Bolinas, CA

My real good buddy Wiley, one of my closest friends from college, is in town, and on a lark we decided to go tofor a walk in Muir Woods and then dinner in Bolinas. Take the time to check out this link.

I'm not quite certain why I haven't written about Bolinas before, but without a doubt, it is my favorite town in California and maybe in the continental US.

I'm not sure how to even describe Bolinas: it's completely off the beating track (it's literally almost off the grid), and a step back in time to the 60's. The locals are so protective/parochial they are known to take down all road signs that point to Bolinas. It's a cross between a seafaring town and a hippie ("counterculture") artist community. To get there, you pretty much need to know exactly where you are going.

We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Coastal Cafe, which has amazing locally produced organic food (Wiley asked the waitress her recommendation and she said, and I quote, "The salmon, definitely. The owner caught it this afternoon") and is completely lacking in pretense. A 32 year local (a "bon vivant" according to Wiley) sat at the table next to us and ended up giving a fascinating hour and half discourse on the town, covering nearly its entire history as well as an overview of local residents (ranging from acclaimed reggae artists to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to Oscar winning directors). Wiley and I both agreed that we could have listened to his tales for hours. Suffice to say, Bolinas is rich in history and certainly rich in charm. If you are ever in town, place it high on your to do list.