Sausalito: Bay Model Visitor Center; things to do

101 North

Bay Model Visitor Center

2100 Bridgeway, (415) 289-3007. 24 Tu-Sat 9-4; in summer Tu-F 9-4, Sat 10-5. Free.

entrance to Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, California

Located on the outskirts of town on the site of a shipyard that produced World War II Liberty ships and tankers, the Bay Model Visitor Center is a working hydraulic scale model of the Bay Area and Delta estuary systems. As big as two football fields, it is designed to simulate bay water conditions for research. This is the only one of its kind in the world. A visit begins with a short video providing background on the exhibit, which is viewed from ramp snaking through the immense building. Interpretive displays help make this complex scientific project understandable to the layman. A small adjunct museum tells about shipbuilding here during World War II.

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San Pablo Bay Area display at Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, California

Suisun Bay display at Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, California

Bay Bridge display at Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, California

San Mateo Bridge display at Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, California

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images ©2024 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sausalito: The Inn Above Tide; hotel review

101 North

The Inn Above Tide 

30 El Portal, (800) 893-8433, (415) 332-9535. 33 rooms; 3 stories. Most gas or wood-burning fireplaces. Evening wine & cheese; continental breakfast. No pets. Valet parking $24.

exterior of The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

view of San Francisco from The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

At the only hotel on San Francisco Bay--the structure was designed to resemble a houseboat and is built out over the water--all rooms here have spectacular views of Angel Island, San Francisco, and of a continuous parade of vessels. The Inn Above Tide is the perfect spot to seek shelter from the storm--metaphorical or literal. 

view of ferry and Angel Island from The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

evening view of Scomas from The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

 Most guest rooms have private decks with glass walls for even better, unobstructed gazing. Amenities include robes and binoculars, and all rooms are equipped with comfy San Francisco-made McRoskey Airflex mattresses.  Many bathrooms feature oversize jetted tubs.  Decor is clean-lined, and furniture is positioned to maximize the view.  An evening wine tasting and expanded breakfast buffet that includes quiche and fresh-squeezed orange juice are hosted in the Drawing Room but are delivered to guest rooms upon request.

canopy bed at The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

fragrant gardenia in guest bathroom at The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

wine tasting at The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California

Several very special packages that include a dining credit and a souvenir gift are set up with town restaurants. The ferry from San Francisco docks immediately adjacent. This inn is designed to please romantic couples and those in search of peace and quiet. You’ll actually hear the sounds of silence here.

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images ©2024 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sausalito: Heath Ceramics; things to do

101 North

Heath Ceramics 

400 Gate 5 Rd., (415) 332-3732.  M-Sat 10-5. Factory tours available; fee.

entrance to Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California

Set amid houseboats and artist studios, this ceramics factory has an adjoining store that sells its well-known tiles and classically simple, contemporary ceramic dinnerware. The line is used in many upscale restaurants, including Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Overstock and seconds are available at discounted prices.

interior overview of Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California

colorful tiles at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California

Overstock Shed at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California

tile overstock at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California

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images ©2024 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sausalito: Copita Tequileria y Comida; restaurant review

101 North

Copita Tequileria y Comida 

 739 Bridgeway, (415)-331-7400.  L-D daily.

exterior of Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

Casual and colorful, this Mexican cantina is like something you might find in Mexico City. Sometimes diners even enjoy the sight and aroma of chickens sizzling on the wood-burning rotisserie that opens to the dining room. Featuring an attractive mahogany bar with back-lit shelves holding tequila bottles, this spot has bar seating as well as a wall banquette and tables and chairs. Fenced-in seating is also available sidewalk-side.

dining room at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

The seasonal menu at Copita is a mouth-watering delight to navigate. A variety of tequila cocktails are offered--I enjoyed a tasty, colorful Blood Orange Margarita--on the “rock,” as in over one giant ice cube. A large variety of tequilas and tequila flights are also an option, not to mention beers, wines, and sangria.

Blood Orange Margarita at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

Appetizers include a delicious tortilla soup stuffed with shredded wood-roasted chicken and plenty of avocado, roasted Brussels sprouts, a tasty guacamole or chips and salsa, and several ceviches. Tacos are a menu favorite and available in twos and fours. Fillings usually include al pastor (spit-roasted pork with carmelized pineapple salsa) and carne asada (flank steak with charred tomatillo salsa). Chicken, fish, and cauliflower are also often options, and sometimes you’ll see oysters, lobster, or shrimp. I opted for crispy pork belly with pickled red onions and pumpkin-seed mole and was not disappointed. For dessert a tequila-spiked Oaxcan chocolate milkshake is perfect paired with buñuelos (baby donuts stuffed with a creamy rice flour and butter mix).

crispy pork belly tacos at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

enchiladas with mole at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

Oaxcan chocolate milkshake with buñuelos at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

The menu changes with the season. Organic non-GMO corn is used exclusively for the housemade masa, which is the base of many dishes, and everything on the menu is gluten free--even the desserts.

Restaurant owner is Joanne Weir, who formerly worked at Chez Panisse. An accomplished chef, she has hosted several cooking shows on PBS (“Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence” and “Joanne Weir Gets Fresh”) and written several cookbooks, my own favorite being “Kitchen Gypsy,” in which she tells enticing tales from her Chez Panisse days and shares a few of the recipes used here at Copita.

wood-burning rotisserie at Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito, California

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images ©2024 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

101 North 

INTRODUCTION TO SAUSALITO

A Little Background

view of San Francisco from Sausalito, California

People come from all over the world to stroll Bridgeway, the main street in this warm and sunny town.  A former fishing village, Sausalito is often referred to as California’s Riviera and is now a magnet for both artists and tourists and remains a pleasure for both.  Restaurants and boutiques abound, and the view across the bay to Tiburon and San Francisco is stellar.

hillside stairway in Sausalito, California

Take time to climb some of the intriguing hillside stairways found throughout town.  Once shortcuts to brothels and speakeasies, they now lead to beautiful bay views.  Excelsior Lane is the longest.  A warning—the largest source of income for the city is parking fines.  It is interesting to note that Jack London wrote the opening chapters of The Sea Wolf here.

Vina del Mar Park in Sausalito, California

Viña del Mar Park  

Bridgeway/El Portal, downtown. 

Named for Viña del Mar, Chile, which is a Sausalito sister city, this sweet little triangle-shaped park is known for two features left over from the Court of the Universe (which was designed by Sausalito architect William Faville) at the 1915 Panama Pacific Fair and Exposition in San Francisco:  its fountain and twin 14-foot elephant statues (known as Jumbo and Pee Wee) which now serve as streetlights.  They were moved here by ferry when the fair closed, and are not the originals but instead concrete versions made from a plaster cast.


More Information:

Sausalito Chamber of Commerce  1913 Bridgeway, (415) 331-7262. 

Visitor Center and Historical Exhibit  780 Bridgeway, across from Poggio Restaurant, (415) 332-0505.  Free. 
    The Sausalito Historical Society operates a small museum inside this former icehouse originally located on Caledonia Street.  Exhibits include photos of the building of World War II’s Liberty ships. 


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images ©2014 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 3-4-24

Sausalito: Casa Madrona Hotel; hotel review

101 North 

Casa Madrona Hotel

801 Bridgeway.  64 rooms; 4+ stories.  Some kitchens & fireplaces.  Fitness center; full-service spa.  Pets ok.  Self- or valet parking $35.  Resort fee 8% of bill.  

marina view from Casa Madrona Hotel in Sausalito, California

Nestled against a picturesque hill above Bridgeway, the Casa Madrona Hotel offers lodging in either a converted 1885 Victorian house in back--the oldest structure in Sausalito, it is now dubbed The Mansion--or in newer, tastefully decorated contemporary rooms sprinkled down the hillside amid fragrant, blooming gardens and featuring water views.

The Alexandrite Suite at Casa Madrona Hotel in Sausalito, California

The Mansion features tall doors, lovely original wood and tile work, and an ultra-luxurious Alexandrite Suite that is popular with celebs and which has its own exercise room and a secret passage.  Think Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd from the past; lips are more tightly sealed about the present due to non-disclosure clauses. 

Poggio Trattoria The Alexandrite in Sausalito, California

Poggio Trattoria

Reservations advised.  Valet parking $24.

Under separate ownership, elegant Poggio Trattoria specializes in classic northern Italian fare.  Diners feast on delectable items such as crostini topped with Tuscan chicken liver, twice-cooked Tuscan vegetable-and-bread soup, and delicate wood-roasted whole fish with fennel.  Rustic pastas and grilled chicken are also very good, and don’t miss the killer Caesar salad.  




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images ©2014 & 2024 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 3-4-24

Sausalito: Floating Homes Tour; things to do

101 North

Floating Homes Tour 

Curious about what it is like to live on the water in one of the most unique communities in the Bay Area? Nineteen of Sausalito’s colorful floating homes will open their doors to you on Saturday, September 25th from 11am to 4pm. The annual Floating Homes Tour is self-guided, though docents will be on-board to describe the waterfront lifestyle and answer questions.  Many of the homes on this year's tour have never been open to the public before.  One of the featured homes, “The Red Star,” is exquisitely detailed by the owner--a versatile artist and master builder.  The tour begins at the Kappas Marina Green, located off Bridgeway at the north end of Sausalito.  Festivities include free entertainment all day featuring local musicians and an Art Show and Sale featuring the paintings, sculpture, photographs, and drawings of 11 artists from floating home community.  Food and drink will be available for purchase.   Traditionally this tour sells out.  Purchase tickets online at www.floatinghomes.org; $35 in advance/$40 at gate.  Ticket sales benefit the Floating Home Association, The Marin City Library, and other local non-profit organizations.


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image courtesy of venue 
 

Sausalito: The Marine Mammal Center; things to do

101 North

The Marine Mammal Center  

1065 Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands, (415) 289-SEAL.  Daily 10-4.  Free; audio tour $10; guided tours $7, seniors & 4+ $5. 

Staffed by volunteers, The Marine Mammal Center is one of the largest wild animal hospitals in the world.  Injured, sick, and orphaned marine mammals are brought here to be nursed back to health.  Seals and sea lions are the most common “patients,” though sometimes a dolphin or porpoise is in need; whales are usually treated off site, on location.  When ready, patients are released back into their natural habitat.  Visitors see seals laying prone, some bleating like lambs, other swimming and barking.  The animals are fed and most active from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Do visit the fish kitchen, where you might see fish milkshakes being prepared in blenders for the babies.  Docent-led tours are available on weekends, self-guided tours during the week.   

elephant seal statue at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California

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images ©2010 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated Sept. 6, 2016

Sausalito: Bay Area Discovery Museum; things to do

101 North 

Bay Area Discovery Museum   

557 McReynolds Rd., in East Fort Baker, Marin Headlands, (415) 339-3900. Tu-F 9-4, Sat-Sun 10-5. $10, 62+ & 1-17 $8.  Free on 1st W of month 9-4. 

family plays together at Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, California

The activity-oriented, hands-on Bay Area Discovery Museum designed especially for children 6 months to 8 years old is especially nice as a rainy day outing. Themed areas include a Tot Spot for toddlers, where they can splash in an outdoor flume and crawl through several padded indoor rooms; an Art Studio with sections for both older kids and younger ones; Lookout Cove outdoor play area featuring Bay Area icons; a Wave Workshop where kids can explore waves in an experimental setting; San Francisco Bay Hall with an “underwater” tunnel and play fishing boats. The excitement is contagious, and parents find themselves being pulled along from one activity to another by their eager children. Visitors can also explore the outdoor area immediately surrounding the museum. Good advice: Arrive early, bring a lunch, stay late. “Shall we move on?” was always met with a firm, “No,” from our 18-month-old.  Note: the cafe is currently closed; changing tables are found in the men’s room here, too.


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image ©2010 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated Sept. 6, 2016