MANN FAMILY FARM- BOLINAS CA: Do You Know This Area?
 

My two older-20's daughters and their 85 yr old Grandma want to attend a cousin's wedding at the Mann Family Farm on Horseshoe Hill RD off Highway 1 in Bolinas, California.

We were looking for a hotel nearby for them to spend the night (the wedding is at 3:30 pm), but there don't seem to be any decent hotels closer than 10 miles away toward San Raphael. I'm not familiar with Hwy 1 up there, but in parts of California it is one or two lanes in each direction, far form straight and poorly lit at night.

Is Highway 1 like this in Marin County? Or will driving back to San Raphael at night be fairly safe and straightforward for the daughter who won't want to drink?

And how much time should they allow on a September Saturday to get from the San Francisco Airport area to Bolinas?

Thanks!

That's near Stinson Beach. Yes it's curvy winding roads. So slow, but luckily only a few miles. If they want to drive back to Marin or to San Rafael they might want to do it before dark.

This is probably their best bet: www.sandpiperstinsonbeach.com

Your best bet in Bolinas could be Air BnB, there are quite a few options.
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Bolinas--CA

The drive from the airport could take a while particularly if it's a sunny Saturday as they could be caught in the traffic going through Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. I would leave at least two hours.

Hopefully someone else will have an opinion too.

If they can't find a rental in Bolinas itself, I'd stay in Stinson Beach. I wouldn't want to drive back at night if one is unfamiliar w/ that road.

This assumes they can find Bolinas :-). Last time I was there, someone had removed all the road signs pointing to the village, apparently as a way to keep tourists out?

Good comment, Ackislander--Bolinas can be very tricky to find, as the local residents aren't fond of visitors.

I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to avoid nighttime driving in the area. When we stay at a vacation rental in Bolinas with my daughter and her family, our outings are during the daylight hours and we stay 'home' for dinner and afterwards. S'mores, anyone?

I think there was an article in the NYT a while ago about Bolinas's efforts to remove signs and stay off maps. It made Bolinas sound charming, though, which I don't think helps their cause!

Which cousin? :)

The younger daughter of DH's brother.

The Town that Didn't Want Company--

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/tr...t-company.html

Please Keep On Moving--

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/09/us...on-moving.html

Thanks for the links! Funny that the first article is from 200, the second almost 15 years later, and not much really changed.

Someone will need to be a sober driver. The area is remote.

Yes, drinking (it is a wedding!) was one of my concerns, but one daughter is okay being the designated driver, since Grandma doesn't drive.

I do appreciate all the tips...they helped my DD's understand the situation. I think they've found an AirB&B in Bolinas now, so will be a lot easier.

Look, too, at VRBO.

If they have time, they may want to take the opportunity to enjoy the area. Surfing, walking along the shore, checking the roadside stands, doing the drive to Point Reyes Station--it's a great place for a break.

I went to Bolinas once, with a friend, and we took a bus. A professional at the wheel - and it was a scary ride.

The town was an interesting one, some weird combination of Sedona and Santa Cruz :)

Thanks for your help! The tip to use VRBO/ AirB&B was good. They ended up finding a place just down the street from the party.

Excellent! I hope everyone has a wonderful time.

There are motels in Inverness on the way to Point Reyes, and there is closer in OlemaL http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...alifornia.html