Marin County & the Bay Area - California - page 268

ber there are three ferries a day on weekends and two on weekdays; during the rest of the
year the schedule is reduced.
From Tiburon, take the Angel Island-Tiburon (

415-435-2131; www.angelislandferry.com ;

round-trip adult/child/bike $13.50/11.50/1) ferry.
From Oakland, San Francisco Bay Ferry ( 415-705-8291; www.sanfranciscobayferry.com ;
round-trip adult/child $14.50/8.50) has one round-trip on summer weekends.

Sir Francis Drake Blvd & Around

The towns along and nearby the Sir Francis Drake Blvd corridor - including Larkspur,
Corte Madera, Ross, San Anselmo and Fairfax - evoke charmed small-town life, even
though things get busy around Hwy 101.
Starting from the eastern section in Larkspur , window-shop along Magnolia Ave or ex-
plore the redwoods in nearby Baltimore Canyon ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) . On the east side
of the freeway is the hulking mass of San Quentin State Penitentiary ( MAP
GOOGLE MAP ) , California's oldest and most notorious prison, founded in 1852. Johnny
Cash recorded an album here in 1969 after scoring a big hit with his live At Folsom Prison
album a few years earlier.
Take the bicycle and pedestrian bridge from the ferry terminal across the road to the
Marin Country Mart , a shopping center with a dozen excellent eateries and comfortable
outdoor seating. One favorite is the Marin Brewing Company ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ;
www.marinbrewing.com ; 1809 Larkspur Landing Cir, Marin Country Mart, Bldg 2, Larkspur; mains
$12-19; 11:30am-midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat; ) brewpub, where you can see the
glassed-in kettles behind the bar. The head brewer, Arne Johnson, has won many awards,
and the Mt Tam Pale Ale complements the menu of pizza, burgers and hearty sandwiches.
Just south, Corte Madera is home to one of the Bay Area's best bookstores, Book
Passage ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 415-927-0960; www.bookpassage.com ; 51 Tamal Vista Blvd;
9am-9pm) , in the Marketplace shopping center. It has a strong travel section, plus fre-
quent author appearances.
Continuing west along Sir Francis Drake, San Anselmo has a cute, small downtown
area along San Anselmo Ave, including several antique shops. The attractive center of