Excursions
For a Half Day
Sausalito: A Mediterranean-style community, Sausalito (or ‘Little Willow’) is the first Marin County town over the Golden Gate Bridge and has been long favoured by artists and bohemians. Writer Jack London had connections here and the British Zen Buddhist Alan Watts, who was instrumental in bringing Zen to the west, set up home here. It is easy to take the Golden Gate ferry (US$5.60 one way) or Blue and Gold fleet ferry (US$7.25 one way) from Pier 41 on Fisherman’s Wharf or The Embarcadero Ferry Terminal to this quaint waterfront town (journey time is about 30 minutes). Sausalito offers shops, boutiques and galleries aplenty along Bridgeway (the main thoroughfare) and outdoor restaurants along the waterfront. Attractions include the Bay Model, 2100 Bridgeway, at Marinship Way (tel: (415) 332 3871), a scale model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Delta, as well as the Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road, East Fort Baker (tel. (415) 487 4398), which provides hands-on interactive exhibits for children.
A flotilla of 400-plus residential houseboats are still visible in Richardson Bay, although the renowned creativity once associated with them seems to have toned down since commuters moved in. The Sausalito Arts Fesitival (tel: (415) 332 3555), held over Labor Day weekend (September), continues to bring thousands to the waterside town.
The Sausalito Visitor Information Center, 780 Bridgeway (tel: (415) 332 0505, website: www.ci.sausalito.ca.us), closed Monday, provides further information.
For a Whole Day
Monterey: Any visit to California’s central coast is incomplete without a day in Monterey. Major tour operators, such as Gray Line (tel: (415) 434 8687; website: www.graylinesanfrancisco.com), run daily coach trips. However, the best way to visit is by car. The journey down the Highway 280 and then the spectacular coast road, Highway 1, is all part of the experience. The coastal landscape is breathtaking and the two-hour journey, past lighthouses and seaside inns, passes quickly. As Monterey approaches, fields of artichokes seem to stretch for miles and the area is dotted with cypress trees and verdant hills. Attractions in pristine Monterey include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, historic Cannery Row (once the sardine capital of the world) and the National Steinbeck Centre, situated in nearby Salinas. John Steinbeck fans will quickly appreciate the tough life of the Nobel prize-winning author and other workers in the hazardous canning industry. Fisherman’s Wharf is home to tacky souvenir shops but resident pelicans and sea lions enjoy the attention of tourists. This is also the place for visitors to book for one of several whale-watching trips that, depending on the weather and the time of year, depart at regular intervals. A standard price seems to be US$30 and the chances of seeing greys, minkes, orcas, humpbacks and even the mighty blue whale are good. Sanctuary Cruises (website: www.sanctuarycruises.com) is committed to whale conservation and operates the only non-smoking, non-fishing, whale-watching boat on the Bay.
The Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau, 5 Portola Plaza (tel: (831) 372 9323; fax: (831) 372 9320; e-mail: info@monterey.com; website: www.monterey.com), provides further information.
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Excursions