Cities, Towns - San Francisco and Marin County of the Redwood Empire

	Cities, Towns Villages & Areas in...

1.The beautiful City of San Francisco...
and, across the bay, the towns, villages and coastal playgrounds of Marin County

...of the REDWOOD EMPIRE

CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES & AREAS

THE SAN FRANCISCO AREAS
THE MARIN COUNTY AREAS

CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES - THE SAN FRANCISCO AREAS
Baghdad by the Bay... the beautiful and compelling City of San Francisco and, across the Golden Gate, the magnetic towns and villages and the coastal playgrounds of Marin County

49 MILE SCENIC DRIVE

Blue-and-white seagull signs point the way for a half-day drive through the City's most scenic and historic points. The 49-mile drive is an excellent introduction to San Francisco as the route winds through almost every neighborhood and district. A free San Francisco Visitor Map, available from the San Francisco Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, details the drive.

ALAMO SQUARE

This grassy park on a knoll offers a spectacular view of downtown San Francisco and the "Postcard Row" of Victorian homes, on Steiner Street at Hayes.

ALCATRAZ ISLAND

The former fortress, federal prison and Native American occupation site, is open to visitors via self-guiding trails (steep, chilly). Rangers lead cell block tours and answer questions or take a self-guided "audio" tour (charge). Ferry service leaves from Pier 41 beginning at 9:30am. Call 415/546-2805 for complete schedule and tickets.

BAY BRIDGE

The longest suspension span in the world, 8 1/4 miles, four miles of which are over water, directly connects San Francisco with East Bay communities via mid-Bay Yerba Buena Island, since 1936. The top deck traffic moves west (auto toll $1), and the bottom deck flows eastward. No pedestrian traffic is allowed.

CABLE CARS

The City's moving landmarks operate seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to midnight. Scottish wire cable manufacturer Andrew Hallidie invented the cable car in 1873 after witnessing an accident in which a horse-drawn carriage faltered and rolled backward down a steep hill, dragging the horses behind it. MUNI operates 37 cars on three lines: Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, the California line.

CAL TRAIN DEPOT

Fourth and Townsend St. Peninsula rail service to San Jose and other South Bay locations. (415/495-4546).

CANDLESTICK PARK (3 Com Park)

Until the completion of the Downtown Stadium, 3 Com Park is the Home for the San Francisco Giants (467-8000) and San Francisco 49'ers football (468-2249). Adjacent is Candlestick Point State Park.

CASTRO

This area's unique shops, bars and restaurants cater to the City's gay and lesbian community. Traffic at the upper end of Market Street is blocked off for a wild Halloween celebration and the annual Gay Freedom Day Parade in June.

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens presents arts and entertainment reflecting the San Francisco Bay Area's diverse cultural populations to the widest possible audiences in world-class venues. Located downtown San Francisco in the South of Market district (415/978-ARTS)

CHINATOWN

Members of the populous Chinese-American community reside and operate shops, restaurants and food stores on or near Grant Avenue between Bush and Pacific Streets. The mid-winter Chinese New Year celebration and parade takes place here. Landmarks: Bufano's statue of Sun-Yat Sen (St. Mary's Park), historic Portsmouth Square (Robert Louis Stevenson monument), Tien Hou Temple (Waverly Place), Chinese Historical Society (Adler Place), Cultural Center (Holiday Inn), 1851 Kong Chow Temple (855 Stockton Street) and Old St. Mary's Church.

CIVIC CENTER

Located in the Franklin-Golden Gate-Market Streets triangle. City Hall, Civic Auditorium, Brooks Hall (underground), Main Library, Federal/State buildings, United Nations Plaza, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, H. M. Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall, Veteran's Building (Herbst Theatre), S.F. Ballet Association Building are all found in Civic Center, which is the second largest performing arts center in the U.S. Symphony Box Office, L. M. Davies Symphony Hall (415/431-5400); Opera Box Office, Opera House (415/703-9400); Ballet Box Office, Opera House (415/621-3838); Herbst Theatre, City Box Office, 141 Kearny Street (415/392-4400). Also nearby is the Orpheum Theatre at 1192 Market Street (415/474-3800).

COW HOLLOW/UNION STREET

Formerly the Cow Hollow dairy district, now the carpenter-style Victorian buildings have been remodeled into chic shops, art galleries and trendy restaurants. At Gough & Union Streets, you'll find the historic OCTAGON HOUSE museum, a restored 1861 classic revival home maintained by National Society of Colonial Dames.

THE COW PALACE

Huge exposition hall for sports and livestock events (415/469-6065).

THE EMBARCADERO

Fifty piers rim San Francisco's east and northeast shore, berthing ships from around the world. Odd numbered piers are north of the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, and even numbered piers are to the south. A landmark clock tower adorns the 1903 FERRY TERMINAL BUILDING that houses the World Trade Center and the Port Commission. Ferries to Sausalito, Larkspur and Tiburon to/from Marin County dock behind the Ferry Building. Across The Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street is JUSTIN HERMAN PLAZA and EMBARCADERO CENTER, an outdoor plaza and theater, the Vaillan court Fountain, open space and the eight-building Embarcadero Center with hotels, offices, shops and restaurants.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

"Wall Street of the West" houses the Pacific Stock Exchange (Pine and Sansome Streets); trading hours are 6:30am-1:30pm. Nearby, at 630 Sansome Street, are the U.S. Immigration Office and U.S. Forest Service Information. The U.S. Geological Survey (maps, books) is at 555 Battery Street. Picnic in a redwood grove at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid between Montgomery and Sansome Streets.

FISHERMAN'S WHARF AND PIER 39

One of the city's great visitor attractions, FISHERMAN'S WHARF is a thriving fishing industry center. The wharf offers breathtaking views and anchors seafood restaurants, shops and entertainment attractions. PIER 39, a restaurant-shopping complex with an Old San Francisco theme, straddles a 1,000-foot-long pier. Catch Bay cruises, Alcatraz Island launches, and the Sausalito, Tiburon and Angel Island ferries or sport fishing trips. THE CANNERY offers dining and shopping in a remodeled 1894 fruit cannery near the Wharf at Leavenworth and Jefferson Streets. GHIRARDELLI SQUARE, once a chocolate factory, is now a dining-shopping complex, overlooking Aquatic Park and the Bay.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

The world's second-longest single span has linked San Francisco with Marin County and the Redwood Empire since 1937. The Bridge is open daytime for walkers and bicyclists. The Roundhouse on the southern approach plaza is the Bridge Visitors' Information Center. Golden Gate Transit buses travel over the Bridge: Take S.F. MUNI buses #28, #29 to the Toll Plaza or #76 Sundays to Marin Headlands Golden Gate NRA. Auto toll collected southbound is $3 (subject to change). The Bridge speed limit is 45 mph.

GOLDEN GATE PARK

Sand dunes have been transformed into a lush, green 1,017-acre park bounded by Fulton, Lincoln, Stanyan Streets and the Great Highway. You'll find walking, bridle and bicycle routes, gardens, a polo field, a buffalo paddock, tennis, golf, lawn bowling, a children's playground and a carousel. Golden Gate Park Walks 415/221-1311. GOLDEN GATE PARK CENTER, from Arguello to 10th Avenue, includes the Japanese Tea Garden, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, M.H. de Young Museum, Music Concourse, California Academy of Sciences, landmark Conservatory, Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and tours. Park headquarters information: 415/556-0560.

HAIGHT-ASHBURY

Once home to Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead during the "Summer of Love", the street scene now includes both punks and young professionals, trendy clothing stores, unique restaurants and lively entertainment. Further east down Haight Street near Fillmore, the Lower Haight is emerging as a popular gathering place for the art crowd with beer bars and diners.

HALLIDIE PLAZA

Connects Powell-Market Street regional transit. It's the terminus for cable car lines to Fisherman's Wharf (Powell-Mason) and Aquatic Park (Powell-Hyde). You'll also find MUNI METRO underground rail lines (415/673-6864) and BART trains (415/788-2278). S.F. Convention & Visitors Bureau Information (415/391-2000) is also nearby. SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE: nine-floor marble, polished green granite and glass shopping palace at 5th and Market Streets. The Nordstrom flagship store-in-the-sky is on the top five floors while a 150 foot atrium employs spiral escalators for access to shops & restaurants.

JACKSON SQUARE

Restored Gold Rush-era buildings grace a six-block historic district, once the perimeter of the Barbary Coast, now dominated by financial institutions, art galleries, and restaurants (bounded by Sansome, Washington, Columbus, Kearny, Pacific and Broadway Streets).

JAPAN CENTER, JAPAN TOWN

A contemporary complex (bounded by Post, Geary, Laguna, Fillmore Streets) adjoins Nihonmachi, Japan Town, via the landscaped Buchanan Street mall. The five-acre Center includes the Japanese Consulate, a hotel, shops, showrooms and a multiplex movie theater. Japanese folk events occur seasonally, weekends near Drum Tower in Peace Plaza. The Cherry Blossom Festival is in mid-April. Events: 415/563-2313.

LAKE MERCED

Visit this City lake for boat rental, seasonal fishing (city permit required), bike and jogging trails, a par course with an 18-hole Harding Park Public Golf Course adjacent (415/664-4690).

LAUREL HEIGHTS

Upper Sacramento Street features fashionable boutiques, restaurants and art and antiques galleries in a venerable residential neighborhood, from Divisadero to Maple Streets.

LINCOLN PARK

Breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Contains the CALIFORNIA PALACE OF THE LEGION OF HONOR MUSEUM. See George Segal's outdoor Holocaust memorial sculpture near the parking terrace. 18- hole Municipal Golf Course. City Golf Info.: 415/221-9911.

LOMBARD STREET

The "Crookedest Street in the World" serpentines ten turns down Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets.

MARINA

This waterside residential area was built on the site of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition, and features a private yacht harbor, a large grassy open space and a par course along Marina Boulevard. The Masonry Wave Organ amphitheater on the tip of the jetty past the lighthouse pipes tunes of bay wave movements for patient listeners. The Marina is on the route of the Golden Gate Promenade. The PALACE OF FINE ARTS was originally the Panama-Pacific Exposition Hall designed in 1915 by California architect Bernard Maybeck. Restored in 1967, it now houses a 1,000-seat theater (415/567-6642) and the EXPLORATORIUM science museum (415/561-0360), surrounded by a lagoon, gardens and waterfowl.

MISSION DOLORES

The adobe Mission San Francisco de Asis, built by Indians in 1791, was the sixth Alta California Mission founded by Franciscans under the direction of Father Junipero Serra. The Mission features an Ornate Mexican altar, a museum and pioneer cemetery gardens. It is open daily, and a restoration fee is charged. The parish church next door is a Basilica (papal red, gold umbrella near altar).

MOSCONE CONVENTION CENTER

The City's major convention and conference facility with 40 meeting rooms, a ballroom and space for 30,000 people in a six-acre exhibit hall. Enter on Howard Street between 3rd and 4th Streets (415/974-4000). The S.F. Convention & Visitors Bureau (415/974-6900) is also located here.

NOB HILL

This fashionable hotel area was the site of homes for the "Big Four" railroad and mining tycoons, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Collis Huntington. Nob Hill hotels offer views and skyscraper lounges. Visit the Gothic-style Episcopal Grace Cathedral (tour available), and see the Masonic Auditorium's bas-relief, translucent murals. The Cable Car Barn and Museum at Washington and 1201 Mason Streets is open daily.

NOE VALLEY

This diverse neighborhood has its business district on 24th Street, west of Church Street, lined with restaurants, cafes, florists and shops.

NORTH BEACH

The City's Italian heritage centers in an area from Columbus and Broadway to Bay Street. Until 1881, when the bay was filled in, this was the City's north shore. Washington Square Park, North Beach Museum, Saints Peter and Paul Church, restaurants, coffee houses, Italian delicatessens and bakeries delight visitors. Don't miss Beach Blanket Babylon on stage at 678 Green Street (415/421-4222). Night time entertainment is also on Broadway.

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

Grand mansions are home to many of the City's most influential residents. The HAAS-LILIENTHAL HOUSE, on Franklin between Washington and Jackson Streets, is the only Victorian home open to the public, with tours on Wednesday and Sunday; also houses the offices of Foundation for San Francisco Heritage, which provides walking tours of neighborhoods and other events (415/441-3000/441-3004).

RUSSIAN HILL

Named for a Russian sailor cemetery, this mostly residential neighborhood has delightful bay views, landscaped cul-de-sacs and lush green parks.

SAN FRANCISCO ZOO

45th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. Open daily 10am- 5pm (fee). More than 1,000 animals and birds in primitive to state-of-the-art settings. See the Primate Discovery Center, Gorilla World, Penguin Island and Koala Crossing. Adjacent is the Children's Zoo, open daily 11am-4pm in winter, 10:30am-4:30pm in summer. Zoo free day: 1st Wed. of each month (415/753-7083).

SOMA

The developing area SOuth of MArket Street is located in a two-mile square bounded by Market, The Embarcadero, China Basin and Division Street. SOMA is home to multimedia, trendy restaurants, night clubs and art lofts side by side with once-abandoned factories and warehouses. The area has been strikingly resurrected by interior designers into large complexes serving as showrooms and popular event locales, including The Galleria, Showplace Square and the San Francisco Concourse.

STERN GROVE

A beautiful wooded amphitheater, located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. Free summer Sunday concerts at 2pm, with picnicking. Call 415/252-6252 for details.

TELEGRAPH HILL/COIT TOWER

Sweeping views of the North Bay from the 210-foot Coit Tower memorial on the site of an original semaphore station. The elevator to the Observation Level operates from 10am to 7:00pm daily. Famous Depression-Era tower murals are on view daily (415/362-0808). Filbert Street steps down the hillside to the landscaped Levi Plaza, green space surrounded by Sansome, Embarcadero, Union and Lombard Streets.

TRANS-BAY TRANSIT TERMINAL

Located at First and Mission Streets, this is where you'll board East Bay transit (except BART): AC TRANSIT (510/839-2882); AMTRAK train bus depot (800/ USA-RAIL); GRAY LINE TOURS (415/ 558-9400); GREYHOUND TRAILWAYS LINES (800/231- 2222). Some GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT bus lines to Marin and Sonoma Counties also board here (415/332-6600). MUNI Buses #5, #6, #38, #38C stop here (415/ 673-6864). SAM TRANS, bus service to the Peninsula and San Francisco Airport boards in front of the Terminal on Mission Street (800/660- 4287). The Visual Bay Area Transit Information Center is on the Mezzanine level of the Terminal.

TREASURE ISLAND

Take the Treasure Island exit from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to this 400-acre man-made island, the site of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and now the headquarters for Western Sea Frontier. Spectacular views of the Bay and San Francisco. The Navy-Marine Corps-Coast Guard Museum is housed in the Major Fair Bldg.

TWIN PEAKS

The best panoramic views of San Francisco from the 910-foot summit road. Tour buses stop for picture-taking.

UNION SQUARE

Bordered by Powell, Stockton, Post and Geary Streets, Union Square is the center of shopper's paradise with the largest concentration of boutiques, department stores and specialty shops west of the Hudson River. The Union Square Park offers seasonal plantings, holiday displays and open space atop a four-story underground parking garage. Celebrated hotels, shops and bright flower stands surround the Square. Cable Cars to Nob Hill, Fisherman's Wharf and the Cannery leave from Powell Street.

CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES - THE MARIN COUNTY AREAS
Baghdad by the Bay... the beautiful and compelling City of San Francisco and, across the Golden Gate, the magnetic towns and villages and the coastal playgrounds of Marin County

ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK

Woodsy, mountainous island, picnicking, swimming. Hiking trails circle the island to the 781-foot Mt. Livermore summit. Bicycling is allowed on main roads around the Island. Former site of a Native American settlement, Civil War fort, U.S. troop embarkation and Asian immigration center. Exhibits are at park headquarters. Special events and tours: 415/435-1915 or 415/456-1286. Nine environmental campsites are available (reserve): 800/444-7275. Disabled special camping: Angel Island Association (415/435-3522). Boat mooring. Ferry service from San Francisco (415/546-2815) and from Tiburon (415/435-2131).

AUDUBON CANYON RANCH

The ranch, located on the coast 3 miles north of Stinson Beach, is a private, non-profit organization that manages a system of wildlife sanctuaries and nature education centers (415/868-9244).

BOLINAS

A quiet summer colony on a lagoon sheltering waterfowl, with a sandy beach and tide pools, and a spectacular view south from Duxbury Reef. Bolinas Memorial Museum: 415/868-0330.

CHINA CAMP STATE PARK

A 1,648-acre park, bordering San Pablo Bay, east of San Rafael. A remnant of a late 1800s Chinese immigrants' fishing camp, includes a 1900 general store, "Yick Yuen", now a museum. Hiking, fishing, picnic sites, sailing, boat launch. Back Ranch Campground (walk-in sites). Day use parking (fee). 415/456-0766 or 415/456-1286.

CORTE MADERA

Residential community on former grant of pioneer John Reed, whose mill supplied the lumber to build the San Francisco Presidio. Town Park (picnicking), shopping centers (415/924-0441)

DILLON BEACH

Great access to Tomales Bay: clam digging, camping, boating.

GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Marin Headlands, Tennessee Valley, Forts Baker, Barry and Cronkhite, Rodeo Beach and Point Bonita Lighthouse. Former forts and military installations west of the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the National Park Service. Hiking, restricted biking, horseback riding, fishing, nature, history tours, group camping and educational events are available. Visitors Center at Fort Barry: 415/331-1540. Youth Hostel, Fort Barry: 415/331-2777. Pacific Environment & Resource Center, Building 1055, Fort Cronkhite: 415/332-8200. Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, (415/487-4398) Most beaches are open 9am until one hour after sunset.

KENTFIELD

College of Marin offering public events and entertainment; Kentfield Campus (415/457-8811); Indian Valley Campus (415/883-2211). The college awards Associate degrees and vocational certificates.

LARKSPUR

A community with creek access to San Francisco Bay, Larkspur was named for the blue wildflowers once blooming on hills. There's a downtown historic district as well as a contemporary shopping center. Ferry to San Francisco from the Golden Gate Ferry Transit Terminal with parking and Golden Gate Transit buses: 415/453-2100; Chamber: 415/927-4360

MARIN COUNTY CIVIC CENTER

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of his last commissions, is located in San Rafael about 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The building, now a national and state historical landmark, spans the crowns of three separate hills and dramatically blends with the surrounding landscape. Regularly scheduled tours are available Tues-Fri., 10:30-11:30am (415/472-7470).

MARIN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT LAKES

Protected watershed with 20,000 acres of recreational land and five lakes: Phoenix, Bon Tempe, Lagunitas, Alpine and Kent. Fishing, hiking, picnic areas and limited bike/horse paths are available. Parking fee at Bon Tempe, Lagunitas. No swimming or boating. 415/924-4600.

MARIN MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

This one-of-a-kind museum is located on a Coast Miwok archaeological site in Miwok Park, 2200 Novato Blvd. Offers both permanent and changing displays, (415/897-4067).

MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

This non-profit Marine Mammal Hospital is located in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate NRA. Public visiting and gift shop hours are 10am-4pm daily; free admission. The Marine Mammal Center rescues and rehabilitates seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea otters that are stranded along the Northern and Central California coastline. Since 1975, the Center has released hundreds of recovered marine mammals back to the wild. 415/289-7325.

MARSHALL

Marconi State Park Conference Center, site of early "wireless" radio experiments: 415/663-9020.

MILL VALLEY

West of the Redwood Highway (Highway 101) in wooded canyons leading up Mt. Tamalpais. Distinguished by quaint houses, shops, architectural landmarks and an historic old mill in the park. Sponsors a Fall Art Festival, Film Festival, and is the site of the famed Dipsea Race. (415/388-9700)

MOUNT TAMALPAIS STATE PARK

View the entire Bay Area from the summit (2,586 feet). The park includes 50 miles of hiking trails, picnicking, a hillside amphitheater, and is wheelchair accessible. Camping: walk-in, group, back pack, environmental, en route sites. Ten rustic overnight cabins in Steep Ravine. 415/388-2070.

MUIR BEACH

Tide pools, sun bathing, no swimming.

NOVATO

The northern most city in Marin County, Novato is nestled in a valley surrounded by oak studded hills on the west side and pristine salt marsh on the east. Anchored by a historic 1896 city hall, which was once a church, the downtown area along Grant Ave. has kept its quaintness and charm. Novato History Museum showcases Novato's lively past, (415/897-4320). Open space surrounds Novato which provides numerous hiking and biking trails, (415/897-4067).

OLEMA

Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Center, 1/3 mile west of town on Bear Valley Road. Several B&B's located nearby.

OLOMPALI STATE HISTORIC PARK

To experience a real part of California State history, visit this state park just north of Novato. Coast Miwok Indians lived here from 2000 BC, and along with Spaniards and early modern Americans, left lasting contributions. Hike through this area that was once one of the largest Miwok trading villages in Marin, (415/892-3383). One of the many State parks within the Redwood Empire.

POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE

This 74,000-acre area administered by the National Park Service includes the BEAR VALLEY VISITOR CENTER, 1/3 mile west of Olema, Highway One (park headquarters), natural and cultural exhibits, library, programs, trail maps, camping info, reservations: 415/663-1092 (TDD/TTY). Nearby you'll find Earthquake Trail, the Kule Loklo, a Coast Miwok Cultural Exhibit and a Morgan Horse ranch. Visit the bird observatory located at the end of Mesa Road in Bolinas. Visitors can watch the banding activities and release of banded birds, and can take a detailed tour of the facility (415/868-0655). Trails (150 miles) for hiking, biking and horses. Swim at Limantour Spit and Drake's Beach (Sir Francis Drake probably landed here in 1579). Tule Elk range. Visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse (1870) for a self-guided or ranger-led tour; Thursday-Monday, 10am-4:30pm (closed in high winds; 415/669-1534). Seasonal whale-watching from Point Reyes Headlands and the Lighthouse (312-step descent) Thursday-Monday 10am-5pm, 415/669-1534. Sea Lion Overlook nearby. Backpack (hike or ride in) campsites. No dogs or firearms allowed on the trails. Camping reservations must be made 9am-noon, Monday-Friday, 415/663-1092. Youth Hostel: 415/663-8811.

POINT REYES STATION

Crossroads community for West Marin County. Dance Palace Comm. Center (events): 415/663-1075. West Marin C.C., (415/663-9232). INVERNESS Quiet village on Tomales Bay. Local B&B inns make excellent headquarters for exploring the National Seashore.

ROSS

Features the Marin Art & Garden Center in an estate setting (garden, art, theater events): 415/454-5597.

SAMUEL P. TAYLOR STATE PARK

Fifteen miles west of San Rafael, the park features a mixed stand of old- growth and young redwoods. Enjoy hiking and horseback trails, picnicking, swimming and fishing. Campsites: developed, hike/bike, wheelchair, en route, horse camps. 415/488-9897.

SAN ANSELMO

This community surrounds the old-world stone buildings of the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Self-guided tour books are available in the Administration Building, and visitors are welcome any time. The Tree Walk on park-like grounds is also open to visitors. Robson Park, a community garden, is part of an old estate. Antique capital of Northern California with over 130 dealers (415/454-2510).

SAN FRANCISCO BAY DELTA MODEL

Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bay Model is a 1 1/2 acre hydraulic working scale model used by engineers to analyze problems that cannot be solved through textbooks or mathematics. The Model, located in Sausalito, features exhibits related to the Bay's cultural and natural history. Visitors may also enjoy interpretive audio tours, available in several languages. Visit Marinship the new historical exhibit dedicated to WWII shipyards in Sausalito. Winter hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-4pm; summer hours, Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4pm; Weekends and Holidays, 10am-6pm. 415/332-3871.

SAN RAFAEL

The county seat and the center of Marin County's cultural activities. Marin Center hosts national celebrity entertainers as well as performances by the Marin Symphony, Marin Ballet, Marin Opera and other companies, (415/499-6400). Dominican College hosts the Marin Shakespeare Co. and many cultural events and lectures, (415/457-4440). San Rafael's unique historic downtown includes a replica of the 1817 Mission San Rafael Archangel, (415/454-8141); the Victorian Falkirk Mansion, the former Robert Dollar Estate, (415/485-3328); and Marin County Historical Museum, (415/454-8538). The San Quentin Gift Shop featuring items made by the inmates is open to the public, (415/454-1460) as is the prison museum, (415/454-8808). For more information call the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, (415/454-4163).

SAUSALITO

This picturesque hillside town on the Bay is noted for unique shopping, restaurants, artist studios and galleries, a yacht harbor, deep sea fishing trips and a local history museum. The central historical district is near the ferry landing. Daily ferry service to/from San Francisco: 415/453-2100, 415/546-2815.

STINSON BEACH

Sandy beach, summer swimming (lifeguard). Picnic sites with fire rings, snack bar (summer). Surf fishing. 415/868-0942. Weather: 415/868-1922.

TIBURON

This TIBURON Peninsula with lagoon and hillside homes is east of the Richardson Bay Bridge, off Highway 101. The town offers waterfront restaurants, shops, yacht berths, sailing clubs and a 900-acre wildlife sanctuary. The National Audubon Society Western Headquarters are in the Victorian Lyford House, with tours available (415/388-2524). The Landmark Society (Historical Society) can be contacted to view the Chaina Cabin (cabin off of an old sailing ship); Old Saint Hilary's and Railroad Depot museum, 415-435-1853 PARADISE COUNTY BEACH PARK offers a fishing pier and picnicking (fee). RING MOUNTAIN PRESERVE features lush grasslands and wildflowers. Ferries to San Francisco and Angel Island: 415/546-2815, 415/435-2131.

TOMALES BAY STATE PARK

Four miles north of Inverness on a shallow bay. Includes picnic tables, fire- pits, restrooms, warm swimming beach. Bike camp (fee). Wheelchair accessible. 415/669-1140. Across the Bay off Highway One is Millerton Point State Beach, with day-use coastal access�hiking, fishing, picnicking.

WILDCARE:TERWILLIGER NATURE EDUCATION & WILDLIFE REHABILITATION

Non-profit nature education museum and wildlife hospital, located in downtown San Rafael, open 9am-5pm, seven days a week. Birds and animals that are unable to be released can be viewed in the courtyard. Docent and self-guided tours available (415/456-SAVE).

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For other areas of THE REDWOOD EMPIRE, click below:
6.The wild and scenic Rogue River, the Oregon Caves... one of Oregon's "best kept secrets" - Josephine County
5.Redwoods, Rivers, Seaports and Coastline of California's Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
4.The dramatic & beautiful Coast, the dynamic inland areas & Wine country of Mendocino County
3.The Lakes and Playgrounds of Clearlake & Lake County
2.The dramatic coastline, the legendary Wine country and progressive cities of Sonoma and Napa Counties
1.Baghdad by the Bay... the beautiful and compelling City of San Francisco and, across the Golden Gate, the magnetic towns and villages and the coastal playgrounds of Marin County

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LODGING	ATTRACTIONS, PARKS, PLACES TO GO & THINGS TO DO
CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES & AREAS	TRIVIA & FUN FACTS
VISITOR INFORMATION & SERVICES
DINING	CAMPING & RV PARKS
OTHER BUSINESSES	AREA 1 MAP