Sausalito
Sausalito is the first place you’ll meet once you cross the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. It's little seaside town that attracts a lot of tourists from all over Northern California and the world.
It has art galleries and restaurants, ice cream parlors and coffee shops. It also puts you close to some other destinations in Marin County, like Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais, Stinson Beach, and Mill Valley, where Jenée grew up.
If you haven’t been to San Francisco and want to see the sights there, it could work to stay there and drive to Sausalito for the wedding. From most of the popular destinations in San Francisco to the wedding venue, it’s about a half-hour drive.
If you would rather not rent a car and want to stay in Sausalito, this best option would be to fly into the San Francisco Airport (SFO) and take the Marin Airporter shuttle (which runs every hour) to the Spencer Drive or Manzanita stop ($20 each way for adults and free for children under 12. No need to make a reservation — just pay with card or cash when you get on). The bus driver will offer to call a taxi for you that will meet you at the stop and take you to your hotel.
If you stay anywhere in Sausalito, you should be able to walk or use short Uber (update: Lyft, because you've probably deleted Uber) trips to get anywhere you need to go.
If you have extra time in Sausalito
Sausalito Visitors Center: Historical Ice House with exhibits. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30 am to 4 pm.
780 Bridgeway
415-332-0505
BOAT TOURS
Freda B: 80-ft classic schooner open several times per year for public sales and all year for private rental. 49-person capacity.
Sausalito Yacht Harbor Slip 907.
415-331-0444
Bay Cruises through Blue and Gold Fleet: Various cruises including Bridge to Bridge, Sunset, and Golden Gate Bay Cruise.
Pier 43 ½ Fisherman’s Wharf.
Taylor Street and Embarcadero
415-673-2900
SF Bay Adventures: Eco Tours, whale watching, and boat rentals.
-Motor boat rentals: $450 per 4 hrs, $695 per 6 hours. Fuel not included.
-Small boat rentals: 2-12 passengers.
-Catamarans, picnic boats, and 6-passenger sailboats with licensed captain included.
-Charter Boat rental: 32-ft Cimba available for events and private sails.
415-331-0444
Club Nautique: Award-winning sailing and power boating school. Charters available upon request. Pricing upon request.
400 Harbor Drive, suite D.
415-332-8001
Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour: walking tour of liberty ship yard, house boats, art studios, and wooden boat center. Tours Saturday & Sunday
415-332-6608
Private Charter Captains:
-Captain Chuck: 36-ft ship, $150 per hour. 49 ft ship $250 per hour (3-hour minimum).
415-233-1350
-Captain Kirk: 36-ft ship, $130-per-hour weekdays, $165-per-hour weekends. 50-ft ship $190-per-hour weekday, $225-per-hour weekend (3-hour minimum).
650-930-0740
ART GALLERIES
Studio 333: Open daily noon to 5pm
333 Caledonia Street
415-332-8272
Hanson Gallery: Open 10am to 6 pm daily
669 Bridgeway
415-332-1815
Heath Pottery: world-famous local pottery. Open Monday-Saturday 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday 11 am to 6pm. Factory tours Saturday and Sunday at 11:45 am and 2:30 pm.
400 Gate 5 road
415-332-3732
Gallery Elektra: Open Monday-Sunday 10 am to 6 pm
668 Bridgeway
415-331-3332
Scrimshaw Gallery: nautical themed art. Open Monday to Sunday 10 am to 5:30pm.
30 Princess Street
415-331-1409
Mark Reuben Gallery: antique local, sports, and news photography. Open Monday to Sunday 10 am to 6pm
34 Princess Street
415-332-8815
Bubble Street Gallery: Open Sunday to Thursday 10 am to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm.
565 Bridgeway
415-339-0508
MUSEUMS
Bay Area Discovery Museum: hands-on art, science, and environmental exhibits for children 6 months to 8 years old. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.
557 McReynolds Road
415-339-3900
Bay Model Museum: 1.5-acre hydraulic model of the Bay, Army Corp of Engineers. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9 am to 4pm.
2100 Bridgeway
415-332-3871
China Camp Museum and State Park: preserved fisherman’s cottage, hiking, and museum. Open daily 8 am to sunset
Highway 101 North to North San Pedro Road East
415-456-0766
Railroad Ferry Museum: Railroad station and station master’s house tours. Open only for private tours booked in advance.
1920 Paradise Drive
Tiburon 94920
415-435-1853
Marin Art and Garden Center
30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Ross 94957
415-455-5260
American Indian Museum: Open Wednesday to Sunday 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
2200 Novato Blvd, Novato 94947
Marin History Museum: located in the historic Boyd Gate House
1125 B street San Rafael
415-454-8538
WINERIES
Sonoma:
Ram’s Gate
Domaine Carneros (predominantly sparkling wines)
Ledson Winery
MacRostie Winery
Merry Edwards Winery
Chateau St. Jean
Healdsburg
Limerick Lane Cellars
La Crema
Lynmar Estate
Quivira
Truett Huerst (Dry Creek River)
Lambert Bridge Winery
Bella Winery (Dry Creek River)
Napa:
Vi Sattui
Peju
Robert Mondavi
Trefethen
Miner Family Winery
Inglenook
Franciscan Estate
Shafer Vineyards
POINTS OF INTEREST
Sausalito Historical Society: Open Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm or by appointment.
420 Litho Street, top floor of the Sausalito Civic Center.
415-289-4117
Mission San Rafael de Archangel: Originally built in 1817 as a helper mission to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. It is the second-to-last stop on the mission trail. Open Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8:30 am to 5 pm; Sunday 9 am to 5pm.
Complimentary self-guided tours available.
1104 5th Avenue, San Rafael, CA, 94901
415-456-3016
Mt. Tamalpais: Just north of San Francisco's Golden Gate is Mount Tamalpais. Redwood groves and oak woodlands with a spectacular view from the 2,571-foot peak. Hiking and camping for all levels. Camping is first come first serve.
801 Panoramic Highway Mill Valley, CA 94941.
415-388-2070
Muir Woods: Only old-growth redwood forest in the Bay Area. Hiking and trails for all levels. Open 8 am until sunset (seasonal). Café and gift shop open 9 am until half an hour before closing.
Muir Woods National Monument:
-Muir woods shuttle runs seasonally on Weekends
-Pickup at Bay St. and Bridgeway (Directly across from hotel)
1 Muir Woods Road Mill Valley, CA 94941
Stinson Beach: 40-minute drive north on Highway 1. Stinson has a mile-long beach and various casual dining options. Open sunrise to sunset.
Highway 1, Stinson Beach, CA, 94970
415 868-0734
Pt Bonita Lighthouse: working lighthouse from 1877. Accessed from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Open 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm Saturday to Monday.
415-331-1540
Angel Island State Park: Immigration center open from 1910 to 1950. POW processing center during WWII. Accessed by ferry from Tiburon at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.
Park open daily 8 am to sunset.
415-435-1915
Golden Gate Park and Bridge: Historical bridge built in 1937. 1.7 miles with walking and bike paths. 5 acres of gardens on the south side of the bridge.
415-455-2000
TOURS
Marinship walking tours: Tours of the historic Marin waterfront. Must be arranged 2 weeks in advance.
415-332-3871
Wooden Boat tour Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour: walking tour of liberty ship yard, house boats, art studio, and wooden boat center. Tours Saturday and Sunday 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. $50 per person.
415-332-6608
Alcatraz Island: Historic fort, penitentiary, and site of an 18-month native American occupation. Open 9 am to sunset daily. Night tours are also available. Tours priced from $30.
Ferries to the island leave from Pier 33.
Red and White tours: Various tours of San Francisco, Marin, and Wine Country leaving from San Francisco. Kids under 5 free, adult tickets $20 and up.
Pier 43½ Fisherman’s wharf
415-673-2900
Tower Tours: Various tours of San Francisco, Marin and Wine Country leaving from San Francisco.
415-345-TOUR
SF City Guides: Free docent-led walking tours of San Francisco. Subject matter from history to architecture to pop culture.
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street, San Francisco 94102
415-557-4266