Point Reyes Weekend

You Mon Tsang June 28th, 2007

This is part of the FACES SERIES, where we take quick snapshots of the people you meet on your visit to Point Reyes and West Marin.

This is the second year we’ve run into Jessica, who is a Park Guide for the National Park Service.  She greets visitors at the trailhead of Abbott’s Lagoon during the snowy plover nesting season, educating us on sights to see as well as making us aware of the nests of the threatened snowy plovers. 

who: Jessica
role: Park Guide
where: Abbott’s Lagoon trailhead
favorite place in area: Abbott’s Lagoon
most interesting thing she’s seen in the area: Jessica spent two years living at the Point Reyes Lighthouse(cool!) and saw many whales migrating past the point. 

• Faces
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You Mon Tsang June 27th, 2007

I have not yet been to this, but I must must go.  Every Fourth of July, the towns of Stinson and Bolinas have a tug of war over the channel that separates the two towns.  Despite being yards away from each other, the towns have very different feels (to say the least).  That is what makes this event that much more fun.

harder! Pull!, originally uploaded by Luiza.

A good writeup of the 2006 event at the Marin Independent Journal; some highlights:

At the beach, a reputed 200-pound weight requirement for Bolinas tuggers may have made the difference, but Stinson partisans complained that a celebrant was offering free food stamps, whale blubber steaks and intoxicants to energize the Bolinas tugging team. Race officials said it was a case of sour grapes. “It was a fair match,” said Mike Bagley, an official who monitored fruitless efforts by both the Stinson men and women teams.

Read the entire article…

And from the Point Reyes Light:

Every year the tug-of-war provides a chance for the two towns to symbolically spar. Bolinas has a reputation for tapping into its population of hardy, outdoorsy hippies, while Stinson is known for unabashedly using power and influence to recruit outside help.
…
According to local lore, Stinson has imported brute pulling strength in the form of 500 pound Samoans, the Berekely rowing team and, one year, a jeep, which resulted in a broken arm and the suspension of the contest for several years. This year, seven members of the Golden Gate rugby team, collectively weighing in at more than two tons, tossed a rugby ball around on the sidelines, keeping warm while awaiting their chance to pull Stinson to glory.

Read the entire article…

And great photos by Luiza…

The rope comes in, originally uploaded by Luiza.

Stinson, originally uploaded by Luiza.

Go!, originally uploaded by Luiza.

• Beach , July , Local Scene , Summer
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You Mon Tsang June 24th, 2007

Abbott’s Lagoon, June 24, 2007

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You Mon Tsang June 21st, 2007

Only on the busiest beaches on the busiest holidays on gorgeous days does Point Reyes feel crowded. But if you really want to get away from it all and explore the unspoiled coasts of Point Reyes, you will have to read the article and terrific audio slideshow from the Marin Independent Journal.

Rick Polito of the MarinIJ chronicles his 15-mile hike from the Palomarin trailhead to Limantour Beach:

People have always been a part of Marin’s Lost Coast, but the equation has consistently tilted away from humanity’s crush. The Miwok came here, but only seasonally, to collect horseneck clams and moon snails, gather mussels where the creeks meet the sea. The steep ridges separated the area from much of the dairy activity in Olema Valley.

Photo from Marin Independent Journal
I have only hiked part of this 15-mile stretch but I can attest that it is a terrific way to see the most unspoiled parts of the coast.

Notes:
Hiking
Beach

• Beach , Hiking
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You Mon Tsang June 19th, 2007

This is part of the FACES SERIES, where we take quick snapshots of the people you meet on your visit to Point Reyes and West Marin.

The volunteer docents at Audubon Canyon Ranch are friendly, well-informed, and enthusiastic.  Here’s a quick profile of one.

who: Robert
role: Volunteer
where: Audubon Canyon Ranch, overlook
interesting thing he’s seen: Ravens Swooping After Egret Chicks (late May)
favorite place in area: Audubon Canyon Ranch, of course!

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You Mon Tsang June 14th, 2007

Read the 2008 Point Reyes Farmers’ Market Update

Point Reyes Outing.,
originally uploaded by _e.t.

Saturday mornings in the summer are special at Point Reyes Station. The Farmers’ Market is an intimate market of local farmers and merchants displaying their lovely and delicious wares. Live music plays in the background. Locals say hi to each other and visitors take easy strolls through the stalls of delicios vegetables and produce. Every few weeks, a local chef is featured at the market and produces some great bite-sized tastes of their food.

Point Reyes Outing., originally uploaded by _e.t.

organic food fit for a prince, originally uploaded by billmelater.

Notes:
Schedule of music and chefs at Marin Organic
Great Tastes
Local Food

• Food , Summer
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You Mon Tsang June 10th, 2007

[UPDATED] Barnaby’s is no longer there.  It is now a Thai restaurant called “Thepmonggon Thai On The Bay.”

You’re driving on Sir Francis Drake on your way to the beaches of Point Reyes.  You pass through the town of Inverness and about a mile later, you see Barnaby’s on the water side.  It looks interesting, a restaurant right on the shores of Tomales Bay.  You think about stopping but you’re anxious to get to the beach.  On the way back, you’re tried and ready to get home.

This has happened to me many times.  But once I did stop.  And my assessment is almost exactly the assessment of a very thorough review of Barnaby’s in the Marin Independent Journal.  Here are some excerpts:

Barnaby’s has potential, but needs work … As a place to hang out and snack, Barnaby’s is great. I love the feel of it. Mostly big glass windows, plain sturdy wood walls and varnished wood floors, it reminds me of the type of seaside eatery found on Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard… there are dishes I would return for happily: the oysters, the Gentleman’s Toast, the Caesar salad and that delicious jaegerschnitzel.

I would stop at Barnaby’s again for its location and relaxed atmosphere.  But like the MIJ reviewer, I’d the food to be more consistent.

• Food
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You Mon Tsang June 9th, 2007

Folks who live in West Marin are an independent bunch.  No one seems to take a lot of crap from anyone else, so it is certainly interesting to watch disagreements unfold.  Recently, two controversies have been top of mind for the residents of West Marin:

Population management of fallow and axis deer. 

The Park Service wants to reestablish the natural ecosystem of Point Reyes by managing the non-native deer.  

In its 2001 Management Policies, the National Park Service instructs parks such as Point Reyes National Seashore to “re-establish natural functions and processes in human-disturbed components of natural systems.” The Management Policies include non-native species as an example of a human-caused disturbance that can have severe impacts on natural biota and ecosystems.

Others feel that the plan is inhumane.

…the Marin Humane Society, In Defense of Animals, and WildCare respectfully request non-violent management of the deer instead of inhumane slaughter

As of this writing, the Park Service’s plan is being implemented.

The new management of the local newspaper, The Point Reyes Light.  

Since the newspaper changed hands in 2005, some are put off by the direction of the new management.  Others looked forward to a more stable local paper (the Light was facing some serious financial difficulties before its recent sale) and many are pleased by the handsome new look.  But the turmoil between the new publisher, the old publisher and the local residents has been top of news.

The feud got national attention when The New York Times wrote last year:

The nasty public feud between the past and present owners of The Light — Mr. Mitchell, a gangly, corncob-pipe-smoking 62-year-old who looks like an aging folk singer and won a Pulitzer Prize, and Mr. Plotkin, a 36-year-old onetime prosecutor with a GQ fashion sense who describes himself as “a man of action, like James Bond” — has captivated the 14 far-flung villages here on the western tilt of Marin County.

Aging folk singer vs James Bond!  Pretty great contrast.

The San Francisco Chronicle weighed in today:

The 37-year-old publisher has been attacked from all sides since he vowed to turn the Light into the New Yorker magazine of the West. His hyperbole struck a sour note in the rural area of 15,000 residents, who live in such places as laid-back Bolinas, historic Point Reyes Station and Woodacre, home of an internationally recognized meditation center inspired by a big boulder known as Spirit Rock. The locals say they don’t like the idea of Manhattanites with pens hustling around their communities.

A new local newspaper (West Marin Pilot) is in the works, despite the Point Reyes Light’s publisher’s assertion (which I agree with) that “there are not enough advertisers to support two newspapers in most markets — particularly in the coastal wilderness of West Marin.”

So for all you visitors coming through Point Reyes Station on your way to the wonderful beaches and trials, know that the local community is alive and kicking.

Photos from top to bottom: Fallow deer from Mike Loukide; Photos of Robert Plotkin and David Mitchell, current and former publishers of The Point Reyes Light are from The New York Times.

• Local Scene
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You Mon Tsang June 6th, 2007

Twice already this year, we have taken trips to Audubon Canyon Ranch. In the mix were boys between the ages of 6 and 8. During the spring and summer seasons, the highlight is watching the snowy egrets and great blue herons nest high up in the trees.

Photo by Michael Harrold

The birds are a beautiful sight: impossibly white against the lush green. They swoop from their nests every so often and it is a wonder that these gangly creatures can fly.

Later in the season (July if I remember from last year), the chicks also attempt to take flight.

The preserve is well run, with well-marked paths, places to picnic, lots of friendly and knowledgeable volunteer docents, and several well-equipped lookouts.

Photo by Michael Harrold

Photo by Michael Fitzhugh

The boys really enjoyed the ponds, where they can take nets and fish newts, tadpoles and bugs out of the pond water into buckets where they can take a closer look. The hunter instinct is strong in boys; they could have stayed at the ponds for hours.

Photo by Michael Harrold

Photo by Michael Harrold

For those interested in birds, a nice quiet hike or have some kids to distract, this is a recommended stop in West Marin.

Map of Location | Web Site for Audubon Canyon Ranch

Notes:
Good for Kids
Birding
Hiking
Hands-On
No Fee, but Donation Request

• Hiking , Kids , Spring , Summer , Wildlife
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You Mon Tsang June 2nd, 2007

rod&reel Originally uploaded by helti

Twice a year, anyone can fish without a license in California. It’s an easy and hassle-free way to give fishing a try. This year, the days are June 9 and Sept 22.

More at the CA Department of Fish & Game.

• Fishing , Summer
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