The Marin Civic Center is a beautiful Frank Lloyd building. As a Marin county resident, I am always…read moreso thrilled to go to one of our civic offices so I can walk around the spaces. It is a living, functional part of our daily lives. How many people are lucky enough to have a place to do your county business that also gives you something beautiful in return? The farmer's markets are also fantastic.

I attended the funnest outdoor event on Halloween, 2020. It was a thoughtful alternative to regular…read moredoor-to-door trick or treating. I stopped by the Civic Center for an evening walk and found a drive up holiday event. There was a charge to drive into the area and cars then processed by giant spiders etc. to a drive-up option for hot dogs, and beyond. It looked fun but since there is a charge it does not seem equitable for those who could not pay over $10 per car.

"Where is the best place to get 360 degree views of the ocean?" Someone asked me this question last…read moreweek while I was hiking out at Tomales Point, and I've decided that the answer is Chimney Rock. (I mean, technically, the answer is actually 'from a boat in the middle of the ocean,' but I'm pretty sure they meant like, 300 degree views.) Chimney Rock is a thin straight of land that peeps out into the ocean. Or, in more technical terms, according to the NPS website, it is "the Eastern spur of the Point Reyes headlands." If you think of Point Reyes as being shaped like a double-headed wrench, the lighthouse and Chimney Rock are on the same side of the wrench, but they are the tips that oppose each other. Each one juts out into the ocean on its own. Of course, you could also get great, nearly all-around views at the lighthouse, but this requires hiking down 313 stairs. As opposed to the lighthouse, Chimney Rock is a much easier hike. In fact, this hike would have been a breeze, if not for the actual breeze, which was blowing at about 45mph. (Point Reyes is the second windiest point on the West Coast. If you are not able to maintain a very strong stance against the wind, then consider a different hike.) The hike was less than a mile each way. There were not very many wildflowers, but in some ways, this is actually an advantage over Tomales Point, because it allows for better unobstructed views. There are a lot of social trails at Chimney Rock. NPS has posted signs in front of these trails that say, "Unauthorized trail, hazardous cliffs. Please stay on authorized trails." I stayed on the authorized trails, not just because I'm a goody-two-shoes as a hiker, but because, as a California native, I understand cliff geology, and the very real risks associated with it. You may be thinking, "This cliff isn't really going to crumble and drop me into the ocean," but actually, this can and does happen all the time. (In fact, this actually happened to a member of my cohort at UC Santa Barbara.) A side hike can take you down to the Historic Life Saving Station. There is not a sign that says "this way to the life saving station," but you will know which trail it is because it is *not* marked with an unauthorized trail sign. (I have not yet taken that side hike, but it looks interesting.)

Yelp has the wrong map location for this spot. A nice hike and we were close and personal with a…read morecoyote during our hike. We just kept still and it walked on by. Pretty cool! The easy walk itself is fairly short out and back with a mandatory turnaround at the end of the trail. Make sure you venture to the right toward the beginning to get that awesome sheer cliff ocean view. And be careful because that little 20 foot desire comes with some wind. Many folks miss this feature of the hike. Lots of flowers during springtime.

Here's a polished review you can use:…read more Visited Alcatraz Island and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The audio tour was incredible, so well done and really brought the history to life in a powerful, immersive way. There's so much to learn, and every corner of the island has a story. I was also surprised by how beautiful the grounds are. The greenery and views of the bay add such a unique contrast to the prison itself. One of the highlights was being able to walk inside the actual cells, it makes the experience feel very real and gives you a deeper understanding of what life there was like. The only downside was that the dining room was closed during our visit, so we didn't get to see that part. But overall, it's a must-see and absolutely worth the trip.

I really enjoyed the tour. I got the behingd the scenes tour, and them had the night audio tour it…read morewas really interesting and educational. I am glad I went and got to experience it his once. The only downside was the choppy waves om the ferry into the island. Jt that wasnt their fault . If you enjoy a bit of history then this is well worth the visit.

Dare I say best views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Area in general? The area is right off the…read morebridge and is near a fishing harbor so there is not a whole ton of people who come to visit. There are little trails around the region but nothing too crazy or long. The views here are absolutely stunning. From one location, you are able to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, SF Downtown, Tiburon, and Salinas all in one scan. In addition there are not as much people here so you can get a great view while idoling here for some time. It does get pretty cold and windy but it is very worth it!

I stumbled onto this glorious complex during a stay in San Rafael and immediately recognized it as…read morea Frank Lloyd Wright as I was driving by. Gorgeous! On a Saturday, the complex was drivable and viewable from the exterior but I didn't get the opportunity to see inside the gates or to wander the grounds up close. Still such an experience to see a FLW of this size and presence. A masterpiece but also not quite timeless in design. It looks like a lot to keep up and I can imagine that the interiors might not be well suited for the computer age or for the demands of the modern workplace. Good for Marin County for doing what they can to maintain the complex. It still looks great!

I had no idea that they did tours at the Marin County Civic Center. The information about Frank…read moreLloyd Wright was very interesting. The tour was very informative. There were areas that I've never seen and the history was fascinating. I highly recommend people take the tour because the history of the building is fascinating. I didn't know that there was a library there it's built in such a way that it absorbs the noise so it's very quiet and peaceful in there.

This bandshell was constructed back in the 1900s and was a gift to the city from sugar magnate…read moreClaus Spreckels because his son, Aldolph B. Spreckels was then the President of the San Francisco Park Commission. After completion, it was then dedicated as "a gift to the people of California on Admission Day, September 9, 1900, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the state's admission to the Union."--Wikipedia. Today, we still enjoy free music here on most Sundays. Many bands (some famous, some about to be) played here. My little pup likes to play catch in the nearby grassy area while some families brought along picnic baskets with food and drinks to enjoy. We also saw folks celebrating their birthdays with families and friends. A wonderful public place.

Spreckels Temple of Music (also known as the Golden Gate Bandshell) is located at the west end of…read morethe Music Concourse at Golden Gate Park. Around this area, you will find beautiful statues, fountains, the Skywheel (ferris wheel), and the Cal Academy of Sciences not too far away, as well as plenty of grassy fields for picnicking.  This magnificent temple is designed with fine architectural details and covered in sandstone, and was renovated several times following earthquake damage in the past. It provides an ideal setting for music performances, with the words "Lift Every Voice" boldly displayed at its crown (installed in late 2021). Free bandshell concerts are held throughout the spring and summer multiple days per week (and sometimes concerts with a fee throughout the year) with a wide range of music genres to satisfy diverse audiences and preferences. The free live music festivals are pretty low key I would say, with families and couples of all ages coming to relax, dance, and enjoy the instrumentals and vocals of remarkable music bands. They typically do Soul/Jazz/R&B Happy Hour on Friday evenings, so I was able to catch Alpha-Rhythm Kings do their thing on stage last week, and they did not disappoint. They created such a fun environment for visitors to spend quality time with loved ones and be entertained by the passionate and skilled musicianship on stage, whether enjoying conversation/leisure time at their seats or moving their bodies on the "dance floor" (the space directly in front of the stage).  The benches across from the stage are spread out nicely, and plenty of trees offer shade to guests on a sunny afternoon. Great lighting and sound on stage as well, though the colored lights are barely noticeable since it's still daylight out there during summer evenings, even by the time the some concerts end. And free street parking was actually quite easy to find nearby about a block away on a Friday. The atmosphere in the plaza is carefree and easygoing, with everybody just having a good time, greenery all around, and the Spreckels Temple of Music, of course, the centerpiece and backdrop of this awesome ongoing event at Golden Gate Park. There is no guarantee there will be food around on any given day, though I have seen food tents near the ferris wheel area in the past, so I recommend you bring your own food if you want to picnic while enjoying the concert.

A friend took my husband and me to spend a day at Point San Pablo. It was an amazing and beautiful…read moreplace. As we drove up the "long and winding road" we all felt our cares and stress from the San Francisco traffic fall away. We ate at the restaurant, listened to some great jazz in the bar area and had fun walking around the property. Our friend discovered two burning man sculptures that have found permanent homes here. On was a tall steel structure that had a steel tree on top of it. It was really nice but when we walked inside it....OMG, we were transported to another world or an alternate reality, I don't know which but it was astonishingly beautiful inside this tiny room. I will attach some photos. The other burning man sculpture was a metal globe, hard to describe. It was nice and was at the end of a long road in a beautiful spot.

I was out this weekend showing my friend the brighter side of Richmond when we wandered into Point…read moreSan Pablo. It's on the back of an oil refinery (which sounds more ominous than it actually is) and is home to the Point San Pablo Yacht Club and the East Brother Island B&B. Getting to point San Pablo is like going back in time. It's completely untouched from the days when it was inhabited by factory workers (their homes remain boarded up). The sometimes gravel road is long and winding, and it's almost like going on a historical tour of Richmond. It's amazing because you can see how much promise the city actuallly holds if someone would just invest in development of the area. There is so much amazing greenery and the ocean views are unbelievable. At one point you can get a full view of the Richmond/San Raphael Bridge (Who knew it was that long). It's a cool place to stop by on your way somewhere else. It's not much for hiking since everything is gated and access is so limited, but the sunset is totally worth it.

I hosted a school party at the pool. Everyone was so professional and the kids had an absolute…read moreblast. The pool and playground are beautiful and the parents felt very safe with the excellent care of the lifeguards. The pricing was super reasonable considering the length of time we had the party. Highly recommend!