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PamSF Jun 24th, 2009 09:27 AM

Point Reyes Getaway
 
After waiting forever to get away, we finally had our four day trip to Point Reyes this past weekend. It was divine.

The Particulars:
HOUSE~ We rented a studio right on the water in Marshall(up Hwy 1 from Point Reyes Station). It is called Sea Mist II. It has a very comfortable queen bed, lots of pillows and a down comforter. There is a window seat with windows on both sides allowing one unobstructed views of Tomales Bay. The kitchen has a microwave, full sized frige and two burner hotplate. There is a weber in the garden right outside the door. This place is really one of the nicest cottages we have rented ever. There is a back deck from which we could watch life sail by. I think the best part is the house is built partially on pilings. You can lie in bed and hear the water lapping beneath you.

FOOD~ We ate dinner at the relatively new Osteria Stellina in Pt Reyes Station. This has been open about a year. Michael Bauer raved about this place(check sfgate.com within the past year's archives). It is in the same building which once housed the original Station House and the Taqueria. We really liked this place. Food is fresh and good. Dinner for two with a 1/2 caraffe of good Barbera was $102.00.

We had lunch Sunday at the Marshall Store. This is the best place for BBQ oysters out there,IMHO. It was a 5 minute walk(max) from our house. A dozen beauties, a generous side of very good garlic bread, a bowl of excellent clam chowder and a crystal geyser sparkling water ran us $25.

All other meals were home made with a variety of things I had purchased in town or when we arrived in Point Reyes. Anyone shopping out there should make certain they stop at the Bovine Bakery and pick up some Brick Maiden bread and their croutons. We also picked up some Strauss Milk and some Strauss yogart(local kosher and organic dairy) at Palace Market. DW got a milk steamer and frother for her bday(this trip was a celebration of that) so we made cappucinos galore with strauss milk and Peets' coffee.
We brought our french press coffee maker with us. We also picked up some wonderful Pecorino Toscano at Cow Girl Creamery which gilded our salads at home Sunday and Monday evenings.

Wine: The Palace really does not have particularly good wines. We managed to pick up a very good chardonnay (can't remember the name but it is one of the very few carried at Tomales Bay Foods) and a Preston red blend which went well with our BBQ lamb.

PARK;~we, like many folks, have our favorite haunts in the National Seashore. Saturday's weather was overcast but Sunday and Monday were like heaven on Earth.
Sunday we hiked out to Abbott's Lagoon. This is a migratory shore bird refuge. The easy 1 or so mile walk to the beach is through stunning meadowland. There path is flat and a great deal of it is either pea gravel or boardwalk. There were a host of wildflowers in bloom:broom, lupine, poppies, thistles and Queeen Ann's Lace. The bird songs were all around us: Quails, Goldfinches, blackbirds and ones our Sibley's is still helping us identify. Once at the beach, there were masses of both white and brown pelicans. I slept a good 1/2 hour in the sun while DW explored the dunes.

Monday we headed out to Limantour after a just so-so noontime breakfast at the Pine Cone Diner in Point Reyes Station.(We used to really like this place but it was very off this time). Limantour is beautiful. The path has been redone and there is a small steel foot bridge over the estero. We hung out at the beach and watched life go one all around us. There were seals jumping out of the waves and lots of pelicans diving for fish. There were a plentitude of families with kids which allowed us to relish the kids' excitement about the seals, the waves and some horses galloping along the shoreline.
I also nearly finished my second book of the four days.

SHOPPING~ we wandered around Point Reyes Books(a good bookstore) and picked up Fodor's 2009 NYC Guide(our next trip). This bookstore is one of those wonderful independent ones with a good supply of new and used books.

I also mangaed to pick up some great body lotion at the "garden" store in town next to Zuma. It is Olivina and made in Napa County. Great stuff-we like the fig.

There's not a great deal of "shopping" to be had in Point Reyes Station which is a good thing..It gets you out into the Park sooner:) We have a favorite haunts (Toby's, Zuma, the bookstore and the Tack shop in Pt Reyes Station and Spirit Matters in Inverness Park). Now it seems we mostly go in and m ake certain life has not changed too much since out last visit.

We headed home through Fairfax and San Anselmo. We dined last evening back in Oakland at our FAVORITE Pizzaiolo. Anyone who comes to SF East Bay should not miss this place. DW had a wild nettle pizza and I had fresh procini same. We split a baked fresh ricotta salad with figs, grilled fennel and raddichio.

Now..it's home and the shocking aftermath of days away. There are calls to return, the tree guys came at 0800, I continue to grapple with the city about preferential parking for our 'hood and work(that dreaded thing) awaits. BUT...Point Reyes reminded me that even with all this bull sh**, tides change, birds migrate and sing and people still try, in earnest, to insure that can continue in whatever way they can. THANK YOU to all those folks!

enzian Jun 24th, 2009 09:39 AM

Wow---love your report, PamSF. We checked out Marshall on our way north after our Marin hiking trip, and wondered how it would be to stay there.

Makes me want to hop in the car and head south right now!

musicfan Jun 24th, 2009 09:53 AM

We lived in the Bay Area from 1985--1991 and Point Reyes was and is one of my favorite places I have visited EVER. LOVED your trip report! Wish I was there right now instead of HOT HUMID Kansas City!

Betsy Jun 25th, 2009 06:53 AM

Thanks for your report, Pam. I love Pt. Reyes. Will check out that studio for a future visit. Like enzian, I'd like to hop in the car and head there (north) right now.

PamSF Jun 25th, 2009 08:29 AM

Betsy or anyone else interested: google Sea Mist Cottage-Tomales Bay.

minnehappylis Jun 25th, 2009 10:54 AM

GREAT report; I feel a little more rested now just having pictured Point Reyes.

Betsy Jun 25th, 2009 12:24 PM

I did, Pam. The photos are very serene....

hazel1 Jun 26th, 2009 09:19 AM

Pam - could you please post the website for the studio you rented? It sounds ideal for a little getaway I'm thinking about in the fall.

PamSF Jun 26th, 2009 09:25 AM

www.seamistcottage.com

hazel1 Jun 29th, 2009 08:24 AM

Thanks, Pam, and I really appreciated your trip report - gives me lots of ideas for my fall trip.

iamq Jun 29th, 2009 08:36 AM

Hi Pam - what a wonderful getaway. So much fantatic food is produced in that area. We are fans of Cowgirl Creamery too. Thanks!


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