Bolinas
After descending Mount Tamalpais, we took the Bolinas/Fairfax Road to the north. Now this is one of the best scenic back roads that you will ever find in California. It is magnificent. It is open from 9am to sunset and has wonderful views down to the ocean and the Bolinas Lagoon.
In front of us were a whole host of cyclists. We were going downhill and they were traveling fast. The road is very narrow with double yellow lines and as it was dangerous to overtake them, we traveled at their speed. It was no hardship as there was so much beauty to enjoy and, apart from being hungry, we were not in a hurry.
We came to a junction and the cyclists were congregated there. Now we could overtake but we didn’t know which way to go as there was no signpost. As we were heading for Bolinas, which is on the coast, we turned left. It was the right choice.
Eventually we hit Highway 1 and we crossed it and headed to Bolinas. Now Bolinas is a very special place. You will see no signs to it at all along Highway 1 because the locals remove them as soon as they are put up. This is not a place which the world has forgotten but more a place the locals want the world to forget. It is a truly unique, gentle place with a lot of color.
One of the first buildings you see, as you get close to the town, has a huge peace sign in front, which gives you an idea of what to expect. There are no parking lots around and you just park at the side of the road and walk. Lots of interesting buildings and shops but the local residents are the icing on the cake. There are a lot of places in the Bay Area where hippies of a certain age have made their homes but Bolinas must be the prime location. It is not unusual to see a group of locals gathered together chatting, playing instruments, singing or even dancing.
February 23 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
