Bolinas, California

Bolinas, established in 1846, is a small coastal town located in Northern California, about 30 minutes North of San Francisco. It has a surfer, hippie vibe with a population of about 2,500. The town is unincorporated, meaning it is not part of any municipality. It does not have a mayor or a city hall. The residents of this town are very reclusive and do not openly accept outsiders into their treasured town. It is only accessible way of unmarked routes along State Route 1. There are no marked signs for the town, as any that are out up are immediately torn down by the locals. It is a very spirited community with a “live and let live” kind of attitude.

Coastal Community

majestic waters of the bay, cascading back and forth as we stand there silent and speechless

serenity

The road turns at the Catholic Church just after it crosses Pine Gulch Creek, favorite spawning ground of salmon and steelhead. The nursery is on the right. Although the town has no official boundaries, since it is unincorporated, to most people it seems to end here where the road widens and runs along the Lagoon to the highway and what is known as “over–the–hill,” or the rest of the world.

a place like no other

Our very first visit to the town of Bolinas started as a group of friends hiking to Alamere Falls. It had rained pretty consistently for a week straight the week before our hike, which made for a good chance the falls would be quite decent in size. As we started to approach the falls we encountered small springs collecting as the water headed for the fall.

Gorgeous Landscape

The whole atmosphere looked like we had stepped into some rainforest a half a world away. The air smelled different. The scenery looked completely different in the rain. It was a great hike along a stream with ferns, new brush growing everywhere. It was breath taking climbing up the steps that were carved out of the rocks from the hills, to the waterfall.

a promise to keep

After finishing our lunches, we ventured over to the base of

the fall. I remember most clearly standing facing the fall, with the

wind from the fall bustling by me. The wind was rolling by at about 15 miles per hour. After

getting our feet wet in the ocean and splashing around in the fall to the fullest we headed back to

the trail in the hopes of ending up in downtown Bolinas. At the moment I was forced to realize how amazing life can be. I was mesmerized by what I was seeing with my own two eyes. Before now I had only seen images like this in books or on line. Never had I witnessed something so majestic in real life.

we ventured over to the base of the fall. I remember most clearly standing facing the fall, with the wind from the fall bustling by me. The wind was rolling by at about 15 miles per hour. After getting our feet wet in the ocean and splashing around in the fall to the fullest we headed back to the trail in the hopes of ending up in downtown Bolinas. At the moment I was forced to realize how amazing life can be. I was mesmerized by what I was seeing with my own two eyes. Before now I had only seen images like this in books or on line. Never had I witnessed something so majestic in real life.

the sound of the fall as it bustled behind us swooooooosh

On a random Thursday near the end of September the 4 of us headed to Bolinas for dinner. We had remembered that they have live music every Thursday night at the local restaurant. We picked everyone up in the city and headed for our secret treasure for the freshest and most amazing seafood you can find. Coastal Cafe is one of the only 2 restaurants in the town. They are open only for lunch and dinner daily, with a break in between meals. We started with mussels and calamari. (I still have dreams about their fried calamari with deep fried lemon slices). I ordered the rock fish and chips. I was beyond content with my meal that I payed no attention to what my friends ate. We enjoyed each others company while listening to live music.

Feel Good Food

delicious

is the only kind of seafood served at the local restaurant. It is caught

fresh daily by the local fisherman. It is often served within

hours of being brought in.

is the only kind of seafood served at the local restaurant. It is caught

fresh daily by the local fisherman. It is often served within

hours of being brought in.

is the only kind of seafood served at the local restaurant. It is caught

fresh daily by the local fisherman. It is often served within

hours of being brought in.

There are buoys around the door, buoys to reserve the tables, and a slew of buoys hanging out back. The buoys out back are the most ingrained in my brain because of the beautiful collage they make with the vibrant colors against an old weathered wooden fence.

a town well worn

Being worn, tired, and exhausted from the our rainy hike, we entered Coastal Cafe hoping to warm up. The restaurant had a warm and cozy feeling to it, something that could not be avoided. Everything is dark lacquered wood, and there is a working fireplace stove in the corner. We immediately spotted their daily special of hot apple cider. Sipping our cider warmed us from the inside out.

Bolinas, California