Sure, jet setting might be nice after all this time. But the Bay Area’s great outdoor destinations offer endless possibilities for exploration at a moment’s notice. A recent Saturday found us beach bound, headed for the Point Reyes National Seashore and positively giddy at the prospect of going somewhere and seeing something beautiful.
Point Reyes delivered, as this gorgeous stretch of coastline always does, its roads winding through the rugged landscape, the sea glinting in the distance and — hello, how have we never seen the Cypress Tunnel in real life before?
Point Reyes is easy day-tripping distance, just an hour north of San Francisco. If you’re into spontaneous adventures, this is a perfect destination. It’s a place made for serendipitous wandering or simply lazing on Limantour Beach or Drakes. Just pack up the sunscreen, water bottles and sweaters and hit the road.
The only planning we did, actually, was to scout out a few picnic pickup prospects near the park. (Picnics should be delicious, as well as scenic!) There are some classic to-go options — the deli inside Inverness Park Market, for example. Bovine Bakery, Cowgirl Creamery and Side Street Station, all in Point Reyes Station, do delicious takeout as well.
But on this breezy day, we’re headed for the tiny town of Olema, where Sir Francis Drake — the road, not the controversial historical figure — meets Highway 1 at the gateway to Point Reyes.
The Olema House opened here in 2019 and was promptly named one of the top hotels in the country by Conde Nast Traveller’s readers choice awards. The cozy 24-room inn is also home to the recently reopened Due West Tavern and — our first stop of the day — the adorable Due West Market.
The market, tucked inside an 1865 building, offers espresso, pastries, sandwiches and beverages of every variety, from San Pellegrino sodas to canned gin and tonics. Minutes later, we — and our pesto chicken and Caprese sandwiches — were zooming out through the hotel’s “Happy Trails” gate, headed for the seashore.
If you’ve never been to Point Reyes before, or it’s been a while, take the first left to reach the Bear Valley Visitors Center, where you can pick up maps, get details on any road closures and check out exhibits on the park’s ecosystems and cultural heritage. You’ll find several trailheads nearby, as well as picnic tables and restrooms.
We’re on the path of Sir Francis Drake today — or his boulevard, anyway, which stretches from downtown San Rafael to the westernmost tip of this land mass, where the Point Reyes Lighthouse stands sentry. Drake and the crew of the Golden Hind are thought to have made landfall in 1579 in Drakes Bay or the estuary, where they spent six weeks repairing their ship and in apparently friendly interaction with the region’s residents, the Coast Miwok.
As we wind our way first north through the park and then west, we suddenly spot the line of trees that form that Instagram darling, the Cypress Tunnel. The small road leading up to the Point Reyes Receiving Station, an Art Deco-style maritime radio station, are lined with 90-year-old Monterey cypress trees whose graceful branches meet overhead, forming an incredible — and very Instagrammable — tunnel.
There was a time when Morse code radio stations operated up and down the coast, providing ship-to-shore communication for ships at sea. Built between 1929 and 1931, Point Reyes’ historic station is the only one that remains. Before the pandemic, volunteers offered special tours of the station. Now you can only see it from the outside, but it’s well worth the walk — and the trees are stunning.
Drakes Beach lies just ahead, a perfect spot for picnicking, bird watching and a bit of education, too. Plaques outside the beachside visitors center recount the local chapter in Drake’s grand Voyage of Circumnavigation. They also delve into Drake’s less-heroic side: his involvement with Britain’s slave trade, piracy and looting of Spanish ships and ports.
It’s all pretty fascinating, but it’s the historical artifact next to the Drake exhibit that stops visitors dead in their tracks: a pay phone.
“Do kids even know what that is?” one woman marveled, as she snapped a picture.
If You Go
Point Reyes National Seashore: The Bear Valley Visitors Center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 1 Bear Valley Visitor Center Access Road in Point Reyes Station. Masks are required in all indoor spaces. To reach the “tree tunnel,” follow signs for the North District Operations Center on the road out to the lighthouse. www.nps.gov/pore.
Due West at Olema House: The Due West Market opens at 8 a.m. daily; the Tavern opens for outdoor dining and takeout at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends at 10005 Highway 1 in Olema. Rooms at the hotel range from $250 to $600. Find details and make reservations at https://olemahouse.com.Bovine Bakery: Opens at 7 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. Saturdays for takeout at 11315 Shoreline Highway in Point Reyes Station; www.bovinebakeryptreyes.com.
Cowgirl Creamery Barn Shop and Cantina: Opens at 11 a.m. Friday-Monday for takeout at 80 Fourth St. in Point Reyes Station; https://cowgirlcreamery.com.
Inverness Park Market: Opens at 8 a.m. daily except Sundays for takeout at 12301 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Inverness Park; https://invernessparkmarket.com.
Side Street Kitchen: Opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday for patio dining and takeout at 60 Fourth St. in Point Reyes Station; https://sidestreet-prs.com.
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