Destination: Bolinas Bay, Marin
Picnic at Stinson Beach, explore Duxbury Reef Tidepools, and visit the Bolinas Museum
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash
Social Isolation — Day 35
I had to drive today.
It wasn’t far. But it’s the first time in over a week I’ve driven, even getting on the freeway for a short distance. Traffic was still light, mostly, but plenty of people driving less than politely. Would it really kill you to put on your turn signal?
I realized that I haven’t put gas into my car in over a month. I can’t imagine going to fill up anytime in the next month. I also realized that I have no idea what gas costs anymore. I’ve also realized that I feel like a criminal leaving my car as I have to wipe down every surface I might have touched. Rolling the window down without my mask on also felt like a crime.
I never thought driving in a car would feel so foreign.
Destination: Bolinas Bay
Picnic at Stinson Beach
Explore Duxbury Reef Tidepools
Visit the Bolinas Museum
Picnic at Stinson Beach
Stinson Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area — NPS Photo
A local favorite beach spot, this place can get busy on good weather weekends. It’s also the start of the Sea to Summit trail for Mt. Tam, you can hike up to East Peak from here (I’ve done it over two days, it’s a long steep hike).
A lot of people will flock here on a good day, so traffic can get nasty, aim to get here on the early side.
Explore Duxbury Reef Tidepools
Bolinas and Duxbury Reef have been on my to-go list for ages. Bolinas is known to be a reclusive city with locals routinely removing the CalTrans sign on the one road leading toward the city. During our shelter in place, locals have also taken to blockading the road with closed signs to dissuade visitors from visiting during the Covid-19 crisis.
I’ve heard from friends that at a good low tide, the Duxbury reef rivals the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and is in a lot better shape with fewer visitors. I’m looking forward to a visit once we have more freedom of movement again.
Visit the Bolinas Museum
By flamenc — Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28944444
Since you are in Bolinas, why not stop here (free admission) to learn about local history and local artists?
Cody Tolmasoff is an author and publisher for Adventuring.in. He is a recovering programmer and a San Francisco native, raising two daughters, and regularly finding new adventures around the SF Bay Area. This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book, 52 San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Adventures, Day Trips With Your Kids!
Find him on Twitter @codyo, and read his most recent title Adventures in Getting Out on Amazon, filled with advice on successfully getting your family out for day trip adventures.
Originally published on Medium on 17 April 2020