San Francisco - Alison Bing [204]
Bancroft Hotel ( 510-549-1000, 800-549-1002; www.bancrofthotel.com; 2680 Bancroft Way; r $149; 51 AC Transit) Traditional Berkeley at its best. This lovely 1928 Craftsman hotel has 22 simple, homey rooms that need updating, but they’re comfy. No elevator.
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MARIN COUNTY
Majestic redwoods cling to coastal bluffs while the thundering surf bludgeons new shapes into the cliffs. Miles of verdant trails crisscross the county’s west side, from Point Reyes National Seashore, through Muir Woods and up Mt Tamalpais State Park. Wine Country is a few freeway exits away, and even the furthest reaches of the county are within an hour’s drive of San Francisco. In the 1950s, a small group of Marinites blocked freeway construction up the coast and over Mt Tamalpais, and in doing so, preserved the spectacular landscape from development. Today, Marinites pride themselves on living the good life – Marin is the USA’s 11th-wealthiest county. Old-timers who got in before the booms of the 1970s and 1990s are a mishmash of ranchers, country folk and aging back-to-the-landers; newcomers pay a million or more for the privilege of settling here. On their surfaces the small towns look like idyllic hamlets, but shops cater to cosmopolitan tastes – no sane Marin restaurateur would dream of serving conventionally farmed produce. Marin’s main drawback is traffic: rush-hour traffic is s-l-o-w over the Golden Gate. But it takes more than traffic to stop us from visiting every chance we get.
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TRANSPORTATION: MARIN COUNTY
Distance from San Francisco Marin Headlands 10 miles; Sausalito 12 miles; Mt Tamalpais 14 miles
Direction North
Travel time 20 minutes to Marin Headlands; 30 minutes to Sausalito; 40 minutes to Mt Tamalpais
Car Take the Alexander Ave exit immediately after the Golden Gate Bridge. For Marin Headlands, cut left under the freeway. Turn right on Conzelman Rd, immediately before the southbound bridge entrance. For Muir Woods and Mt Tamalpais, continue north on Hwy 101 to the Hwy 1 exit (to Mt Tam follow signs to Panoramic Hwy, then exit on Pan Toll Rd and follow signs to Mt Tamalpais). For Sausalito, take the Alexander Ave exit and bear right.
Bus Muni bus 76 operates a Sunday service to Marin Headlands. Golden Gate Transit bus 10 runs from downtown SF to Sausalito, but take the ferry.
Bicycle Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head uphill on Conzelman Rd for Marin Headlands, down Alexander Ave into Bridgeway for Sausalito.
Ferry Golden Gate Ferries run between the Ferry Building in SF to Sausalito and Larkspur in Marin County. Blue & Gold Ferries run from Pier 39 to Sausalito, Angel Island and Tiburon.
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Orientation
Busy Hwy 101 heads north across the Golden Gate Bridge ($6 toll, southbound only), connecting the well-to-do communities of Sausalito, Larkspur and San Rafael. Bucolic Hwy 1 twists through sparsely populated West Marin, passing beauty spots like Muir Woods and Stinson Beach on its way to Point Reyes. (If you get carsick, beware Hwy 1. Eat crystalized ginger and wear motion-sickness pressure-point bracelets, or take Dramamine). Fuel up before heading towards the coast: once beyond Mill Valley, you won’t find gas before Stinson Beach, then Point Reyes Station. Hwy 580 connects Marin with the East Bay via the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge ($4 toll, westbound traffic only) and meets Hwy 101 at Larkspur. Avoid freeways during rush hour.
Information
Marin County Convention & Visitors Bureau ( 866-925-2060, 415-925-2060; www.visitmarin.org; Suite B, 1 Mitchell Blvd, San Rafael; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Handles tourist information for the entire county.
Sausalito Visitors Center ( 415-332-0505; 780 Bridgeway Blvd; 11:30am-4pm Tue-Sun) Offers local information and great historical exhibits.
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MARIN HEADLANDS
Immediately northwest