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3. Point Reyes National Seashore
Back on the Panoramic Highway,
follow the steep, tortuous road
through Mt. Tamalpais State Park.
At Stinson Beach the road regains
the shoreline and there parallels
the notorious San Andreas Fault,
following it north up Olema Valley
and Tomales Bay. Extending some
650 miles from the Mexican border
to Cape Mendocino, the fault
marks the junction of the Pacific
and North American crustal plates.
As these huge landmasses grind
past each other at a speed of two
inches per year, pressure builds up
and is then suddenly released when
the plates jump. A well-marked
trail offers a first-hand glimpse of
some of the damage caused by one
such memorable jolt, the great San
Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Just north of Olema, a turnoff
leads to 70,000-acre Point Reyes
National Seashore. Eons
ago, this orphaned hunk of southern
California granite was dragged
about 350 miles northward by
the San Andreas Fault. Wildlife far outnumbers
people here. Bobcats,
elk, mountain lions, and several
exotic, introduced
species of deer roam freely within
the park's borders, while offshore
a lucky visitor may spot a gray whale, an
orca, or the fin of a
great white shark.
4. Tomales Bay State Park
Tomales Bay, a 13-mile-long
inlet that separates Point Reyes
from the mainland, is tranquil,
protected, and uneventful --
everything the Pacific is not.
Along these restful shores, the
ocean's rages are quickly forgotten
and every sense is tickled by
a different delight: the
scent of pine, the whir
of waterfowl, the succulence
of a fresh oyster,
the warmth of the
waters along Hearts Desire
Beach, and the beauty
of the bay itself, backed by the
hills of the Bolinas Ridge.
5. Bodega Bay
Movie buffs may be struck by a
sense of déjàvu when they enter
the village of Bodega Bay, for it
was here that Alfred Hitchcock
filmed The Birds. Today the
town is more notable for its splendid
seafood and harborside views.
Spend an afternoon strolling along
its anchorage or hiking the trail
from Spuds Point Marina around
Bodega Head, a rocky promontory
that protects the tranquil waters
of the bay.
Bodega Head
also marks the beginning
of Sonoma
Coast State Beach, a
chain of parks that
parallels the drive for
the next 14 miles. No
seaside pleasure is absent
here. Climb the dunes or
look for underwater treasures
in the tidepools of
Salmon Creek. Picnic beneath
the cliffs of Schoolhouse
Beach. Marvel at the
pounding force of the Pacific
along the rocks of Duncans
Landing. Or stand at Goat
Rock, near the point where the
wide Russian River empties into
the sea.
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