*** This is a review of the grounds and houseboats, not the tour. ***…read more Whenever I have a guest from out of town and I want to give them a real slice of North Bay life (something you don't usually find on a guided tour), I take them to the Sausalito houseboats. It's so full of funky architecture, spectacular Bay views, a few hidden beaches, and plenty of colorful residents. This place is a total trip! Where else in the world can you find such a unique, seaside community with so many photo opps. Although this makes for a fun tourist destination, you have to remember that people actually live here. Translation: be respectful of the communal decks and property. Otherwise, you may endure the wrath of some salty, seaside locals. Like I said, there are quite a few characters (old hippies, young yippies, artists, etc.) who live around here. Consider yourself warned. Even when I'm not playing tour guide to guests, I like strolling here with my dog (yes, it's dog-friendly... as long as they're on leash). It's just a really relaxing spot, and it reminds me of how lucky we are to live in such an amazing area. When visiting, I'd recommend parking near the Mike's Bikes shop and Davey Jone's Deli. But be sure to lock your doors. The area can sometimes attract car burglars.

Such a unique experience just seeing these beautiful houseboats with beautiful views of the blue…read morewaters of the bay and the skyline of the city of San Francisco, and in the other direction - the lovely hillsides of Marin County. I can only imagine how much more unique it must be to live in one! A community of writers and artists who became commercially successful, live here. Shel Silverstein used to live in a houseboat here. Rumor has it that Michael Lewis, the guy who wrote Money Ball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short, all of which were made into movies, also owns a houseboat in Sausalito. His house on terra firma is just across the bridge in Berkeley. Just a million dollars for a tiny home on the water in Marin paradise. Location, location, location!

Amazing experience with amazing staff!…read more I originally booked a helicopter ride, but was notified 24hrs beforehand that their helicopter was down. I was offered their seaplane tour as a replacement, which I took since I had plans that lined up for that day. When you first walk in, the staff warmly greets you and you go through a quick 2 min debrief with some jokes before heading on the plane. They give you plenty of opportunities to take pics before, during and after the flight. Although the seaplane tour we went in says 60min, it was a little over an hour and I enjoyed every bit of it. The pilot was pretty knowledgeable on certain landmarks and locations. The views were amazing, and being in such an intimate plane was truly a different experience - I was finally in the plane instead of being a pedestrian looking up at one. Weather really matters - so plan accordingly. Our day was so clear the pilot claimed you were able to see Lake Tahoe and Truckee's snow capped mountains! My one complaint was that the headphone instructions weren't super clear, so I couldn't talk to my partner verbally. Clean facilities, friendly and welcoming staff, and a nice long ride in the air to gaze at the Bay Area and surrounding nature - this is the place to book.

WHY WE WENT HERE: - helicopter ride…read more THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located right off 101 and by the Richardson Bay - small warehouse look and can't miss the yellow helicopter on the helipad by the water THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - makes me think of the retail/office spaces where you go kayaking - restrooms and offices off the main lobby, which is like a living room HELICOPTER RIDE: - we booked the 40-minute ride but I think honestly you'd be able to see everything in the 20-minute ride - views are immaculate, especially on a nice sunny day like ours CUSTOMER SERVICE: - warm and welcoming - casual - your weight is verified prior to your excursion - safety video is shown - waivers signed - then-boyfriend, now-fiancée planned for this to be our engagement so he got the guys to help facilitate it prior to our helicopter ride - the ride itself was great but I do have vertigo and got very dizzy/nauseous 3/4 of the reservation in - after we landed we were given a mini bottle of champagne to celebrate our engagement but didn't enjoy it until days later

Such a wonderful experience. The owner was helpful and so nice. He fit our kids for bike seats and…read morehelmets. The bikes were brand new and easy to use. The pricing was also so much cheaper than bike rentals in SF city. Would highly recommend.

We rented road bikes for two days. High quality bikes, exceptional service! Mark greeted us by…read morename, offered us every possible accessory we could need (free of charge), and was very accommodating when we got back too late. He was a pleasure, and we definitely would rent here again!

Magical coastal place. Open to the public. Educational programs available. Reservations required…read morefor overnight camp.

The three stars are for my experience at an event. It looks like a great place to take kids to…read morelearn about the environment and animals, etc. I would give it an extra star for the gorgeous views. It loses stars for the reasons stated below. For a more formal event, it's not ideal for older people especially. (those over 80 and those with any disability) There is a somewhat steep and uneven slope down to the Yurt area where the ground is flat but again, uneven and covered with hay. This caused shoes and feet to be covered in dust soon after arriving. This would be ok if wearing proper sneakers or others made for walking on that type of surface. Wearing the clothes we did, gave us no protection from ticks which the website indicated are prevalent there. In addition, the only restrooms are porta potties. This is a little rustic for a formal event and not so easy for people in wheel chairs. There is no lighting on this path back up to the parking lot. This is entirely unsafe after the sun has gone down. All of that said, I would recommend this venue for a school field trip where students are dressed appropriately and are visiting during daylight hours. I would not, however, recommend it for a formal event.

In the quaint little town of San Anselmo, CA (which happens to be tucked in between San Rafael and…read moreFairfax) lies "Imagination Park". For those that choose to visit, this is a very tiny park with only a couple of benches for sitting. Do not expect to see a playground nor is there even a water fountain or public restroom. And keep the dogs at home as this is not a pet-friendly park. The space itself is equivalent to that of a backyard of a standard house. Located right off of San Anselmo Ave. and tucked right in between Magnolia Ave. and City Hall Ave. in downtown San Anselmo, this park eventually came to life back in June 2013. This idea was spearheaded by film director George Lucas who directed mega blockbuster films such as the entire Star Wars Saga, the Indiana Jones franchise as well as American Graffiti. It is very easy to find as the location itself is just steps away from the San Anselmo Public Library as well as the Town Hall. I came here on a warmer than normal summer day on 7/15/2023 at around 4:10pm. After parking my SUV just a block away, I was awed with the beautiful collection of pink/lavender flowers with the plaque that reads Imagination Park directly above it. But the real treat here is the life-size statues of one of Star Wars most recognizable and beloved characters, "Yoda", And directly on the other side is a statue of Harrison Ford who played "Indiana Jones" in all 5 of the movies spanning from 1981-2023. While you're here, its nice just to let your imagination run wild (hence the name "Imagination" Park) and just appreciate how influential George Lucas is in all of his movies. He actually used to have a residence in San Anselmo before relocating to the more private and open Lucas Valley. So for all you movie fanatics young and old, do yourself a favor and check this place out if you're in the area. My rating, a unanimous five stars.

Once again, I've warned you my fellow Yelpers and random visitors perusing the Yelp app, don't set…read moreyour expectations too high when it comes to the size of the park. It's situated next to the San Anselmo Library, extremely small and not what you imagined (no pun intended). There are two statues here - Yoda and Indiana Jones, don't expect anything else. Be respectful when visiting this park. It's a lovely hangout spot like one of the Yelpers mentioned, go get some coffee and sit here and reminisce, or do whatever you want to kill time. It's definitely not a park with monkey bars and swings for the kids, so carry on. No hiking and no trails. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood and chillax. 'Til next time ~ cheers and see you on Yelp soon! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/imagination-park-san-anselmo?select=c6MF24JXpCU3GQUUhgfMDQ

The late December weather was a bit challenging in the morning, but the safari itself was…read moreoutstanding. I've spent a fair portion of my life in Marin, but still knew so little about Point Reyes and the Tomales Bay region. Today we saw things we've never seen before and learned things that would never have even occurred to us without Frank's knowledge, keen spotting abilities, and friendliness. All around an eye-opening and gorgeous day. We didn't get to see any bobcats... but I'm not sure how we would have known if the cats' name was Bob anyway.

So much fun! So informative! We had a beautiful morning with Frank B whom we've dubbed the Bobcat…read moreWhisperer. He was a TERRIFIC resource to have for our 5 hour visit. He's a natural at interpretive services. We were totally SKUNKED this trip but in the best way possible- we saw many healthy, fluffy, wonderful skunks. It was great seeing them do their skunky work instead of just as road kill which is terrible. Thank you Frank and thank you Daniel, we'll have lots of people to send your direction.

Debra, the owner and founder of Tam Hiking Tours---experienced hiker and learned Earth Sciences and…read moreNative American Studies scholar---asked me what kind of hike I'd like. My answer: strenuous to moderate with water features. Well, we got just that. We met Debra and her little dog Atia at the Illumigarden parking lot, myself, 4 other friends and 4 small to medium sized dogs. We went up to the trail head on Panoramic highway--about 10 minutes from Illumigarden, parked and walked to the Matt Davis trail which would take us on a verdant walk past waterfalls and a redwood nursery to about 2/3 to the top of Mt. Tamalpais. Along the way we learned about the flora and fauna and the rich history of the land. The most strenuous part of the hike, which wasn't so hard at all, was just before we reached West Point Inn, which has a fascinating history in and of itself. Once there we refreshed with our own snacks and drink and just enjoyed the views from this quaint mountain lodge. It was also nice to see that the lodge had tea and granola bars at their honor bar---in case we were still hungry. ;-) Then we started down a wide trail, Nora Trail, which opened up to fantastic view of Mt. Diablo, the top of Mt. Tam, Blythe trail and other beautiful vistas. It was a merry hike and a great way to start off the new year. We look forward to more hikes with Tam Hiking Tours very soon! Many thanks to Debra for her great energy and for imparting her extensive knowledge of the land.

Thanks to Debra, I have a new found appreciation and wonder for the beautiful area I live in. Debra…read moreholds and shares an incredible amount of knowledge on everything you see, smell, and hear during your hike. My group had an absolute blast and learned a ton. Thanks for all the lessons and fun, Debra!

We went on the cheese lover's tour, and it was amazing!…read more I thought it would be like wine tasting, trying a wide selection of cheeses, and it was so much more than that. We got to see an active dairy farm, saw the calves being fed, and saw where the cows get milked. We also went to see a goat farm and saw a baby goat being born right in front of us. Alex, the guide, was lovely and super accommodating. My husband had hurt his ankle just the night before and couldn't walk much, and she made last-minute arrangements for him to be taken around by a golf cart-like vehicle on the farms. Would 100% recommend!

Our family took the "Flavors of West Marin" tour with Alex and had a wonderful time. Alex is such…read morea warm and friendly person with a wealth of knowledge about the sustainable food industry and local business practices. Our tour began at Cowgirl Creamery where we had an excellent assortment of pastries from local bakeries and local cheeses. We learned quite a bit about different types of cheese and how they're made. We visited Hog Island Oyster company and enjoyed fresh and barbecued oysters while learning about how oysters reproduce and are harvested. We then stopped off at The Marshall Store for lunch. The food was outstanding and abundant and the scenery looking out on Tomales Bay was breathtaking. We then visited the Heidrun Meadery (another stop with a breathtaking view and setting) and learned about bee keeping and how meade is produced from honey. And we enjoyed sampling a nice variety of meade wines. Our last stop was Little Wing Farm where we learned about organic, sustainable farming and saw a nice variety of vegetables and beautiful flowers. One of the highlights was visiting the expansive quail pen, watching the quails freely roam around and seeing how they spray a dye on their eggs to help camouflage them. This tour was a treat for our eyes and stomaches and filled our heads with fascinating information. It was a day so well spent and truly memorable for our family.