Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hiking
Beyond the observatory is the Palomarin parking lot and access to various
walking trails
in the southern part of the Point Reyes National Seashore, including the easy (and popular)
3-mile trail to lovely
Bass Lake
. A sweet inland spot buffered by tall trees, this small lake
is perfect for a pastoral swim on a toasty day. You can dive in wearing your birthday suit
(or not), bring an inner tube to float about, or do a long lap all the way across.
If you continue 1.5 miles northwest, you'll reach the unmaintained trail to
Alamere
Falls
, a fantastic flume plunging 50ft off a cliff and down to the beach. But sketchy beach
access makes it more enjoyable to walk another 1.5 miles to
Wildcat Beach
and then
backtrack a mile on sand.
Sleeping & Eating
Smiley's Schooner Saloon & Hotel
MOTEL
( 415-868-1311;
www.smileyssaloon.com
;
41 Wharf Rd; r $104-124; )
A crusty old place dating back to 1851, Smiley's has simple but decent rooms, and last-
minute weekday rates can be a bargain. The bar, which serves some food, has live bands
Thursday through Saturday and is frequented by plenty of salty dogs and grizzled dead-
heads.
Bolinas People's Store
CAFE, MARKET
(14 Wharf Rd; 8:30am-6:30pm; )
An awesome little co-op grocery store hidden behind the community center, the People's
Store serves Fair Trade coffee and sells organic produce, fresh soup and excellent tamales.
Eat at the tables in the shady courtyard, and have a rummage through the Free Box, a shed
full of clothes and other waiting-to-be-reused items.
Coast Café
AMERICAN
(
www.bolinascoastcafe.com
; 46 Wharf Rd; mains $10-22;
11:30am-3pm & 5-8pm Tue-Thu, to 9pm
Fri, 8am-3pm & 5-9pm Sat, to 8pm Sun;
)
