3-day weekend: off-season Sausalito

Sunset, Nov, 1998 by Jeff Phillips

From our table at one of the cafe's ample windows, we can look into the Plaza Vina del Mar, which, with its whimsical fountain, is the heart of downtown Sausalito. In summer the vest-pocket-size park is packed with tourists taking pictures of each other.

Come late fall the mood in this town just north of San Francisco is different. Rainy days are the luck of the draw, but even the grayest weather lends the waterfront scene a moody, misty charm that justifies deep contemplation over coffee. If you must move, there are just enough intriguing shops and galleries scattered among the T-shirt emporiums to keep boredom away. And a bayside walk along the esplanade fronting Bridgeway remains a stunningly scenic stroll - from here views swing south from Richardson Bay, past Angel Island and Alcatraz, to the cityscape of San Francisco. "I get through summer knowing the off-season will come," one resident told us. "We get a lot of beautiful winter days here."

This rainy morning, Sausalito's cafes are surprisingly full, one of several signs that the village is being rediscovered - particularly off-season, from November into April - as a weekend getaway. That's a bit ironic, given Sausalito's reputation as an overexposed day trip from San Francisco. But weekenders are using the town as a base not only for local activities like hiking in the Marin Headlands and paddling in Richardson Bay, but also for ferry trips back across the bay to visit San Francisco.

As we finish our coffee, I watch the concierge at the chic Hotel Sausalito next door hold an oversize umbrella for a tall, slender woman in black who unfolds from a silver limousine. She pauses to glance at the cafe with piercing blue eyes before disappearing into the hotel lobby.

Artist? Spy? Starlet? When winter wraps Sausalito in mist and mystery, anything is possible.

Area code is 415 unless noted.

friday

FIRST STOP. Pick up a Discover Sausalito map and Sausalito History Walk brochure at the Sausalito Visitor Center (call for new downtown location; 332-0505); open 11:30-4 Tue-Sun. Before heading out, fortify yourself with coffee at Caffe Tutti (12 El Portal; 332-0211).

SHOPPER'S WORLD. Galleries and shops cluster along Bridgeway and Princess St. Petri's Gallery (675 Bridgeway; 332-2225) features stunning art glass, Spirits in Stone (585 Bridgeway; 332-2388) interesting sculpture. Something, um, less pricey? Explore the junk-filled shelves of the nonprofit Sausalito Salvage Shop (19 Princess; 332-3471).

LUNCH. Take a break from shopping over a plate of pasta or gourmet pizza at Angelino Restaurant of Sausalito (621 Bridgeway; 331-5225).

SEASIDE STROLL. Walk Bridgeway south for waterfront views, then follow Second St. and Alexander Ave. to Fort Baker Rd. and the old military base. It's a 2-mile walk, but offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge - even in the rain. Kids in tow? Fort Baker houses the Bay Area Discovery Museum (10-5 Fri-Sun, 9-4 Tue-Thu; 487-4398) with lively science, art, and media exhibits.

INTIMATE DINNER. Casual and French, Christophe (1919 Bridgeway; 332-9244) has an early-bird special that is one of Sausalito's few bargains.

NIGHTCAP. Sidewalks roll up early except at the No Name Bar (757 Bridgeway, at El Portal; 332-1392), where local groups jam every night except Mon.

Saturday

A.M. KAYAK. You can't visit Sausalito without getting out on the water. Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center (call 488-1000 for reservations and directions) offers three-hour paddling tours in stable, two-person kayaks; cost is $50. Another, drier option: take a Blue & Gold Fleet ferry (at El Portal and Bridgeway; 705-5555) to San Francisco's Pier 41 near Fisherman's Wharf; the two-hour round trip costs $11, $5.50 ages 5-11.

PUNJABI WHAT? Health guru Dean Ornish favors the nonfat dishes at Avatar's Restaurant (2656 Bridgeway; 3328083); we love the less low-fat but savory pumpkin and lamb Punjabi enchilada.

BAYWATCH. You've paddled the bay, now understand it. The Bay Model Visitor Center (2100 Bridgeway; 3323870) mimics every splish and splash. Open 9-4 Tue-Fri, 10-3 Sat.

CLASSIC SEAFOOD. Sure, it's a tourist haunt, but the seafood's fresh, the view superb at Scoma's Sausalito (588 Bridgeway; 332-9551).

sunday

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE. It's a short spin up Alexander Ave. and under U.S. 101 to the Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (331-1540). Conzelman Rd. takes you to restored Point Bonita Lighthouse (open 12:30-3:30 Fri-Mon).

TAKE A HIKE. The GGNRA offers days' worth of hiking options. One standout is the Coastal Trail, which climbs 1.6 miles from Rodeo Beach to the shoulder of Wolf Ridge (where it connects to an additional 3-mile loop), giving views across the Pacific.

HEAL A SEAL. Take Bunker Rd. back toward Sausalito and stop at the estimable Marine Mammal Center (10-4 daily; 289-7325) to see how sick, injured, or orphaned seals, sea lions, and otters are nursed back to health.

CUISINE WITH A VIEW. Celebrate a day on the trail by climbing a few more steps to Mikayla (801 Bridgeway; 3315888), which, with its sweeping bay views, offers the finest (and priciest) dining in town.