Point Reyes Weekend

You Mon Tsang August 29th, 2007

Those of us who live in Northern California know how different the weather can be from one part of the region to another. If you are heading to the Point Reyes Lighthouse or its beaches, you make sure that you check out the terrific web page from National Park Service Air Quality Department.

Not only can you see if the area is socked in by fog, you can also see the latest tempature and wind speeds. (I was looking at it last night and the winds were howling at 36mph.  Yikes, bring the kites!).

1. Make sure you check the date/time of the latest photo. Sometimes, their web cam will be out of order
2. Sunny? Foggy? Overcast? Nothing like a set of eyes at the scene.
3. The picture won’t give you temperature and wind speed, so make sure you check here.

• Weather , Windy
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You Mon Tsang August 28th, 2007

• Photos
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You Mon Tsang August 24th, 2007

This type of story doesn’t seem to come around very often so I am glad to highlight Thursday’s announcement by the National Park Service. According to the San Francisco Chronicle,

… officials hope to invest $1 billion by the Park Service’s 100th anniversary in 2016. Under the plan, national parks in California would get $54 million in the 2008 fiscal year, including $45 million for some Northern California parks: the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, Redwood National Park, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Lava Beds National Monument.

Specifically for the Point Reyes area, the Marin Independent Journal reports two projects on the list:

• an ocean education program which could receive $180,000, where the goal is to “educate the public about the ocean as a resource. This would be accomplished over two years through designing and distributing publications, creating a lecture series on various aspects of ocean resources and designing and fabricating three mobile interpretive displays that would travel to schools and public buildings. A staffer would be hired to coordinate the efforts.”

• $100,000 to “provide improvements to the trail at Abbotts Lagoon that would reduce impacts to wetlands and the endangered Sonoma alopecurus habitat, a federally endangered plant. The improvements would include a boardwalk.”

The improvements will be funded by both the government and private donations.

• NPS
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You Mon Tsang August 21st, 2007

Actually taken a few weeks ago.  Also, it was a Tuesday.  Around 6:30pm.  So never mind the title of the post.  Peaceful evening, though.

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You Mon Tsang August 18th, 2007

Many people have been anticipating the opening of Nick’s Cove. After all, it is the creation of Pat Kuleto, who also created several San Francisco classics, including Boulevard, Farallon and Jardiniere. In addition, the void left behind by Manka’s needed to be filled. The restaurant has been open about 5 weeks when I had lunch there recently.

I was a surprised by how casual it was. From the road, it did not stand out as anything special. Even the interior looked pretty ordinary at first glance. But I started to see, all around, many interesting, funny and thoughtful touches, such as a gorgeous open kitchen, stuffed animals of all types on the walls, a set of vintage condom packaging in the men’s room (no joke) and a beautiful family elevated table.

The food was mixed for my wife and me. We felt our soups were tasty but thin. Mary enjoyed her salmon very much but my hanger steak started to battle me with its toughness as I worked through it. Our sundae was tasty but nothing special. I should say this: I expected a meal that was special and exceptional. It was closer to very good.

Furthermore, the service was spotty (uncoordinated and unsure) and the music was a real distraction (80s pop-rock, including Bon Jovi, Brian Adams and Madonna).

But in the end, we had a pleasant lunch in the place with stunning views that will surely grow to be (if not already) a destination spot in West Marin. I wish Nick’s Cove the best of luck.

P.S. The cottages at Nick’s Cove are as cute as can be. They’ll run you a pretty penny ($350-$650 as of this writing) but staying on the water and looking at the Point Reyes Peninsula is truly special.

P.S.S. Check out other people’s reviews as well:

• “Nick Has It All,” from The Press Democrat
• Reviews posted on Zagat’s
• Reviews posted on Yelp

Sep 09 2007 update: The San Francisco Chronicle reviews the restaurant and the cottages. The reviews are very positive.
Sep 10 2007 update:The Gourmet blog has a short and positive writeup.

Notes:
Location: 23240 Highway 1, Marshall, CA 94940 (click for map)
Web Site: http://www.nickscove.com (which includes a dinner menu)
Reservations

• Food
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