Tomales Bay Weekend

Lucas turned the big 27 last Wednesday, so we celebrated him all weekend long!

To kick things off, we grabbed drinks at Black Horse London Pub, which happens to be the smallest bar in San Francisco. It's just around the corner from our apartment. There are only 8 stools and 5 beer choices, and the owner, James, hangs out behind the bar and knows everyone by name. They don't have a fridge, so he just ices down the beers in a bathtub behind the bar...so awesome. We hung out with 2 other couples (and a baby!) for a few hours and it felt just like Cheers.

We followed up the beers with a much-needed dinner at our local pho spot. It was cold and dreary in SF on Friday, so it really hit the spot.

On Saturday we grabbed coffees at the Philz Truck, which is parked near Fort Mason on Saturdays and Sundays, and we had to get a bit creative on how to carry the drinks home on the scoot (didn't really think that one through...). We somehow managed to only spill a little bit.

After our coffee fix, we drove up to Tomales Bay. It's about a 1.5 hour drive north from San Francisco, but it is so scenic and feels like a total escape. Our first stop was The Marshall Store, our favorite spot for fresh oysters. 

The restaurant is right on the side of the road and the tables are set up against the water, so the convenience and views can't be beat. They have so many good food options: clam chowder, Cuban sandwiches, grilled fish, but their oysters are the best. We opted for chowder, BBQ oysters, and beers.

From there we drove up the US-1 a few minutes and stopped at Diekmann's General Store to pick up a few bottles of wine. We also couldn't resist hitting up the bakery across the street for some strawberry rhubarb pie (because, birthday obviously).

We stayed at the Inn on Tomales Bay, a very quaint and affordable bed and breakfast with sweeping view of the bay. Our room was very modest but had amazing bay windows and a cozy fireplace. Since there was no TV in the room and no cell phone or internet connection to be found, we played Scrabble (I won, of course) and listened to the extensive CD collection (Elvis, Bob Dylan, Nat King Cole - so great).

At the recommendation of the B&B owners, we went up the road to Nick's Cove for dinner. We snagged a table on the porch overlooking the water, and enjoyed the sun setting over the bay. We ate (more) BBQ oysters, lobster mac-n-cheese, clam chowder, and brussels sprouts (WE'RE SO HEALTHY RIGHT?).

The next morning we checked out of our hotel and drove over to Point Reyes, which is on the other side of Tomales Bay. We stopped at Perry's Deli to pick up sandwiches to go. We both agreed that if Perry's was in San Francisco, we'd eat there weekly. Our Reuben and Cuban sandwiches were to die for.

We drove over to the Bear Valley Visitor Center and then took a hike to the Point Reyes National Seashore. The hike was 4.5 miles each way and took us through meadows, forests, and along the shoreline.

Oh hi, Jurassic Park! 

Our favorite part of the hike had to be the cliffs and gorgeous coast line. Sadly there was a natural rock arch that collapsed about a month ago, so part of the trail was closed off, but we still managed to catch some pretty spectacular views.

 

The trip was so refreshing and revitalizing. Happy Birthday, Lucas!