Winter dreams in west Marin

Just north of San Francisco, venture into a world of cozy inns and rain-lashed beauty

In January, hundreds of migrating California gray whales propel themselves southward through Pacific waters from the Bering Sea to Baja California. Human travelers stand on the rounded bluffs of coastal Marin County and watch for signs of the great mammals on their journey--experiencing a rush of odd joy at the sight of them breaching, blowing, and spy-hopping along their way.

That is only part of the appeal of western Marin County in wintertime. There is more. As innkeeper Kristen Kruger of the Cherry Tree Cottage says, "Winter walking is special here. It makes me think of Scotland, how you can go from quiet and mild to crashing ocean energy." Some pleasures are more sensual still: the lash of winter rain against the windows of an inn, while you sip a hot drink near the fire. Wintertime west Marin piques all the senses.

A kingdom kept separate by geology and desire

The area locals call "west Marin" lies about 30 miles northwest of San Francisco and runs from Stinson Beach north to Tomales Bay, including Point Reyes National Seashore.

As you drive west toward the coast, seeps and springs in the ravines form small braided waterfalls, full of their own monsoon song. Notice how the different lands on either side of the San Andreas Fault (demarcated by Bolinas Bay, the Olema Valley and State 1, and Tomales Bay) confront each other. As you hop across the rift zone from the mainland's North American tectonic plate to pick up the northwest-bound Pacific plate, the terrain subtly changes. Open dairyland is newly cloaked now with winter grass, the forms of the hills themselves like grazing animal bodies.

The two colliding plates made west Marin what it is, both geologically and culturally. Lumber from the North American plate's Bolinas Ridge forests helped put the region on the map. But dairy ranches on those Pacific plate grasslands were even more important. Created when Mexican land grants were divided by San Francisco lawyer-leaseholders in 1857, the old ranches huddle behind clumps of wind-deformed Monterey cypresses. Milk and butter were carried by the bargeload to booming San Francisco before the narrow-gauge railroad reached Point Reyes Station in 1875 (a mural on the present post office depicts the fanfare of its arrival).

Culturally, too, west Marin remains a place apart, with towns of determinedly quirky individuality. Famous for its passion for privacy, Bolinas has become more visitor-friendly. In new but seaside-village-modest quarters, the Bolinas Museum is charming. The town of Point Reyes Station liberally mixes art with agricultural traditions. Even Toby's Feed Barn has a gallery, and saddle shop Cabaline greets the street, in classic Western fashion, with the life-size synthetic head of a horse emerging dazedly through the front wall.

A coast of lonely enchantment

Still, in the end, it is the land more than the towns that defines west Mann-- especially the rolling hills and lonely beaches that make up Point Reyes National Seashore. The seashore's impressively designed Bear Valley Visitor Center deserves a thoughtful look. Then, if you want, follow Bear Valley Road to Limantour Road and, finally, to what may be the mildest stretch of beach in the national seashore. Look toward the Pacific, keeping an eye out for those traveling whales. You will, almost, certainly feel a strong flash of kinship with them--drawn, just like you, to these lovely protected shores.

West Mann travel planner

West Mann lies about a one-hour drive north of San Francisco. From U.S. 101 direct access routes include State 1 and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Area code is 415.

Hikes

Start your visit to Point Reyes National Seashore at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. 9-5 Mon-Fri, 8-5 Sat-Sun. Bear Valley Rd., about 1/2 mile west of State 1;663-1092.

Coast-Laguna loop. From Limantour Rd. just past the hostel, pick up Laguna Trail and follow it to Coast Campground and Santa Maria Beach. Walk west, then north on Coast Trail to return, following a stream hospitable to red-tailed hawks. DISTANCE: 5 miles round trip. DIFFICULTY: Moderate. Tomales Point Trail. From the end of Pierce Point Rd., hike 3 miles to cypress trees that mark the site of the old Upper Pierce Ranch, just short of Tomales Bluff; which points northwest like a stone arrowhead flaked by Miwok artisans. The trail is level but very exposed--best on a mild day. DISTANCE: 6 miles round trip. DIFFICULTY: Moderate.

Whale-watching

On clear winter weekends, the park service closes Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at South Beach to avoid overcrowding. You can drive that far or go back to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center to board a shuttle ($3.50) to the lighthouse, the most popular viewing spot.

Attractions

Bolinas Museum. 1-5 Fri, 12-5 Sat-Sun; free. 48-50 Wharf Rd., Bolinas; 868-0330.

Cabaline Saddle Shop & Country Emporium. 11313 State 1, Point Reyes Station; 663-8303.

Lodging