Beautiful Wildflowers at Chimney Rock

We've had a fair amount of rain this winter, which means wildflowers should be abundant this spring.  For the past month or so wine country has been full of bright yellow mustard flowers.

My favorite spot to view wildflowers is Chimney Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore, about 2 hours north of San Francisco.  Here you can see California Poppies, Indian Paintbrush, Douglas' Iris, California Buttercup, Sky Lupine, and dozens of other flowers.

 

(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

In addition to seeing multicolored fields of flowers, a walk along the bluffs near Chimney Rock will reward you with views of the Pacific as well as Drakes Bay.  You might also see hundreds of elephant seals on the beaches below the cliffs.

Chimney Rock lies on the south end of Point Reyes.  On the north end you can visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse, which is open daily except on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Be prepared to walk down, and then up, 308 stairs to reach the lighthouse.  This is a good spot to look for migrating gray whales.

The best months for viewing wildflowers are usually April and May.  Elephant seals breed from December through March.  Gray whales pass by on their migration between Alaska and Baja California from January through April.

The only way to get to Chimney Rock and Point Reyes Lighthouse is by car.  On weekends through mid-April, you'll need to park at the Drakes Beach parking lot and then take a shuttle bus to Chimney Rock and/or the Point Reyes Lighthouse.  Don't want to drive.  Let Blue Heron Custom Tours and Traveltake you on a private tour of Point Reyes and West Marin County.  For more information, please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com

Wildlife Viewing in Northern California

Check out the latest edition or "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free newsletter of fun things to do in the Bay Area, to learn more about viewing wildlife in Northern California.  You can see the newsletter by clicking here.  Subscribe to the newsletter by sending a request to Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

If you would like to take a private tour in Northern California to see some of the wildlife, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel by calling (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mailing Rick@BlueHeronTours.com. 

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

When taking guests to Monterey and Carmel, I usually stop at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse for a beautiful ocean view. Located about 50 miles south of San Francisco, the lighthouse was built in 1872 and is home to a 1st order Fresnel lens with 1008 prisms. While the Fresnel lens is no longer used, the tower still houses an automated light. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is in need of repair and is closed to the public. However, there are a small museum and gift shop on the grounds that are usually open Fridays - Sundays when the weather is good.

The view of the Pacific from behind the lighthouse is not to be missed. You can see waves crashing upon rocks, harbor seals frolicking in the water or sunning on the rocks, and, if you are lucky, migrating gray whales. In the distance, you can view Año Nuevo Island and Point. When docents are on duty, they usually have binoculars for visitors to use.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse is home to one of Hostelling International's facilities. Here you can enjoy ocean views from their hot tub and stay in private or shared accommodation at very reasonable prices.

If you would like to take a private tour from San Francisco to Monterey and Carmel that includes a stop at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park

A short walk west of the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park lies Stow Lake. Here families can partake in an array of outdoor activities. The easiest and least expensive is to take a walk around the lake or to the top of Strawberry Hill. During the approximately mile-long walk around the lake, you are likely to see ducks and other birds as well as turtles. If you walk to the top of 430-foot tall Strawberry Hill in the middle of the lake, you'll pass by a lovely man-made waterfall and be rewarded with a nice view of the park as well as the Sunset and Richmond Districts at the summit.

If you want to spend some time on the water and get an up-close look at the birds and turtles, you can rent paddle boats and row boats at the Stow Lake Boathouse. Rentals are available from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on most nice days. You can check to make sure the boathouse is open and by phoning (415) 752-0347.

If you want a little more exercise, bicycles and peddle-powered carriages are available for rental at the boathouse. On Saturdays during the summer and on Sundays year-round, the section of JFK Drive closest to the lake is closed to cars making it a nice place for a leisurely bike ride.

Need a quick refresher? The Stow Lake Boathouse sells ice cream, sodas, and other snacks. The food's not gourmet but tastes good after a hike or boat ride.

If you would like to take a private tour of San Francisco that includes a stop at Stow Lake, please feel free to contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Beautiful Gardens South of San Francisco

Spring is here and Filoli has reopened for the season. This beautiful country estate, located about 30 miles south of San Francisco, is an historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The mansion was built by the Bourn family and designed by famed San Francisco architect, Willis Polk. Construction started in 1915 and the family moved in during 1917. The Roth family purchased the estate in 1937. Mrs. Roth lived there until 1975 when she donated the house and surrounding gardens to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Mrs. Roth was instrumental in making the gardens the world-class attraction they are today.

While the house is interesting, it's the gardens that make this a must-see attraction for flower lovers. If you are a film buff, you might have seen Filoli in "Heaven Can Wait," "Joy Luck Club," the "Wedding Planner," and other films. It was also pictured in the television shows, "Dynasty" and "Nash Bridges."

Visitors may take a self-guided or docent-led tour of the house and gardens. If you wish to take a docent-led tour, advance reservations are highly recommended. Filoli's 2009 season runs through October 25. The estate is open from 10:00 - 3:30 from Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 11:00 - 3:30. Filoli is closed on Mondays and on most holidays.

If you would like to take a private tour that includes a visit to Filoli, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Spring in West Marin

The first day of Spring is Saturday, which means it's time to visit West Marin. The western part of Marin County is completely different from the more populated eastern side. West Marin is home to beautiful beaches, rugged coastline, dairy farms, and numerous hiking trails. Spring is a great time to visit as you are likely to avoid the winter rains and summer fog. Summer days in West Marin are often as cold as Winter days.

Spring marks the annual migration of the California gray whales from their winter home off Baja California to their summer feeding grounds in Alaska. The whales' migration is the longest of any mammal. On the northward journey, the whales travel with their babies closer to shore to avoid sharks. Their are many spots along the coast to look for sharks, but Point Reyes is among the best. If you visit on a weekend day or a holiday before mid-April, you will need to take a shuttle bus to the point. You can watch for whales from the deck above the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse or walk down the 300 steps to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is open from 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily, except on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Keep in mind that whale watching requires patience. I've been many times and failed to see whales more times than I have seen them. First, look for the whale's spout. Then, if the animal is close enough to shore, you might be able to see it.

Chimney Rock is at the southern end of the point and is another spot to watch for whales. This is also a great area to see wildflowers. Take a walk on the bluffs overlooking Drake's Bay and the Pacific and you are likely to be see California poppies, Indian paintbrush, Douglas' iris, mission bells, and other beautiful blowers.

South of Point Reyes, near the Bolinas Lagoon is the Audubon Canyon Ranch. At its Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, you can see nesting Great Blue Heron and Great White and Snowy Egrets. The reserve is open from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays through the second weekend in July. You can also make an appointment to visit on Tuesday through Friday.

West Marin is a great part of the Bay Area to visit during any season, but Spring is special. If you would like to take a private tour of West Marin that includes Point Reyes and/or the Audubon Canyon Ranch, call Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 327-4237 or e-mail Blue Heron by clicking here.

Mosaics and a View

Standing at the top of Grandview Park I had a 360-degree view of the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate, San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Park, the Sunset District, and downtown San Francisco. I climbed quite a bit to get here as the park sits on the top of a hill that rises to 820 feet above sea level, but the view was worth it.

Grandview Park is not convenient for most visitors as it is located in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood on the west side of San Francisco. However, if you are staying near Union Square, take the N Judah streetcar at one of the MUNI Metro stations on Market Street. Make sure you get a transfer and exit the train at 9th and Judah. Transfer to the 66 Quintara bus and travel to 16th and Moraga. You can also continue on the N Judah to 16th Ave. and walk three blocks south to Moraga.

When you get off the bus, look east and you will see a long stairway covered with mosaics climbing the hill. More than 220 local residents donated funds that resulted in the mosaic of the ocean, moon, and sun. As you climb the steps, look closely and you'll find the names of the contributors who made the steps possible. Be sure to turn around and admire the ocean view.

When you get to the top of the steps, you'll be at 15th Avenue. Look to the right and you'll see a small set of steps that connect lower and upper 15th. When you get to the top of this stairway, you'll see a long flight of wooden steps that will take you to the top of the hill. Enjoy the view as you wander through the small park.

If you want to grab a bite to eat during your outing, there are many small, inexpensive restaurants along Irving Street and on 9th Avenue between Lincoln and Judah. You'll find Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, American, Ethiopian, seafood, Greek, and other restaurants.

If you would like to take a private San Francisco tour that includes a visit to Grandview Park and the mosaic-covered stairway, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

Garden Lovers' San Francisco

Garden lovers will definitely want to visit Golden Gate Park. This man-made park shows how dedicated gardeners can transform the landscape. In addition to enjoying the full park, gardeners will want to visit three sights that are within easy walks of each other: the Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Garden and Arboretum, and Conservatory of Flowers.

The Japanese Tea Garden was founded in 1894 as part of San Francisco's Midwinter Fair and is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. Visitors will enjoy a leisurely stroll through the garden. If you visit at the right time in the spring, you will see the cherry trees in bloom. You can also stop at the tea house for green tea, Japanese crackers, and fortune cookies. The Tea Garden opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. from November to February and at 6:00 p.m. during the balance of the year. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors age 65 and over and youth between the ages of 12 and 17, and $1.50 for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Children under the age of 5 may enter for free.

The San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum is just across Martin Luther King Drive from the Japanese Tea Garden. The 55 acres of gardens feature plants from Mediterranean climates, mild-temperate climates, cloud forests, elsewhere. The Botanical Gardens are open daily and there is no charge for enjoying a walk among the diverse plants and flowers.

The Conservatory of Flowers is a ten-minute walk from the Japanese Tea Garden. This Victorian greenhouse opened in 1879 and is now North America's oldest public conservatory. The Conservatory closed in 1995 after suffering major damage during a severe windstorm. After extensive renovation, the Conservatory reopened in 2003. Today, the conservatory houses over 2,000 plants in its permanent collection. Special exhibits are displayed throughout the year. The Conservatory is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The last admission is at 4:30 p.m. Admission fees are the same as for the Japanese Tea Garden.

If you would like to take a private tour of San Francisco that includes a visit to one or more of these gardens, please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Land's End Trail Update

In the second edition of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free newsletter of fun things to do in the Bay Area, I wrote about the Coastal Trail at Land's End. This beautiful walk takes you from Sea Cliff and the Legion of Honor to the Pacific Ocean near Cliff House.

If you've not done this walk recently, there are many improvements along the way. Most recently, a large parking lot was opened at the west end of the trail, just above Cliff House. Now there are plenty of spots for cars and buses to park so visitors can enjoy the trail, walk among the ruins of Sutro Bath, or eat at Cliff House or Louis' Restaurant.

The trail is much better signed now, both with directional arrows and waysides that help interpret the area. You'll be able to learn more about the streetcar and train that previously ran along Land's End, the Native Americans that lived here, and the many ships that wrecked outside the Golden Gate.

There are also improved seating areas for walkers to rest and gaze out over the Pacific.

If you haven't visited Land's End, I highly recommend the walk I called "the most beautiful urban walk in America." If you haven't walked the trail recently, it's time for a return visit.

If you would like to take a private, custom tour that includes Land's End, Sea Cliff, and/or the Legion of Honor, please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Muir Beach Ovelook & Pelican Inn

On Muir Woods tours I frequently take my guests to the Muir Beach Overlook. This old army lookout is located just north of the village of Muir Beach off of Hwy. 1. A short walk out to the point overlooking the Pacific will reward you with panoramic views of the ocean from San Francisco to Point Reyes. Here is one of the best spots to witness the dramatic meeting of cliffs and ocean that is the northern California coastline. On really clear days you can see the Farallon Islands, which are about 25 miles offshore. Be forewarned that the Muir Beach Overlook is often fogged in during the summer. The sun can be shining at Muir Woods while the Overlook, which is about five miles away, is shrouded in fog.

You can combine a visit to the Overlook with lunch at the Pelican Inn in Muir Beach. This quaint bed and breakfast serves classic British food along with some American favorites. The pub has some great beers on tap, including cellar-temperature Guinness Stout. The Pelican Inn's restaurant is open for lunch daily. On Sundays freshly carved roast beef, ham, and turkey are served. The pub serves snacks and light food throughout the day.

If you would like to take a private tour that includes a visit to the Muir Beach Overlook and/or lunch at the Pelican Inn, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here. (The big scheduled tour operators do not include the Overlook on their tours.)

See Mating Elephant Seals

The largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals can be found at Año Nuevo State Reserve. You have not seen anything until you see two-ton elephant seals battling over a prospective mate. The reserve is located about 90 minutes south of San Francisco on Hwy. 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz.

Elephant seals may be found at Año Nuevo throughout the year. The breeding season runs from December through March. Adult males begin arriving in December and begin to battle to become dominant. The winners of these fights do most of the mating. By late March, the adult seals leave the park and only the weaned pups remain. In the spring and summer, adults return to the park to molt. During the fall, yearlings come ashore.

Año Nuevo is worth visiting at any time. However, seeing the seals breed is particularly fascinating. The breeding season runs from December 15 through March 31. During this time, visitors may only see the park on a guided walk. Advance reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (800) 444-4445. The molting season runs from April 1 to August 31 and the fall haul-out season from September 1 to November 30. During these seasons, you will need to pick up a free permit for a self-guided hike from the entrance station. Try to arrive early to make sure you get a permit and have enough time for the hike.

A visit to Año Nuevo is a uniquely California experience. If you would like a private tour that includes a visit to Año Nuevo, please feel free to call me at (866) 326 - 4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Summer in Muir Woods

Summer brings the crowds to Muir Woods, home to the coastal redwoods -- the tallest trees in the world. Parking can be difficult, especially on weekends when visitors may need to park a half-mile away from the entrance. Here are three tips for avoiding the crowds and making your visit more enjoyable:

1. Visit early or late. In the summer, Muir Woods is open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. If you arrive before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m., not only will you avoid the crowds but you will not have to pay an entry fee. I recommend arriving before 9:30 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. if you want to have a more peaceful experience.

2. Take a tour to the park. The scheduled tour operators all arrive around the same time, so you won't avoid the crowds. However, you will not have the hassle of finding a parking space. If you take a private tour, such as with Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel, you can time your arrival so you are not there when the big tour buses are at the park.

3. Take public transit to the park. Golden Gate Transit runs shuttle buses to Muir Woods from Sausalito, Marin City, and the Manzanita parking lot at the Route 1 exit of US 101 on weekends and holidays through September 30. Buses that stop in Sausalito meet Golden Gate Transit's ferries to and from San Francisco.

Blue Heron provides private, custom tours that include Muir Woods. You also can visit Muir Woods as part of a tour of San Francisco or a tour of Wine Country. For more information, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Angel Island

Angel Island is a locals place. Visitors to San Francisco flock to Alcatraz Island, but far fewer visit Angel Island. Angel Island never captured the public's imagination like Alcatraz did when it housed notorious prisoners like Al Capone and the Birdman (Robert Stroud).

Today Angel Island is a state park. However, it's rich history includes periods when it was a military base, home to a quarantine station, and home to an immigration station where thousands of Chinese were detained for weeks and months between 1910 and 1940.

Cars are prohibited on Angel Island, so the park is a peaceful place for biking, hiking, and picnicking. If you chose to picnic, you may want to bring food with you as options are limited on the island.

If you walk the perimeter road, you will pass many of the island's historical sights including the immigration station. You can also hike to the top of Mt. Livermore for a 360 degree view of San Francisco Bay.

The Angel Island Immigration Station is currently being renovated. When the Immigration Station reopens in 2008, visitors will be able to learn more about the lives of those whose first home in America was Angel Island.

Angel Island is accessible by ferry from both San Francisco and Tiburon. More information about the island is available from the Angel Island association's excellent website: www.angelisland.org. More information on the Angel Island Immigration Station is available at www.aiisf.org.

Visiting Muir Woods

Muir Woods National Monument, a grove of old-growth coastal redwoods, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Bay Area. The coastal redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and are found only along the coast of northern California and very southern Oregon. A new "tallest tree" was found last year in a state park in the far northern part of California. It measured 379.1 feet tall. The tallest trees in Muir Woods are about 280 feet tall, but you won't notice the difference.

With the winter rains leaving us and summer just around the corner, more and more visitors are taking the lovely stroll through the Woods. This means that the parking lots are filling up -- particularly on weekends.

Here are a few tips to make your visit more pleasant:

1. Visit the park early or late and avoid the crowds. Many people visit the park by taking a scheduled tour from San Francisco. These tours generally arrive about 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Plan your visit so you are in the park before 10:00 a.m. or after 3:30 p.m. and you'll avoid some of the crowds.

2. Visit on a weekday. Locals enjoy visiting the park so weekends are often very busy. Both parking lots can fill up and you may have to walk 3/4 mile along the road just to get from your parking spot to the park entrance.

3. Bring a sweater. San Francisco can be sunny while Muir Woods can be shrouded in fog. Last week I left San Francisco, which was foggy but dry, and arrived in Muir Woods to find pouring rain. Rain is rare in the summer but cold fog is not.

4. Take a private tour with Blue Heron Custom Tours that includes a visit to Muir Woods. You will not have to worry about parking and we can time the visit to avoid the crowds. To schedule your tour, call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Point Bonita Lighthouse

There's something romantic about lighthouses. I know the real story is that lighthouse keepers worked long hours, performed gruelling tasks -- often in miserable weather, and received little pay. Nevertheless, whenever I see a lighthouse I immediately want to visit it, learn the history, and fantasize about the keeper's life.

One of my favorite lighthouses is located at Point Bonita on the north side of the entrance to the Golden Gate. The original lighthouse, built in 1855, was the third on the West Coast. The site was too high and fog frequently obscured the beam. As a result, the lighthouse was moved to its current site in 1877.

Point Bonita, on a sunny day, provides one of the area's special views. On one side the Pacific crashes against the bluff. On the other side sits San Francisco, just across the Bay. Docents are available to tell you about the lighthouse, its keepers, and the area's history.

The drive to the lighthouse, along Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands, offers spectacular vistas of the Golden Gate, the Bridge, and San Francisco. Stop at Battery Spencer and walk to the edge of the cliff for an up-close view of the Golden Gate Bridge. After arriving at the parking lot, you will walk along a half-mile trail through a hand-cut tunnel and across a narrow suspension bridge to get to the light. Unfortunately visitors hours are extremely limited. The lighthouse is open only Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 12:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

If you visit, make sure you bring a sweater as Point Bonita is frequently swept by strong winds. More information on the lighthouse can be found on the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's website: http://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm.

If you would like a private tour of San Francisco and/or Muir Woods that includes a visit to the Point Bonita Lighthouse, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Free San Francisco Walking Tours

San Francisco is a compact city -- just 46 square miles. With 750,000 people calling the city home, some of the neighborhoods are quite congested. Chinatown has the densest population in the United States outside of Manhattan.

My half-day tours of San Francisco provide a good overview of the City and the full-day tours enable visitors to see more of the city's neighborhoods. However, many of the neighborhoods are best explored on foot.

If you enjoy walking and want to see San Francisco up close, I highly recommend taking one or more walking tours during your stay. Commercial walking tour companies operate in some neighborhoods. However, City Guides provides free walking tours throughout San Francisco.

Operating under the auspices of the San Francisco Public Library, City Guides' volunteer docents will lead you on explorations of neighborhoods as diverse as Pacific Heights, Haight Ashbury, and the Financial District. Tours are offered seven days per week in both the morning and afternoon. The summer schedule is more expansive than the winter schedule. Regardless of the date you chose for your tour, you are bound to find a one of interest. Full schedules are available on City Guides' website: www.sfcityguides.org.

If you would like some help planning your San Francisco vacation, and want to include a walking tour, I would be pleased to assist you. Feel free to phone me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

I recently took some guests to Point Reyes National Seashore, one of my favorite spots in the Bay Area. We drove all the way out to the Point where we visited the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Opened in 1870, this lighthouse is home to a first order Fresnel lens.

The lighthouse is open Thursday through Monday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. To get to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, visitors must walk a quarter of a mile from the parking lot and then down (and back up) 308 steps. So the walk is not for the faint hearted. There are benches along the way if you want to rest while climbing back up the steps. Also, be warned that this is perhaps the windiest spot in California. Winds in excess of 40 mph are not uncommon.

If you do visit the lighthouse, you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the Pacific and exhibits on Pacific maritime history. During the late fall and late winter/early spring, you may sea gray whales on the way between Alaska and Baja California. During whale watching season, you will need to take a shuttle bus to the Point on weekends and holidays.

To learn more about Point Reyes and West Marin County, visit the Blue Heron website and read "Rick's Tips" Numbers 11 and 12.

If you want to take a private tour to Point Reyes National seashore, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Escape to Elk Update

Two years ago, "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free, quarterly newsletter of fun things to do in the Bay Area, focused on Elk, California. Elk is located about three hours north of San Francisco and overlooks a spectacular cove on the California Coast.

Recently we returned to Elk and found many things unchanged, along with a few changes. The spot is still lovely -- we had sunny skies and 70 degree weather. There is still little to do in town other than walk on the beach and sit on a chair overlooking the cove and watch the waves crash. Ledford House in Albion still breaks the rule that the better the view, the worse the view. Lisa Geer's food is still delicious. Service is friendly. Watching the sun slowly set while nursing a glass of wine is an experience that can't be beat.

Sandpiper House Inn appears to have gone out of business, at least temporarily house. Griffin House Inn has remodeled its cottages.

Mendocino, the coastside village about 30 minutes north of Elk, still has some interesting shops and galleries. There were a few newcomers, but many of the shops have been there for as long as we can remember.

The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, 2 miles north of Mendocino, has been restored and is open to the public daily from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. A bed and breakfast will open any day in one of the restored lightkeeper houses.

If you are interested in a custom-designed vacation along the spectacular Sonoma and Mendocino coasts, call (866) 326-4237 (toll free). I would be pleased to work with you to plan a vacation that you are sure to enjoy.

Hiking Among the Elk

The rains seem to have ended for the season and the days are bright and sunny. Now is the perfect time to visit Point Reyes National Seashore; one to two hours north of San Francisco, depending on the part of the park you wish to explore. (For more information, read "Rick's Tips, No. 12."

This past Sunday we left a sunny San Francisco hoping to find an equal amount of sunshine at Point Reyes, where we planed to hike to Tomales Point, one of our favorite trails in the Bay Area. We were not disappointed when we arrived. The sky was bright blue with a few wispy and puffy clouds. The temperature was in the sixties with a fair amount of wind. Nearly perfect hiking weather.

The Tomales Point Trail starts at the historic Pierce Ranch, an old dairy farm, and ends 4.7 miles later at the northern most spot in the park - Tomales Point. The trail travels over rolling hills with breathtaking views of Tomales Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. After our heavy rains this winter, there were an abundance of wild flowers in bloom -- California Poppies, Queen Ann's Lace, iris, thistle, lupine, and others. Plus dozens of tule elk were easily visible from the trail.

As you start the hike, the Pacific Ocean, North and South Beaches, Point Reyes, and McClure's Beach are clearly visible to your left. Further down the trail the panorama moves to your left, where you can see Tomales Bay, the villages of Marshall and Dillon Beach, and Mt. St. Helena in the distance. As you climb what appears to be the last hill, you soon discover that you have not yet reached the end of your journey. There are two more false ends before you finally reach Tomales Point. Here your view includes most of the aforementioned sights, plus Bodega Head straight in front of you.

Prepare for the hike by dressing in layers as the weather at Point Reyes is usually colder and windier than anywhere else in the Bay Area. While it is windy on Tomales Point, you can sit in areas protected from the winds so a picnic lunch is a perfect reward for reaching the point. You can pick up supplies in nearby Point Reyes Station and Inverness. Lastly, there are no restrooms on the trail, but they are available at Abbott's Lagoon and McClure's Beach, which are near the trailhead at Pierce Ranch.

If you want to take a private custom tour that includes a visit to Point Reyes, try our Point Reyes Ramblings Tour. You may book a tour by calling (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mailing me by clicking here.

Stunning Views from Mount Tamalpais

Recently some guests asked me to take them to the summit of Mount Tamalpais (affectionately known as Mt. Tam to locals). I had not been there for awhile and was once again awed by the 360 degree view of the Bay Area. The East Peak is approximately 2,600 feet above sea level and provides views of San Francisco, West Marin, the North Bay, and parts of the East Bay. Two trails depart from the parking lot. One is an easy, level walk around the summit. The second climbs to the observation tower atop the summit. Both offer incredible views.

We lunched at the Mountain Home Inn. This nearby bed and breakfast has an outdoor veranda with lovely views of Mill Valley. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, and other simple dishes. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday. I suggest you call ahead to reserve a table, especially on weekends. The Inn is located at 810 Panoramic Hwy. in Mill Valley. Reservations can be made for both the restaurant and lodging by calling (415) 381-9000.

If you would like to take a tour that includes a visit to Mount Tamalpais, our Oceanside Vistas Tour is the perfect fit. You can book a private, custom tour by calling (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or by e-mailing me by clicking here.