Day trip to Point Reyes
 

We made a foray out to Point Reyes yesterday for an all too brief visit. we had to deal with buying a car in the am and so our day trip got cut short).


Here are some updates on what's happening:

Wildflowers: still hiding although the Scotch Broom and some California poppies could be spied. The Coast Iris and all other flowers seem to be still "preparing to bloom".

The weather: still cold although clear. We did try to sit out at the Marshall Store(see below) and were pretty cold. Rains and cold are on the forecast for this area in the coming week.

Food:
We did go right to the Marshall store for bbq oysters. They were fantastic as always, IMHO, these are the best oysters to be had ready made in the area. We split a dozen
which are grilled with garlic butter and then dabbed with homemade bbq sauce. The customary Brickmaiden garlic bread was just as delicious as ever.

We did check out the menu at the new Italian place in Point Reyes Station(where the first Station House Cafe had been. (Sorry I can't remember the name altho I think it is Stellina). The menu is somewhat limited but looks good. It is filled with local products. The pizzas and pastas interested us the most. It is a white tablecloth place but it is still in PRS.

And, we did our customary shopping at Tomales Bay Foods. Cowgirl Creamery now has a small production of a cheese called Inverness which is much like a Goat Crottin
although made with cow's milk. It is only available at the creamery. It's delicious. It will be a great side with salad and bread. Shorty's produce had some nice greens just in from Star Route Farms. We also got a bag of Brick Maiden Croutons(the best ever).

Bovine Bakery: We picked up our loaf of Brick Maiden Whole Wheat and a few sweets.
I fought to resist picking up some blueberry scones.

Other than that: We did our drive by shopping at Toby's and Zuma and felt good to be back in Point Reyes. We took a quick peek at Spirit Matters in Inverness Park and ended up having a great talk with Nonni who owns the place. Dear spouse bought a fabulous Tibetan medical illustration for her office.

We saw hawks and turkey vultures. No pelicans until we were heading home. No red winged blackbirds either.

The area seemed pretty quiet for a Friday. Buy your gas somewhere else as we were desperate and paid $2.49/gallon for bottom line unleaded.

And for you locals: we ended up at Marin Joe's in Corte Madera and sat at the counter for dinner. It remains one of my all time favorites in Marin County. There's not a precious thing about it and it's still a damned good plate of food.

So now it's back to work(a three day stretch at the hospital) arrgh and thank god we both have jobs. This was a good day off and for anyone venturing to that area these are some good food ideas.

Love, love, love Cowgirl Creamery! Thanks for sharing your day with us!

the next time you are in marin and are looking for cheap gas, check out the arco station on redwood highway in mill valley.
the exit is seminary right off us101. you can see it from the freeway.
it is currently at $2.01

pam,
since you are a fan of artisan cheese, have you ever visited the rouge et noir cheese factory in west pt. reyes?
it is known for brie and camembert. they offer tastings and tours of the cheese factory.
you can also purchase the cheese and other deli items and have a picnic on the premises.
it is set on a small lake with picnic tables and ducks who are thrilled to see picnickers.
it is a wonderful place to stop whether you are on a bike ride or a leisurely drive in the
pt. reyes area.

Thanks for the report, I thought this was a beautiful area when we visited briefly last month.

Artisanal cheese at Point Reyes? Now they tell me. I guess we'll have to go back.

Oh I miss this area and I LOVE hog island oysters too! Wish I was able to go but alas, it's too far for a drive for us (from Houston, TX)!

Nice report but did you actually go out to the Seashore?

And how things change. I would have killed to be able to buy $2.49/gal gas six months ago.

Hmmmm....<I>have you ever visited the rouge et noir cheese factory in west pt. reyes?</I> Sorry, the rouge et noir, more commonly known as the Marin Cheese Factory is over by me,
just west of Petaluma. No way would I consider it biking distance to Pt. Reyes (unless I was Levi Leipheimer )and I think "west pt.reyes" might be out in the ocean
:)

So glad you had a nice trip to our favorite spot on the planet,
Pam. Oh ! and doncha love Marin Joe's !

R5