I first experienced Point Reyes in the mid 70s when we arrived from Chicago Illinois. We lived…read moretemporarily in my grandparents family home in Inverness while my dad was studying for the California bar. After he passed the bar exam and obtained a job and we moved away. We continued to spend weekends and summer vacations in Inverness and I spent a lot of time in Point Reyes and surrounding areas. Almost 50 years later it is still very familiar to me. A lot more hipster than hippie now but still laid back and nostalgic for me. Many of the original businesses are still here just with modern updates. Toby's, the gas station, the Presbyterian church, the elementary school are still around. This is a great place to come to after a day of hiking or spending time at one of the nearby beaches .

You have the nerve to call me and you refused to answer, thats a prank call, unacceptableread more

We are in San Geronimo for the long weekend and this was the closest "town". We really enjoyed…read moreFairfax. Wonderful quaint town, with good restaurants, nice stores, and good vibes overall. We walked around the downtown area multiple times exploring the neighborhood.

It was very fun to get out and see people no masks required…read more They get five stars because of Covid they didn't have a lot of planning time and they did it. There were lots of vendors food music and even a puppet show for the kids. Not quite as big as the normal art and wine festival but nonetheless it was great!

This is my first year of adding the Novato, Art, Wine and Music Festival in my summer festival…read morerotation. Usually I'm a fan of the San Anselmo Art Festival, which was cancelled for 2017. Overall, this isn't a bad little festival. It's free and there is street parking nearby (2 hour limit) that is also free. You could do worse on a nice sunny, not too hot/not too cold Marin County Saturday. The booths were of similar style and quality as many other festivals in the Bay Area during the summer months. There were a few unique vendors and I ended up purchasing a tank top with a manta ray design (I mean EVERYONE needs one of those) and a small giclee print on canvas of a vintage Yosemite travel poster. I didn't partake in the food or wine, but it seemed like the usual street fare. The crowd was having fun and overall it was a nice little community event. I can't say I'd travel too far to attend but if you're in the area, it could be fun to stop by for a little while and see the sites.

The Lovell Loop is well known among Mill Valley residents for walking your dog, going on a run or…read morejust just going on a really relaxing walk. I live nearby and I have two dogs so "doing the loop" is a multi-weekly routine that I get never tired of. (Note: you'll be walking on a one-lane asphalted road for most of this loop.) As it is a loop, there's no definite start or end point but if you're in downtown Mill Valley, I suggest you start at the fire station...because right across from it is wether Lovell Avenue begins. You then stay on Lovell Avenue for a very long time. There's gonna be a pretty steep ascend after a while and you're gonna be climbing for some time. But trust me, it's all worth it, as you're soon gonna be rewarded with views over the canyon. When you get to house numbers 300-400 you will notice that the road starts to level out and basically from here on you'll be gently meandering through the canyon. (It's so peaceful...especially in the early weekend mornings or evenings.) When you have reached 800 Lovell Loop you have the choice to go for a shortcut: down the Cascade Canyon along the waterfall. But I suggest you continue on Lovell until it intersects with Cascade Drive at 1002 Lovell Ave. (Here is where the infamous Zig Zag trail starts, which will bring you up to the Mountain Home Inn on a super-steep climb.) But in order to complete the Lovell Loop, you walk down Cascade Drive... Soon you will come to the intersection of the Tenderfoot Trail, which is well-known amongst mountain bikers as one of the first-ever established technical trails. This also will bring you up to the Mountain Home Inn...on a much more gently pace than the Zig Zag trail though. But again, the Lovell Loop continues slightly downhill along the Miller Creek. Especially in the spring after all the rain, this is a pretty intense little river! Soon you will come to the parking lot for the Cascade Falls. And this is where you would've come out, if you'd taken the shortcut earlier. (It's actually only a couple minutes walk to the waterfall, so you might as well check it out now.) Now you have several options to continue your walk. If you have somewhat good shoes, I suggest to take the "Three Wells Trail", which starts kitty corner from the parking lot at Cascade Falls (you'll see a little foot bridge crossing the creek). Walk along this trail and you'll eventually join up with Cascade Drive again. If you're on high-heels, I suggest you continue on Cascade Drive. Note: after a short while you will come to an intersection with Throckmorton Avenue - I suggest taking the right pathetic and continuing on Cascade Drive. At the bottom of the hill, when you're crossing a small bridge, is where the "Three Wells Trail" merges again. Now you continue on Cascade Drive all the way to Old Mill Park. The road winds along the creek and you will see some pretty spectacular houses here. (Local gossip says that Tyler Florence used to live in the bungalow-style house where Marion & Cascade intersect.) Once you've reached Old Mill Park, join the main road, which is Throckmorton, and you will soon be in downtown Mill Valley again. I suggest a pit-stop at Beerworks, where they not only serve delicious home-brewed beers, but their food is also amongst the best in Marin. Cheers!

Just real fun. Reminds you of the movie "Big". The history…read moreof this creation Is heartfelt. FUN

The Musical Stairs, located at Pier 39, is straight out of that old movie 'Big' in the late 80s…read more So every time you step on a stair, you're playing a piano note. When It's crowded near hear, sometimes it can be kinda hard to hear it. Kids love these stairs, and why not!! And when I say kids, I mean kids of all ages!! So, if you're at Pier 39, keep a lookout for these. They are located about the middle of the pier on the right side when entering the pier. It's definitely worth checking out!!

Art, history and the outdoors all come together at this little known attraction in Richmond CA…read more I'd say the Rosi memorial was a shining moment in the history of our country. I take every opportunity to talk to older generations of women that were a part of woman's equality. No, no, not this third wave feminism that is going around lately but about treating people the same regardless of the bits and pieces they happened to be born with. Things these days got way off track. Its madness. I wanted my Rinks to see the true and pure form of feminism - and I assigned Rosi the Riviter to be her hero the same way I made Sweets look up to Otto the bulldog. Yes thats what a helicopter parent does. An older lady next door - an attorney - told me she was bewildered and disappointed in the young generation of women. Entitled, easily offended and using men as body guards is the new norm. She told me 'our generation did all the work - they don't have to do much.' Both she and I felt that the women's movement was taking a step backwards the past 10 or 20 years. Take a look at Rosi and I think its easy to see the above being true. Talk to 70 or 80 or 90 year old women as much as you can and learn the history before its too late. I like history. Old stuff. Old cars.... old houses. Teach our youth the best you can and make sure they have somebody to look up to.

This is the G. I. Jive Man alive…read moreIt starts with the bugler blowin' reveille over your bed when you arrive Jack, that's the G. I. Jive... Excuse me while I listen to Benny Goodman's band play "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" and do the jitterbug with my gal one last time before I get shipped out. But don't cry for the girl I left behind, no-sir-ree, because she became Rosie the Riveter, one of the brave women who worked on the home front during World War II while I was dodging hand grenades overseas. Surprisingly, this is the first memorial fully dedicated to the dedicated contributions of these women, and the minimalist design by visual artist Susan Schwartzenberg and landscape architect/environmental sculptor Cheryl Barton is on the subtle side. At first, you think it's just a piece of a ship's hull you're looking at with photos, letters and memorabilia laminated on the enamel panels (photo: http://bit.ly/2xSG7QG). But then you realize the walkway marks the timeline about the home front activities at the time and includes quotes from Rosies chiseled into the white granite. There are also pieces of stainless steel that suggest unfinished sections of the warships they built. This gives you a realistic depiction of the challenges the Rosies faced back then with discrimination, hazardous working conditions, and child care. Two adjacent rose gardens complete the grounds. V for Victory, Rosie! Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me Anyone else but me, anyone else but me No! No! No! Just remember that I've been true to nobody else but you So just be true to me...

Gawwwwwdd I heart the interplay of these shadows & angles under the sunshine. It's all my favorite…read morethings about chiaroscuro, cubism, and lightning bolts formulated into one bi-level bench with a smidge of greenery. #totesdiggit Added bonus rock music from whatever pizzeria that is right over there.

This wolf sculpture gets a lot of attention, but really it goes hand-in-hand with Jack London's…read moreCabin just steps away (see my separate review for that). The wolf and cabin together create an engaging scene for visitors to appreciate, commemorating the great author and some of his most famous literary works, ie. Call of the Wild and White Fang. The art and history displayed here is beautiful, especially with its waterfront setting. There's plenty of seating in the area for public use, as well as a lovely fountain flowing with water. There wasn't much foot traffic on a Saturday evening, and hardly anyone on site except for those dining at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon situated adjacent to the cabin, so it was easy to pay a visit with minimal distractions.

5 stars for the Wolf in Jack London Square!!…read more The Wolf is right by Jack London's cabin, which is super small. Kids love to ride the Wolf, it's very sturdy and able to handle all the attention it gets. Although there is a small plaque there, I do wish there was more on the spot history here about Jack London, because with all the people that come here, it wouldn't hurt for them to know more about Jack London, the man, and his accomplishments. In short, he was a novelist, his famous books were 'Call of the Wild' and 'White Fang' which is where the Wolf comes from, amongst other things. Check out the Wolf next time you're in Jack London Square!!