Things To Do
FAIRFAX
The charming town that our venue is located in! Fairfax is known as one of Marin County’s most "picture-perfect" towns. The downtown area is small and quaint, while the outskirts are vast and varied. The town is noted for its mountain bike culture, one-of-a-kind stores and independent spirit. You will find a mix of casual watering holes and trendy hot spots. Everything is within walking distance downtown so park and hop around! Check out the Coffee Roastery for breakfast drinks & eats, Fairfix Cafe for delicious brunch food, Fairfax Scoop for ice cream, Gestalt Haus for brats and beers, Way Station for bbq, Mas Masa for Mexican eats, Amelie Cafe and Wine Bar, Peri’s Tavern for live music and drinks, Mac's 19 at Broadway for a fancy cocktail, or Nave's Bar & Grill for a casual local dive bar (this is where we plan to continue the party after the wedding reception).
SAN ANSELMO
San Anselmo is another charming town right between Fairfax and San Rafael. The town is known for its many antique stores and calls itself “the antique capital of Northern California”. Along with the many antique shops, there are creek-side restaurants, cafes, galleries, clothing boutiques, small wineries, and ice cream shops.
SAN RAFAEL
San Rafael is the largest and oldest city in Marin County. This is where the Embassy Suites hotel is located. There are several retail chain stores and restaurants near the hotel for any of your needs, but we definitely recommend taking the short 8-minute-drive downtown to find Victorian buildings, unique retailers, ethnic restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and wine bars. If you head west from the main street in downtown San Rafael for 2 miles you will be in San Anselmo and an additional 2 miles you will be in Fairfax. All three downtown areas are in close proximity and easy to travel between!
SAUSALITO
Sausalito is a beautiful little town on the water in Southern Marin. It is just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. There are numerous boutiques, souvenir shops, art galleries, cafes, and waterfront restaurants. One of our favorite memories from our trip was enjoying the incredible views paired with a glass of wine and a lobster roll on the outdoor deck of The Trident after riding bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito - we definitely recommend! If you are looking for water activities, Sea Trek has kayaks and stand up paddle boards available to rent. Check out Sausalito Bike Rental if you want to ride around the town or boardwalk to admire the charming houses, seals frolicking in the bay, the SF skyline and the Mediterranean hillside above the waterfront. There is a ferry that travels from Sausalito to San Francisco if you are wanting to see/explore both areas in the same day.
SAN FRANCISCO
There is much to do in the city of San Francisco - explore and enjoy Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, Union Square, Alamo Square Park (home of the famous painted ladies), ChinaTown, get an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista (where it was first invented!), take a tour of Alcatraz Island, bike or walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, visit Lombard Street, get away from the city and catch a sunset at Ocean Beach (we stayed walking distance from this beach on our trip and it was so peaceful!).
SONOMA AND NAPA VALLEY
Enjoy all of the wineries in wine country!
HIKING
Hiking is one of our favorite activities to do together and Marin/the surrounding Bay Area has so many great places to hike at all skill levels. Easy: Mount Tamalpais, Tennessee Valley, China Camp State Park. Moderate: Cataract Falls, Bon Tempe Lake, Bolinas Ridge. Hard: Dipsea Trail.
BEACHES
Beach weather in Northern California can be unpredictable in the summer but it is beautiful nevertheless. There are many beaches in Marin depending on how far you are willing to drive. Rodeo Beach, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, and Limantour Beach to name a few.
MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT
The Muir Woods National Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Hiking trails vary in the level of difficulty and distance. Reservations are required for all vehicles and shuttle riders.