View Poll Results: Marin Coast Run
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Marin Coast Run - July 10, 2004
06-28-2004 | 09:31 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Recovered Modaholic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 496
Likes: 2
From: Napa, Ca.
Marin Coast Run - July 10, 2004
Lets meet and the Lucas Valley Park and Ride (directions below) at 11:00 am.
This looks like an excellent run with several great stops along the way. Cheese, Oysters, and twisty backroads should make this one of our best runs yet so let's have a good turnout. There should be many photo ops on this run (bring a camera).
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...6220271.htm?1c
Lucas Valley Park and ride:
From the south take the Lucas Valley Smith Ranch Road Exit and stay to the right. The Park and Ride is immediately on the right. From the North take the Lucas Valley Smith Ranch exit and turn right going under the hi-way. Go through the first stop light and the Park and Ride is immediately on the right.
This looks like an excellent run with several great stops along the way. Cheese, Oysters, and twisty backroads should make this one of our best runs yet so let's have a good turnout. There should be many photo ops on this run (bring a camera).
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...6220271.htm?1c
Lucas Valley Park and ride:
From the south take the Lucas Valley Smith Ranch Road Exit and stay to the right. The Park and Ride is immediately on the right. From the North take the Lucas Valley Smith Ranch exit and turn right going under the hi-way. Go through the first stop light and the Park and Ride is immediately on the right.
06-29-2004 | 12:06 AM
#4
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area, CA
I have it on my calendar, will try to make it... depends on my baby doggy's health situation at that point. We're praying it's not cancer. I'll update when I know for sure if I can make it.
06-30-2004 | 08:12 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Recovered Modaholic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 496
Likes: 2
From: Napa, Ca.
For those that do now wish to register, here is the text from Mercury News:
Marin County
OYSTERS, CHEESE AND CURVY BACKROADS -- AND THIS 75-MILE TREK'S NOT FAR FROM HOME
By Matt Nauman
Mercury News Auto Editor
PT. REYES STATION -- My favorite part of California begins just a few miles north of San Francisco. Extending all the way up to the Oregon border, it's a world of ancient redwoods, beckoning beaches, quaint yet sophisticated towns and fine dining and wining.
And, of course, most important to me, great roads.
That's why I picked Marin County for this installment of Great Drives. This 75-mile route gives you a taste of all that the Great North Coast offers and it's less than 90 minutes north of the Silicon Valley.
As Ray Riegert writes in his always useful ``Hidden Coast of California'' (Ulysses Press, $17.95), ``Scenically, the North Coast compares in beauty with any spot on earth.''
In previous Great Drives, we've toured the Sonoma wine country, danced with windmills in Alameda County, went up and over Mount Hamilton, left tire marks on just about every road in the Santa Cruz Mountains and visited isolated Mission San Antonia de Padua in Monterey County.
This route, while perhaps not as challenging as some of those, still offers plenty of twisting turns, hills to climb and great gobfuls of scenery. I'll suggest eating and drinking spots along the way, places to stretch and sightsee and, of course, where to find the bathrooms.
The usual caveats apply:
• Take a good map. I relied on AAA's Marin County map;
• Carry a cell phone;
• Follow the rules of road;
• Use your good sense;
• And, of course, don't be a slave to the route. After all, it's not really a Great Drive if you don't get lost a time or two.
This route starts in San Rafael. From the South Bay, you can either take 101 to Marin County via the Golden Gate Bridge or 680/580 or 880/580 to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to 101. Either way, you'll be exiting at Lucas Valley Road/Smith Ranch Road.
Zero your trip odometer at the end of the exit and turn left onto Lucas Valley Road. Almost instantly, you'll leave suburbia for the Marin woods. At 1.8, you can stop at the Big Rock Mini-Mart for any road-trip supplies you need. You'll pass horse ranches and cow-filled fields and then, at 4.0, things start getting curvy and Lucas Valley Road starts rising. The last stretch of this road is pure motoring joy as you zip through patches of bright sun and dark shadows that dapple the road.
At 10.3, take a right at the stop sign onto Nicasio Valley Road. In a half mile, you'll come to the funky settlement of Nicasio. The road curves to the left, or you can go straight and then left if you want to explore Nicasio with its white-frame, red-roof church, Druid's hall and Rancho Nicasio restaurant-store. Just outside of town, bright red Nicasio School is photogenic.
At 14.2, turn left at the stop sign onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. The signs says: ``Olema 6 Pt. Reyes Station 6.'' You'll travel aside Nicasio Reservoir as the road gently sweeps right, then left.
At 17.2, you'll go straight at the stop sign onto Platform Bridge Road. Inexplicably, the built-in-1957 bridge is painted a garish bubble gum pink these days. Beware of deer and bikers on this stretch of pavement.
At 19.6, turn right at the stop sign onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. In two more miles, at 21.4, there's another stop sign, and a right turn onto Highway 1 and the town of Olema. At 21.5, you can turn left into Pt. Reyes National Seashore.
(My route continues without a turn, but this is a 66,500-acre natural paradise not to be missed. A half-mile down the road, you'll come to the barn-like Bear Valley Visitor Center. Inside, you'll find helpful rangers and oodles of free pamphlets and cheap books detailing day hikes and the various plants and animals that make Pt. Reyes so special. To most folks, this is a great place to see the winter migration of California gray whales. It's so popular that shuttle buses carry weekend visitors to the lighthouse at the end of 21-mile Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in the Pt. Reyes Headlands. But there's so much more here, from elephant seals and tule elk to wildflowers and butterflies. For general park information, call 415-663-1092 or www.nps.gov/pore. For camping, call 415-663-8054. For lodging information, call Coasting Lodging of West Marin at 415-663-1351 or Pt. Reyes Lodging at 800-539-1872.)
Just down the road from the park turn-off, you'll pass through the town of Pt. Reyes Station. Here, you can get a nice meal, buy some local oysters and find a rest room. Recommended eateries include the Station House Cafe (415-663-1515), Cafe Reyes (415-663-9493) and the Pine Cone Diner (415-663-1536).
Nearby Inverness also offers visitors a pastiche of B&Bs and casual restaurants. The Grey Whale (415-669-1244) has especially good pizza.
If you're sticking to the route, continue on Highway 1 (also called Shoreline Highway on some signs) through Pt. Reyes Station. The road goes left, then right, through town.
For the next 15 miles or so, you'll travel along Tomales Bay on Highway 1. The road is peppered with scenic vistas and all manner of weather-beaten buildings. Natural stopping points include Millerton Point at Tomales Bay State Park (28.5), the Tomales Bay Oyster Company (29.1), the Marconi Conference Center with its nice vistas (31.5) and the town of Marshall (33.5). Here, you can eat oysters or rent kayaks.
Sadly, a couple of wonderful place names on my map of this stretch -- Bivalve and Ocean Roar --- seem not to exist at all.
Soon, you'll leave the coast, heading north into the town of Tomales. An eclectic mix of old-style buildings (the U.S. Hotel, the majestic Church of the Assumption, the red Town Hall) and only-in-California sights (the barn with the painted Ginsana sign just outside of town), this is a perfect place for a few minutes of strolling. It's also the turn-off for Dillon Beach, an isolated hamlet at the southern tip of Bodega Bay.
At 42.8, turn right off Highway 1 onto Fallon-Two Rock Road. We're now entering dairy farm country and the best driving of the route. From here, at 45.1, turn right onto Twin Bridge Road. At 46.2, there's a stop sign. Turn left onto Tomales-Petaluma Road. At 48.5, take a right onto Chileno Valley Road. You'll see cows in the field on the left and llamas in the one on the right.
In this passage, being careful to be courteous of local residents and always being aware of slow-moving farm equipment and stray farm animals, there's a chance for some more aggressive driving. These roads are little used.
That's especially true on the 10 miles of Chileno Valley Road, which parallels Chileno Creek and passes by Laguna Lake. You feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere, which you are, except that nowhere is only about 50 miles from cosmopolitan San Francisco.
At 58.1, turn right on Wilson Hill Road. At 60.7, turn left onto Hicks Valley Road. (A note: My AAA map didn't match the highway signs here, but the turns are obvious so follow the signs and your odometer readings.)
At 63.4, turn right at the stop sign onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. Go about a mile, and turn into The Cheese Factory. Also known as the Marin French Cheese Company (800-292-6001), this is the long-time home of smelly cheeses. Inside, you can sample and buy brie, camembert, breakfast cheese and schloss (``a favorite of the House of Bismarck''). They also sell breads and crackers and various drinks, including local wines. An inside eating area opened recently. Tours are available and you can occasionally see cheesemakers in action behind the windows of the tasting room. The true attraction here -- on a sunny day, at least -- are outside picnic tables adjacent to a pond with its resident geese population. Bring a picnic, buy some of the Rouge et Noir brand soft cheese, a sourdough baguette and a bottle of chardonnay -- plus some fancy water for the driver -- and this is just desserts at the end of a fun drive. Plus, the restrooms are large and clean.
From here, retrace your steps and turn left onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. At 64.8, turn right onto Novato Boulevard. At 71.0, turn left at the stop sign onto San Marin Drive. Follow it through several stops and, at about 75.0, you can head south on 101 back toward San Francisco and the Silicon Valley.
In all, this route should only take an hour and a half or so. Of course, that would mean you didn't sample Pt. Reyes, Tomales or the stinky cheese, and that wouldn't be as fun.
(Although I did some tinkering, this route was put together by Terry Page of San Francisco's Page One Automotive, which coordinates press fleets and plans events for automakers. Thanks, Terry.)
Marin County
OYSTERS, CHEESE AND CURVY BACKROADS -- AND THIS 75-MILE TREK'S NOT FAR FROM HOME
By Matt Nauman
Mercury News Auto Editor
PT. REYES STATION -- My favorite part of California begins just a few miles north of San Francisco. Extending all the way up to the Oregon border, it's a world of ancient redwoods, beckoning beaches, quaint yet sophisticated towns and fine dining and wining.
And, of course, most important to me, great roads.
That's why I picked Marin County for this installment of Great Drives. This 75-mile route gives you a taste of all that the Great North Coast offers and it's less than 90 minutes north of the Silicon Valley.
As Ray Riegert writes in his always useful ``Hidden Coast of California'' (Ulysses Press, $17.95), ``Scenically, the North Coast compares in beauty with any spot on earth.''
In previous Great Drives, we've toured the Sonoma wine country, danced with windmills in Alameda County, went up and over Mount Hamilton, left tire marks on just about every road in the Santa Cruz Mountains and visited isolated Mission San Antonia de Padua in Monterey County.
This route, while perhaps not as challenging as some of those, still offers plenty of twisting turns, hills to climb and great gobfuls of scenery. I'll suggest eating and drinking spots along the way, places to stretch and sightsee and, of course, where to find the bathrooms.
The usual caveats apply:
• Take a good map. I relied on AAA's Marin County map;
• Carry a cell phone;
• Follow the rules of road;
• Use your good sense;
• And, of course, don't be a slave to the route. After all, it's not really a Great Drive if you don't get lost a time or two.
This route starts in San Rafael. From the South Bay, you can either take 101 to Marin County via the Golden Gate Bridge or 680/580 or 880/580 to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to 101. Either way, you'll be exiting at Lucas Valley Road/Smith Ranch Road.
Zero your trip odometer at the end of the exit and turn left onto Lucas Valley Road. Almost instantly, you'll leave suburbia for the Marin woods. At 1.8, you can stop at the Big Rock Mini-Mart for any road-trip supplies you need. You'll pass horse ranches and cow-filled fields and then, at 4.0, things start getting curvy and Lucas Valley Road starts rising. The last stretch of this road is pure motoring joy as you zip through patches of bright sun and dark shadows that dapple the road.
At 10.3, take a right at the stop sign onto Nicasio Valley Road. In a half mile, you'll come to the funky settlement of Nicasio. The road curves to the left, or you can go straight and then left if you want to explore Nicasio with its white-frame, red-roof church, Druid's hall and Rancho Nicasio restaurant-store. Just outside of town, bright red Nicasio School is photogenic.
At 14.2, turn left at the stop sign onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. The signs says: ``Olema 6 Pt. Reyes Station 6.'' You'll travel aside Nicasio Reservoir as the road gently sweeps right, then left.
At 17.2, you'll go straight at the stop sign onto Platform Bridge Road. Inexplicably, the built-in-1957 bridge is painted a garish bubble gum pink these days. Beware of deer and bikers on this stretch of pavement.
At 19.6, turn right at the stop sign onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. In two more miles, at 21.4, there's another stop sign, and a right turn onto Highway 1 and the town of Olema. At 21.5, you can turn left into Pt. Reyes National Seashore.
(My route continues without a turn, but this is a 66,500-acre natural paradise not to be missed. A half-mile down the road, you'll come to the barn-like Bear Valley Visitor Center. Inside, you'll find helpful rangers and oodles of free pamphlets and cheap books detailing day hikes and the various plants and animals that make Pt. Reyes so special. To most folks, this is a great place to see the winter migration of California gray whales. It's so popular that shuttle buses carry weekend visitors to the lighthouse at the end of 21-mile Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in the Pt. Reyes Headlands. But there's so much more here, from elephant seals and tule elk to wildflowers and butterflies. For general park information, call 415-663-1092 or www.nps.gov/pore. For camping, call 415-663-8054. For lodging information, call Coasting Lodging of West Marin at 415-663-1351 or Pt. Reyes Lodging at 800-539-1872.)
Just down the road from the park turn-off, you'll pass through the town of Pt. Reyes Station. Here, you can get a nice meal, buy some local oysters and find a rest room. Recommended eateries include the Station House Cafe (415-663-1515), Cafe Reyes (415-663-9493) and the Pine Cone Diner (415-663-1536).
Nearby Inverness also offers visitors a pastiche of B&Bs and casual restaurants. The Grey Whale (415-669-1244) has especially good pizza.
If you're sticking to the route, continue on Highway 1 (also called Shoreline Highway on some signs) through Pt. Reyes Station. The road goes left, then right, through town.
For the next 15 miles or so, you'll travel along Tomales Bay on Highway 1. The road is peppered with scenic vistas and all manner of weather-beaten buildings. Natural stopping points include Millerton Point at Tomales Bay State Park (28.5), the Tomales Bay Oyster Company (29.1), the Marconi Conference Center with its nice vistas (31.5) and the town of Marshall (33.5). Here, you can eat oysters or rent kayaks.
Sadly, a couple of wonderful place names on my map of this stretch -- Bivalve and Ocean Roar --- seem not to exist at all.
Soon, you'll leave the coast, heading north into the town of Tomales. An eclectic mix of old-style buildings (the U.S. Hotel, the majestic Church of the Assumption, the red Town Hall) and only-in-California sights (the barn with the painted Ginsana sign just outside of town), this is a perfect place for a few minutes of strolling. It's also the turn-off for Dillon Beach, an isolated hamlet at the southern tip of Bodega Bay.
At 42.8, turn right off Highway 1 onto Fallon-Two Rock Road. We're now entering dairy farm country and the best driving of the route. From here, at 45.1, turn right onto Twin Bridge Road. At 46.2, there's a stop sign. Turn left onto Tomales-Petaluma Road. At 48.5, take a right onto Chileno Valley Road. You'll see cows in the field on the left and llamas in the one on the right.
In this passage, being careful to be courteous of local residents and always being aware of slow-moving farm equipment and stray farm animals, there's a chance for some more aggressive driving. These roads are little used.
That's especially true on the 10 miles of Chileno Valley Road, which parallels Chileno Creek and passes by Laguna Lake. You feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere, which you are, except that nowhere is only about 50 miles from cosmopolitan San Francisco.
At 58.1, turn right on Wilson Hill Road. At 60.7, turn left onto Hicks Valley Road. (A note: My AAA map didn't match the highway signs here, but the turns are obvious so follow the signs and your odometer readings.)
At 63.4, turn right at the stop sign onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. Go about a mile, and turn into The Cheese Factory. Also known as the Marin French Cheese Company (800-292-6001), this is the long-time home of smelly cheeses. Inside, you can sample and buy brie, camembert, breakfast cheese and schloss (``a favorite of the House of Bismarck''). They also sell breads and crackers and various drinks, including local wines. An inside eating area opened recently. Tours are available and you can occasionally see cheesemakers in action behind the windows of the tasting room. The true attraction here -- on a sunny day, at least -- are outside picnic tables adjacent to a pond with its resident geese population. Bring a picnic, buy some of the Rouge et Noir brand soft cheese, a sourdough baguette and a bottle of chardonnay -- plus some fancy water for the driver -- and this is just desserts at the end of a fun drive. Plus, the restrooms are large and clean.
From here, retrace your steps and turn left onto Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road. At 64.8, turn right onto Novato Boulevard. At 71.0, turn left at the stop sign onto San Marin Drive. Follow it through several stops and, at about 75.0, you can head south on 101 back toward San Francisco and the Silicon Valley.
In all, this route should only take an hour and a half or so. Of course, that would mean you didn't sample Pt. Reyes, Tomales or the stinky cheese, and that wouldn't be as fun.
(Although I did some tinkering, this route was put together by Terry Page of San Francisco's Page One Automotive, which coordinates press fleets and plans events for automakers. Thanks, Terry.)
06-30-2004 | 11:27 AM
#10
Registered User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Marin County
IZoomZoomI, Lucas Valley Rd. exit is about 20 - 25 minutes north of the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I live in the area, and work on Lucas Valley Rd., This is a great drive. The only thing is that parts of this drive do have a lot of cycleists, especially on weekends.
I would ask all of you to be aware that this drive does see a lot of fast cars, fast motorcycles, and deaths.
Just be careful.
With that out of the way, this drive is beautiful, with a lot of opportunites to see what the 8 can do in the curves.
I live in the area, and work on Lucas Valley Rd., This is a great drive. The only thing is that parts of this drive do have a lot of cycleists, especially on weekends.
I would ask all of you to be aware that this drive does see a lot of fast cars, fast motorcycles, and deaths.
Just be careful.
With that out of the way, this drive is beautiful, with a lot of opportunites to see what the 8 can do in the curves.
07-03-2004 | 04:44 PM
#11
Mazda Pride.
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
From: Camarillo, CA
Shux!
Man I'd LOVE to go! Any excuse to show off my 8. 
. But unfortunately I'm going to be in Puerto Rico on business. (Sounds nice but think about it, I've got to drive a krappy rental) lol. Hopefully I can make the next one.
~Reever
. But unfortunately I'm going to be in Puerto Rico on business. (Sounds nice but think about it, I've got to drive a krappy rental) lol. Hopefully I can make the next one.~Reever
07-06-2004 | 10:07 AM
#15
Registered
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Viva Las Vegas!
I just spent the weekend up in Inverness at my parents... Damn I love the roads up there.
Word of caution though: there were a TON of rented big-*** Chevy's that refused to use the turn-outs. Even when I flashed-to-pass, they were oblivious.
Have fun, I did :D
Word of caution though: there were a TON of rented big-*** Chevy's that refused to use the turn-outs. Even when I flashed-to-pass, they were oblivious.
Have fun, I did
:D
07-08-2004 | 02:11 PM
#18
DRIVEN
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,053
Likes: 0
From: Norcal
Originally posted by rotarynews.com
I just spent the weekend up in Inverness at my parents... Damn I love the roads up there.
Word of caution though: there were a TON of rented big-*** Chevy's that refused to use the turn-outs. Even when I flashed-to-pass, they were oblivious.
Have fun, I did :D
I just spent the weekend up in Inverness at my parents... Damn I love the roads up there.
Word of caution though: there were a TON of rented big-*** Chevy's that refused to use the turn-outs. Even when I flashed-to-pass, they were oblivious.
Have fun, I did
:D
I deal with that **** every time I drive to work out near the light house. Thank God its only 8 times a month :D
07-10-2004 | 06:45 PM
#20
Thread Starter
Recovered Modaholic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 496
Likes: 2
From: Napa, Ca.
Beautiful country, great time, great food. I hope to see you all again on the next run. Tony's is now on my list. Those were the best BBQ Oysters.
Last edited by TheDosDog; 07-10-2004 at 10:12 PM.
07-10-2004 | 10:20 PM
#22
Mythical Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
What a fun run and on a beautiful day. Tomales Bay has never looked better. BTW, the route we took today is a much better way to get to Tony's than the one Arianne and I usually take. I'm glad the BBQ oysters were a hit, too.
Thanks for the initative TheDosDog, and the great pix. See y'all on the next run.
Thanks for the initative TheDosDog, and the great pix. See y'all on the next run.
Last edited by ectomort; 07-10-2004 at 10:23 PM.