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Point Reyes National Seashore (15 min from Olema)
It is a 70,000 acre (283 km²) park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, Ca. From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. You can hike, fish, canoe/kayak, bike, run, sunbathe, organize a picnic, and watch wildlife.
Other great spots for walks include:
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods
Beach Spots:
Inverness Beach, Stinson Beach, Bolinas and Dillon Beach (both are great surf spots)
Olema
Vedanta Retreat
Set up a personal spiritual retreat (must be done in advance).
http://www.sfvedanta.org/
Point Reyes Station (8 min from Olema)
Sample delicious cheeses at the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. Check out the downtown bookstore. Sit in a cafe and drink tea.
Cowgirl Creamery Through the window near the main entrance of Tomales Bay Foods, observe award-winning cheeses being made. Or sign up for the demonstration and tasting ($3; 11:30 a.m. Fri). You can buy the cheese, as well other good local and international cheeses, at the creamery's sales counter. INFO: Closed Mon–Tue; in Tomales Bay Foods, 80 Fourth St., Point Reyes Station; 415/663-9335.
Farm and ranch tours Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) leads tours to local food producers. INFO: Apr–Oct; $10– $25, reservations required; 415/663-1158.
Heart's Desire Beach A good picnic spot in Tomales Bay State Park. INFO: $6 per vehicle; off Pierce Point Rd., 4 miles north of Inverness; 415/669-1140.
Horseback riding Point Reyes Arabian Adventures owner Susan Rowsell will trailer your steed (she'll provide one) to any spot around the bay you choose for a guided ride. Horses are extremely well trained and peppy, not your usual trail nags. INFO: From $35 per hour, reservations required; on State 1 in Point Reyes Station; 707/477-7181.
Kayaking: The veteran guides at Point Reyes Outdoors point out the bay's natural marvels while you paddle, and they'll help you improve your stroke too. INFO: From $75 half-day, reservations required; on State 1 in Point Reyes Station; 415/663-8192.
Marin Sun Farms The clean, handsome butcher shop sells the farm's own grass-fed beef, lamb, and chickens, plus free-range eggs with deep-golden yolks. INFO: 10905 State 1; 415/663-8997.
Point Reyes Vineyards The converted former dairy has Marin County's first vineyard tasting room since Prohibition. Winemaker Steve Doughty produces sparkling wine and bright, cherrylike Pinot Noir. He makes fine Zinfandel and Cabernet, too, from grapes grown farther inland. There's also a three-room B&B here (scheduled to reopen in November 2007). INFO: Open Fri–Mon; $3 tasting fee; 12700 State 1, Point Reyes Station; 415/663-1011.
Straus Family Creamery Visit the West's first organic dairy — known for its rich, delicious cream-top milk in glass bottles — to see the milking of the cows and make your own butter f. Straus satisfies most of its energy needs by using a methane digester, which converts cow manure to electricity, enabling owner Albert Straus to drive an electric Toyota RAV4 fueled purely by cow power. INFO: The only way to visit is by joining an organized tour with Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT; see "What to Do: Farm and Ranch Tours") (from sunset article Bountiful Bay by Margo True).
San Francisco (37 mi from from Olema)
Explore the city and drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, walk down the crookedest street (Lombard St) in the world, visit Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 39 and spy on the sea lions (there are more there in the winter though), take a tour of Alcatraz, visit Chinatown, Japantown, Little Italy, soak at Kabuki Hot Springs, take a walk in the Golden Gate Park where you can visit a Japanese Tea Garden and have tea, sightsee at the de Young Museum, and find the buffalo at the western end that meets up with the famous Highway 1.
