Marin County & the Bay Area - Coastal California - page 191

1 Gazing up at the majestic redwood canopy at Muir Woods National Monu-
ment .
2 Cavorting with elk and gray whales at the Point Reyes National Seashore .
3 Touring the beach-cove coastline along Hwy 1 from Pacifica to Santa
Cruz.
4 Feasting your way through the delectable Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley.
5 Kayaking Tomales Bay amid harbor seals and splendid shorelines.
6 Hiking or cycling the perimeter of panoramic Angel Island .
7 Spying on the elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve .
8 Cooling off with a cannonball splash at blissful Bass Lake .
9 Heading to Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center to marvel at the
stars.
GETTING AROUND
Visitors taking multiple forms of public transportation throughout the Bay Area should
note that the regional Clipper card ( www.clippercard.com ) can be used on the Caltrain,
BART, SamTrans, VTA, Golden Gate Transit and the Golden Gate Ferry systems. It can be
a handy way to avoid buying multiple tickets, and offers some small discounts, plus al-
most 50% off on the Golden Gate Ferry system.
MARIN COUNTY
If there's a part of the Bay Area that consciously attempts to live up to the California
dream, it's Marin County. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the re-
gion has a wealthy population that cultivates a seemingly laid-back lifestyle. Towns may
look like idyllic rural hamlets, but the shops cater to cosmopolitan and expensive tastes.
The 'common' folk here eat organic, vote Democrat and drive hybrids.
Geographically, Marin County is a near mirror image of San Francisco. It's a south-
pointing peninsula that nearly touches the north-pointing tip of the city, and is surrounded
by ocean and bay. But Marin is wilder, greener and more mountainous. Redwoods grow on
the coast side of the hills, the surf crashes against cliffs, and hiking and cycling trails cris-