Get Ready, Set, RELAX
Jeff and I used our anniversary as an opportunity to plan a trip for ourselves. Our criteria was that it should only be a few hours drive away, and offer things we don’t normally get to do or see. Since I get to plan the trips and I love kayaking, our stay centered in Tomales Bay.
Just north along the coast of San Francisco, Tomales Bay seems to be where the movers and shakers go to relax. There is an abundance of open space where you can watch migratory birds, paddle around along the bay, or take one of many hikes that offer incredible views. In true Marin County fashion, several of the b&bs have chickens that provide the eggs for breakfast and/or vegetable gardens.
Speaking of shaking, (weren’t we?) the San Andreas fault runs right under Tomales Bay. The “big one” that hit San Francisco in 1906 actually had its epicenter in Olema. There is an interesting walk from the visitor’s center where you can witness how the ground shifted 20 feet. Don’t let the thought of earthquakes deter you from this area. Scientists say that earthquakes are often preceded by increased activity within the earth which nowadays we can detect. We will likely have indications of high activity underground and can prepare prior to the next one.
We stayed in Innverness, in a wonderful bed and breakfast worth mentioning called the Abalone Inn. I picked out the only room with a king, as my husband is tall. This room turned out to be the converted attic, which was a huge room with two beds, a kitchen prep area, and cute windows giving a view of the bay which you can see at the top of this picture. When traveling with adults, the size of a hotel room is a low priority. But when with kids, extra space to spread out and play a game or move around quickly becomes a godsend. So although for us the extra space of this room was a nice luxury, I would recommend this place even to families with older kids. Since it is the attic of an old house, young kids who need the space to bounce and jump around may not be appreciated by the guests underneath them. If I haven’t enticed you yet, let me also mention there is a gazebo room near the outdoor hot-tub where you can book a massage. Donna, the proprietress, made arrangements for us when I reserved our room, and during our stay made dinner reservations for us while we were out hiking. She really treats each of her guests like family.
Unfortunately our kayaking trip was cancelled due to high winds. A lesson learned for next time: though a sunset kayak trip with dinner afterwards sounds romantic, winds tend to pick up more in the evening. Calmer waters are found earlier in the day. This may sound disappointing, seeing how I planned the whole trip around the opportunity to kayak. But honestly, for a short trip it was just as enjoyable to have some extra time to relax. Besides, this leaves us a new reason why we just have to come back.
You always hear about Mendocino, Carmel, Monterey (all terrific, of course), but this was refreshing to hear about someplace different, and perhaps undiscovered? (Although not for long now!)
Sounds lovely…and sans kids? Even better. I need a vacation.
Happy Anniversary!
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