Travels with haRVy

The town of Bolinas, CA is known for its reclusive residents. It is only accessible via unmarked roads. Any road sign along Route 1 that points the way into town has been torn down by local residents, to the point where county officials held a ballot measure to which the voters responded by stating a preference for no more signs. That did not dissuade us from visiting this funky little town though! Coastal California real estate is so expensive that funky is hard to find these days. Bolinas proved to be a refreshingly so. Even the teenagers dressed like hippies. We figure they must be the grandchildren of the original hippie generation.

We explored for an afternoon and spent the night boondocked on one of the aforementioned unmarked roads. Al even got a chiropractic adjustment at the community center where a local practitioner offers $35 specials once a week.

How many towns have you visited that have a spiritual shrine on Main Street?

The house I want.

The Episcopal Church that seats about 20.

Of course, everyone surfs in Bolinas – young and old alike.

Surfside snack shop that serves a dozen different types of quesadillas.

While Bolinas was an unexpected treat, Sausalito was a huge disappointment. This town, which I remember as a haven for creative types, has mutated into an expensive and tacky tourist trap. We did, however, manage to score a great overnight park/camp site right in town, so the stop was not a total loss. Oh yeah, then there was the Carlos Santana sighting (no photo, sorry)!

San Francisco from the Sausalito waterfront.

Our in-town dockside boondock site. Not bad for $10.