Daily Crack - Tiburon Instead of Sausalito
When people come to visit the San Francsico Bay Area they seem to always think of staying in San Francisco of course, crossing the infamous Golden Gate Bridge, which is a must, then wandering into the next little town after the bridge, that happens to be Sausalito because it is famous and they have heard of it. But there is a great alternative to the latter part of this equation.
Sausalito is great. It is on the water and very beautiful, but because of its proximity to San Francisco and because it is so well known, it is also very touristy and congested. Let me make a suggestion to you for the next time you visit the Bay Area, drive past Sausalito and go about an additional 5 to 10 minutes north on Highway 101, past the signs to Mill Valley (west of Tiburon) and exit to the right shortly thereafter onto Highway 131 (Tiburon Boulevard.) Tiburon Blvd. is a beautiful winding road with views of the bay. You will continue on this road for about 10 minutes until you reach the town proper. Then make it simple on yourself, and pull into one of the pay parking lots in town so you can wander around and enjoy. They are fairly reasonable.
With absolutely stunning views of the Bay and San Francisso, lots of quaint shops, some great restaurants and bars on the water, and a little movie theater, you will have all that you could possibly want from a small California town and more. It is really special! Take a leisurely walk up and down Main St. and Ark Row and enjoy the shops and galleries as well as the historical architecture. When you’re through sit outside overlooking the water, watch the sailboats go by from the Corinthian Yacht Club, and enjoy a drink and some casual dining outside at Sam’s Café, long a Tiburon tradition. Or go close by to one of my all time favorite Mexican restaurants in the world and enjoy waterfront dining at Guayma’s. Did you see the movie “Like Chocolate for Water?” It’s a bit like that. It’s not your typical Mexican burrito taqueria. If you go, consider trying my favorite dish, their Chile Poblano En Nogada. It’s made with two large poblano chiles stuffed with chicken and raisins, topped with a fresh walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. It’s to die for. My mouth is watering just writing this!
If you’ve never been to Tiburon, try to go the next time you are in the SF Bay Area. You can also get to Tiburon by taking the ferry from downtown San Francisco, make a day of it and never have to drive. And there are ferries that connect Tiburon to Angel Island, (another days “Crack”), and Angel Island to San Francisco. Just a thought!
For more information about the ferry boats and their schedules, check out the Blue & Gold Fleet’s website at: http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/