Secret Sausalito: surprise-filled walks reveal three different sides of Marin County's most scenic town - Travel & Recreation - related article: Where to sleep in Sausalito

Sunset, June, 2003 by Amy McConnell

Phil Frank is known for writing the "Farley" comic strip for the San Francisco Chronicle. But he got his start exploring the goings-on of Sausalito. Among his piles of sketches is a drawing in which a blockhead-looking character by the name of Arthur "Art" Colony announces his intention to run for city council. His campaign slogan: "Where is Art Colony?"

Frank laughs when asked what inspired that. "I came up with Art Colony because everyone always asks, 'Where is this art colony?' as if there were a big tourist attraction here clearly marked with a sign saying 'art colony.' The other question people always ask is, 'Why are there elephants in the downtown park?'"

The artist community is spread throughout the town. And the sculpted elephants? Frank shrugs: "Why not?"

That blend of art and whimsy epitomizes both Frank and his hometown. Sausalito is a place that everyone thinks they know--they know its views, its tourist shops, its summer-weekend crowds. But in his role on the board of the Sausalito Historical Society, Frank spends time lecturing and "noodling around, finding stuff" to celebrate Sausalito's hidden corners. "Locals tend to surrender the town--especially the crowded downtown--to tourists," Frank says. "It's as if you have to get them to rediscover Sausalito."

If, like the locals, you need to he reminded what a special place Sausalito is, here are three walks that will do the job. Each offers unexpected pleasures--a boatbuilding school, a sidewalk cafe, a hidden bay view. Taken together they give you a good idea of what makes Sausalito so special.

WALK ONE

Maritime meandering

Sausalito's earlier incarnation was as a fishing port, and although you wouldn't know it by visiting the bayside Bridge-way street, it's still very much a port town. Just 1 mile north of downtown, you can wander along the waterfront past marinas, docks, houseboat communities, and working boatyards.

Perhaps the most unusual sight along this walk is the Arques School of Traditional Wooden Boatbuilding (open Tue--Sat; Road Three, off Harbor Dr.; www.arqueschl.org or 415/331-7134). Established in 1996 to teach skilled apprentices, the school also offers Saturday workshops for beginners. The process is both fascinating and beautiful: as the school's founder, Robert Darr, says, "It's hard to find any other branch of woodworking that's nearly as creative. The boats are like sculptures." Between noon and 1 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday, you can stop in to watch students casting, bronzing, and lofting. Or peek through a porthole anytime.

The Arques School is in the heart of one of the town's largest houseboat communities. Because all of the docks cross public tidelands, you're welcome to wander around these floating neighborhoods, checking out the sometimes eccentric designs--look for the floating Taj Mahal.

Just south of the boatbuilding school, stop at Marinship Park for a look at the colorful mosaic mural by the late painter Jean Varda, one of the many artists who settled here after the war. Around 1946, after wartime industries dropped off, there was a surplus of affordable housing here, so many artists were drawn by cheap rent and the cosmopolitan feel of Sausalito.

A bit further south is the Bay Model (closed Mon; 2100 Bridgeway; www.spn.usace.army.mil/bmvc/or 415/332-3870). Best known for its hydraulic model of the San Francisco Bay and delta--a reproduction that spans 1 1/2 acres and includes replicas of the area's ship channels, rivers, creeks, and sloughs--the Bay Model also has a small museum that provides a fascinating primer on Sausalito's shipbuilding role during World War II. The building itself was constructed in 1942 as part of the Marinship complex, a facility created for the manufacturing of Liberty Ships and T2 tankers. Between 1942 and '45, a total of 93 ships were churned out here--roughly one every three weeks. Exhibits bring the wartime era to life and explain why the boatbuilding culture here is still so entrenched.

As you continue toward downtown, stop for a rest at Schoonmaker Beach (at the end of Liberty Ship Way) and lunch at the Waterfront Cafe (85 Liberty Ship Way; 415/332-5625).

Note: The Bay Model Visitor Center sells an aerial-view map of Sausalito ($4) that's useful for this walk.

WALK TWO

Sausalito's friendliest street

The few nonlocals who venture to Caledonia Street most often end up at Sushi Ran (107 Caledonia St.; 415/332-3620), considered by many to be the Bay Area's best sushi restaurant. And to be fair, that's a good enough reason to visit Caledonia. But it's certainly not the only one.

The street's attractions are aptly summed up by John Wilmer, whose John Wilmer Studio Workshop (333B Caledonia; 415/331-3037) is crowded to the rafters with his framed photos, artwork, and antiques. "Caledonia is like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," the artist says. "It's got everything you need."

It's true: along Caledonia's eight blocks, you can catch an art film; dine at seven very good restaurants; shop for obscure tools at Water Street Company Hardware and Supplies (318 Caledonia; 415/332-4318), in business since 1971; or browse well-chosen used books at the Great Overland Book Company (215 Caledonia; 415/332-1532).