones separate from the older ones in the Tot Spot. If you explain your situation, they’ll give your older one (12 and up) a “Tot Spot Helper” sticker and let them in, but they won’t be allowed to play and will have to stick by you. But if it’s a nice day, you can spend the whole time in Lookout Cove with both kids, have lunch outside, and still feel like you got your money’s worth.