About two hours’ drive from EDH, western Marin County beckons with rolling hills, farms and dairies, pounding-surf beaches, and a sparkling bay that brings the scent of the sea on the cool breeze. This region is close enough for a day trip, and perfect for a summer weekend getaway. July temps in West Marin might not even reach 70 degrees.
Anchoring West Marin is Tomales Bay, a narrow inlet off the Pacific Ocean that borders Point Reyes National Seashore and extends about 15 miles along an underwater portion of the San Andreas Fault. Merely a mile wide with an average depth of 18 feet, the bay—an estuary—creates serene beaches, reedy marshes, and varying waterscape, depending on the tides. Highway 1 on the bay’s eastern side leads to the area’s renowned oyster farms and cheese purveyors. On the water’s western side, roads go to Drakes Beach and the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center, Point Reyes Lighthouse and Visitor Center, Abbotts Lagoon, Tomales Bay State Park beaches, Tomales Point, and other beaches and vista points. Ranch land abounds. Trails, too—the region is crawling with hikers and walkers. Pick up maps and learn about area topography, flora, and fauna at Bear Valley Visitor Center, outside the area’s hub town of Point Reyes Station. (Note: An approximately 20-minute drive west of the visitor center brings travelers to Limantour Beach, a popular spot for horseback riding, sunset-watching, and wildlife-spotting.)
Near Point Reyes Station, a couple of cheese options beckon. Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, a short jog inland, has a small storefront and a lineup of soft cheeses. At Marin French Cheese Co., tables beside a pretty lake make a nice place to enjoy its specialty triple crème brie, crackers, and other picnic goodies. Other cheese spots in the area include Point Reyes Farmstead and Tomales Farmstead Creamery. These outlets as well as the oyster farms in the area run tours, typically by reservation; it’s always worth checking to see if you can get a peek behind the scenes.
In town, don’t miss the Palace Market’s famous water buffalo milk soft serve, available in chocolate and vanilla (or swirled) from the deli in the back. Also in town: a bookstore, shops full of gift and garden items, Brickmaiden Breads, West Marin Culture Shop (The Farmer’s Wife sandwiches, Wild West Ferments sauerkraut, and other local goodies), and several good restaurants. Station House Café and Side Street Kitchen, both longtime favorites, have menus highlighted with farm-to-plate dishes created from locally grown and raised ingredients. Also in the middle of town, visitors will want to explore Toby’s Feed Barn, which is a community gathering point with a coffee-and-pastry kiosk, bright-colored Adirondack chairs for hanging out, an art gallery, and a store loaded with provisions. Toby’s also is the site of the Saturday morning farmers’ market, a hum of activity from May through September.
On the bay’s Highway 1 side, near Point Reyes Station, Heidrun Meadery’s tree-canopied lane leads to its bucolic, flower-laden grounds. In the charming tasting room, visitors will discover sparkling mead (wine made with honey), honey, and farm-related gift items. The outdoor patio and orchard areas are perfect for groups and picnickers. If your group is six or more, reservations are required. Take a walk out to the pollinator garden, and keep an eye out for the farm’s buzzing bee boxes. Tours take place Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and include a tasting flight ($56 a ticket; reservations needed).
In Marshall, Lodge at Marconi has 46 guestrooms, a beautiful honeymoon suite A-frame, Mable’s restaurant, and several event and conference spaces. Renovated recently, the property is luxurious retro-’70s style, with a communal fireplace among its courtyard paths—you’ll feel like you’re at camp while roasting marshmallows from lodge-provided s’mores kits. Two cozy reading rooms with mid-mod décor include paraphernalia from the site’s past as an early-1900s trans-Pacific radio center (thanks to inventor/property namesake Guglielmo Marconi). The lodge lies among the trees within the 62-acre Marconi State Historic Park, where trails wind through forest. A highlight is Tower Hill, a grassy meadow overlooking Tomales Bay. Watch for deer, turkeys, bobcats, rabbits, squirrels, and many types of birds. Leave the earpods back in the room; the birdsong is delightful. Lodge guestrooms include queen, double queen, king and combinations with twin beds, too; the property welcomes families and also is a popular wedding site. At Mable’s, diners will find inventive dishes including a number of spiced dips and a seafood stew served with housemade sourdough focaccia.
Nearby, oyster companies lure the hungry. The cool, clean estuary water, as well as its abundant plankton, make Tomales Bay a prime oyster farming region. At Tomales Bay Oyster Company, raw oysters are available to go only; plan to shuck and eat them elsewhere. Idea: Take them to the picnic tables in the meadow at Marconi State Historic Park.
At Hog Island Oyster Co. (named for the island near the mouth of the bay), get the bivalves raw to go from The Hog Shack window or make a reservation at The Boat Oyster Bar (Friday–Monday), which serves raw and barbecued oysters, charcuterie boards, and other seafood specialties outdoors beside the water. Hog Island Oyster Co. also runs Tony’s Seafood, a sit-down restaurant on the bay. Also in the vicinity is The Marshall Store, which serves oysters and other seafood with waterside seating.
On the western side of the bay, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard passes through the tiny communities of Inverness Park (the market makes creative sandwiches) and Inverness, site of the Point Reyes shipwreck (a deteriorating but picturesque fishing boat beached behind the grocery store). Kayaks from Tomales Bay Expeditions can be rented and launched at Tomales Bay Resort; their nighttime bioluminescence tours reveal the bay’s glowing plankton and other microorganisms with each stroke of the paddle.
The road continues toward the lighthouse—on the way, follow signs to North District Operations Center. Sounds boring, right? But you’re in for a treat: the cypress tree tunnel. A stand of Monterey cypress, one of the few tree species with the fortitude to stand up to area wind forces, arches over the road that leads to the historic Point Reyes Receiving Center. In 1929, this site took over for Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless telegraphy site in Marshall, and inside the Art Deco building, radio equipment, ship-to-shore Morse communications, and teletype—some dating to the World War II era—has been restored, and it still broadcasts on numerous frequencies. The center is open most Saturdays noon to 4 p.m. (visit the National Park Service website; search “KPH tree tunnel” to email reservations). On July 12, during the annual “Night of Nights” event, historic Morse code radio station KPH returns to the air to commemorate the cessation of commercial Morse operation in the nation. Radio buffs, visit the Maritime Radio Historical Society website for more info.
Farther out is Drakes Beach, with dramatic sandstone cliffs and the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center (open Friday–Sunday)—the highlight here is the minke whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. At the Point Reyes Lighthouse, more than 300 steps lead down to the lighthouse (and back up!). On a clear day, views from the lighthouse, visitor center, and associated observation platforms are unsurpassed—the wild ocean and brilliant sky, stretches of white-cliff-white-surf beaches, and sea lion clusters. Wind and fog can prevail (bring warm layers), and lighthouse stairs will be closed if winds exceed 40 mph, so plan your trip accordingly. This area is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
A number of hiking trails wind throughout the Point Reyes National Seashore, skirting Tomales Bay, and crisscrossing surrounding ridges and forests. A family favorite: the half-mile (one-way) stretch through the woods between Heart’s Desire and Indian beaches (the latter is accessible by foot or paddle only). Abbotts Lagoon trail (2.8 miles round trip) to an observation bench overlooking the peaceful lagoon (so many birds!) and out through sand dunes to the ocean beach. At Tomales Point trailhead, visitors can head for windswept McClure’s Beach and self-tour Pierce Ranch Historic Site to learn dairy farming history before hitting the trail (9.4 miles round trip) that cuts through the tule elk preserve and tangles of wildflowers and reveals spectacular views of Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, and the open, restless ocean.
Photography provided by Heidrun Meadery, Hog Island Oyster Co., Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Lodge at Marconi.
Tomales Bay is a sparkling estuary that brings the scent of the sea on the breeze.
Renovated recently, the property is luxurious retro-’70s style, with a communal fireplace among its courtyard paths.
On a clear day, views are unsurpassed—the wild ocean, white-cliff-white-surf beaches, and sea lion clusters.