California Architectural Gem: Case Study House #26

We are big fans of the Case Study Program, where noted architects of the day created designs for low cost housing for Arts & Architecture Magazine. Most ended up being built in Southern California, but #26 was built in Marin County, in San Rafael. Designed by Beverley David Thorne, it was finished in 1963. It used steel beams to build on a steep incline.

Images from Curbed and Arts & Architecture

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Favorite Hikes: The Alta Trail in the Headlands

The relatively flat Alta Trail in the Marin Headlands is a great place to walk your dog, 

with views of Richardson Bay, Angel Island and Sausalito. 

To access the Alta Trail, take the Sausalito/Marin City exit from Highway 101. 

Turn right onto Donahue St., and continue all the way to the top of the hill 

where the road dead ends, and a fire road begins. You can park there,

and then hike the trail. If you want to make it a more strenuous hike, 

it connects to the Bobcat and then the Miwok trails. 

Favorite Hike: Mount Tamalpais

Mount Tamalpais, in the Bay Area's Marin County, has myriad hiking trails over its peaks.  Despite growing up in Marin, we would be hard pressed to name more than one or two of these trails, but whenever we are in town and are compelled to climb a mountain, we simply drive up from Mill Valley until we reach the top, find one of the many parking pull outs, and begin descending on one of the narrow footpaths toward the ocean.  Once, we walked all the way down to the beach, and were faced with a daunting hike back uphill, but often we will just wander for forty minutes or an hour or so, and head back to the car.  Regardless of how long we have to spend on the mountain, or how many times we go, we are always blown away by its incredible beauty.

Day Trip - Bodega Bay

One of our favorite places to go when we are craving a cooler beach day is the West Marin-Sonoma Coast.  Breezy and foggy most of the time, this stunningly beautiful area is wonderful for long beach walks followed by cozy cups of hot tea.  There are many adorable little towns along the coast, but we especially love going to Bodega Bay, right on the county lines, and the location of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.  We definitely bundle up more than Tippi Hedren's character Melanie Daniels did, and always have a much more pleasant visit.

Ansel Adams was also a fan of Bodega Bay, and famously shot its little white church.

Terrapin Creek is a great lunch spot, or you could always just stop in to the local for a grilled cheese 

There's no better way to end the day than by watching the sun set over the dunes.  Hopefully it will clear up for you!

Favorite Beach: Kehoe

 Kehoe Beach is a beautiful part of the Point Reyes National Seashore.  One of the few beaches in the park that allow dogs, it's great for a walk on a relaxed day with your favorite four legged friends.  The beach doesn't have very much parking, and it is accessed by a ten minute walk through flat fields - you might see a hawk or two on the way.  Once you're there, the beach is long, and very walkable, and has the benefit of being less windy than many beaches in the area.  It's a great place to spend an hour or two, well worth the drive.

Favorite Hike: Lake Lagunitas

Lake Lagunitas is located in the town of Fairfax in Marin County, above the Meadow Club on lower Mount Tamalpais.  It's only a short drive from downtown Fairfax, but feels picturesquely remote.  The lake is in fact a reservoir, one of seven which provide water to the county, so there is no swimming, but some fishing is permitted.  We love it for the easy and lovely trail around the lake, and the incredible array of birds that are attracted to the water.  There are also several smaller trails which spread out from the lake, making it easy to spend anywhere from an hour or longer there. 

Note: As of this writing, the parking lot requires an eight dollar fee per car, payable by cash (no bills larger than $10 accepted)

Foodie Favorite: The F3 at Fast Food Francais

Fast Food Francais in Marin County's Sausalito is a fun concept: an American burger restaurant done French style.  They have a delicious assortment of gourmet burgers, from duck to salmon to lamb based, in addition to the standard boeuf.  We can never decide which burger we like the best, but we do know that our favorite side is the F3, which includes all three of their most popular accompaniments: Brussels Sprouts chips, French fries, and little fluffy, fried Pommes Dauphines, which the restaurant refers to as the French tater tot. 

Day Trip: Goop's Guide to West Marin

This week's issue of Gwyneth Paltrow's goop mag goes to our home county of Marin, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.  Goop herself is apparently a big shellfish fan, and recommends oyster hopping around Tomales Bay in West Marin.  The online magazine's editors visited some of our favorite spots: Nick's Cove, Hog Island, Marshall Store, and Tomales Bay Oyster Company to get their fix.  Of course, they also threw in a hike, additional restaurant recommendations, a hotel, and some shopping options.  Being Marin Natives, we knew all of these spots, but they're always worth a reminder and another visit - we will be posting more of our favorites soon!

Check out goop's recommendations here.

Favorite Beaches - Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach is the beach we visited most often as children, and it is the best all-around beach option in The Bay Area's Marin County.  It has a large public beach with a parking lot and showers, a semi-private beach that can be accessed off of public roads if you prefer to street park, and a variety of great lunch spots nearby.  Additionally, it has enough waves for surfers and boogie boarders, but doesn't have too strong of a current for casual waders and swimmers.  We also love Stinson for its tide pools, perfect walking length, adjacent lagoon, and the charming town itself - the book store and surf shop there are always worth a visit.  It's a long, windy drive to get there over Mount Tamalpais, but this beach remains a perennial favorite, especially when we catch it on a perfect, sunny day.

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Favorite Beaches - Limantour Beach

In the summer, there is nothing better than escaping to the beach for a day of fun and relaxation.  While the first thing that may come to mind is a day splashing in the surf and lolling on a towel in a bikini, Northern California's beaches are sometimes too cold to swim (or even sun yourself).  However, they are still worth a trip for their incredible beauty.  We would happily spend an August day running around in the wind on Limantour Beach, part of the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County.  You can read more about planning your own visit here.

Paddle Boarding in the Bay

We recently tried stand up paddle boarding, and loved paddling around on the bay. 

Starting at one end of Sausalito, we paddled around the harbor to Kayak Beach 

for mimosas, and then back.

On our way! A bit of grey day, but still pretty warm

Harbor seals sunning themselves

Taking a break at Kayak Beach with mimosas

Harbor Seal friends saying hello

Wind blowing us close to them

A view of the marina, with the fog lifting later on.

We rented from Bluerush Boardsports, but there are a couple different companies in the area.
It's a great relaxing way to spend a weekend morning.

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Favorite Hikes - The Coastal Trail Headlands Section

The California Coastal Trail is still a work in progress, which will cover the entire state's 1200 mile coastline.  We are looking forward to exploring as much of it as possible, and recently began to in the Marin Headlands, one of our all time favorite hiking areas.  This stunning hike can be linked to right at the base of the Marin side of The Golden Gate Bridge, and takes you over hills that provide Bay, ocean, and city views, along with plenty of wildflowers, deer, and even a coyote on our visit.

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Favorite Hikes - Pirate's Cove

This hike is a more strenuous version of our earlier Tennessee Valley hike. Like the previous one, take the Mill Valley/Highway 1 exit off of 101, and then turn left onto Tennessee Valley Road. Drive all the way to the end, and you'll find a parking lot at the trailhead. Take the main trail until you reach the path for the Coastal Trail. Hike up the hill until you reach a cross roads. Take the Pirate's Cove fork and follow it all the way down to the beach. It's the perfect place to bring a picnic.

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