The waterfront stroll is breath taking but while there, take a deep breath, and marvel at the floating community of houseboats, each with it's own distinct personality that reflects the unique persona of the resident nauti-boy and/or nauti-girl. It's also in the frontlines of the green movement a shop that offers custom made bicycles constructed to order from natural sustainable materials including bamboo and wood. I refer to them as the gentle "Leonard Cohen of bikes" while up the road in Mill Valley you can rev it up with a heavy metal version of two-wheeling with a Sammy Hagar bike! It's the only place on earth I know of where gentle poetry meets rock and roll when it comes to pedal power! Sausalito has managed to split the societal atom to create a Alice or Alex in Wonderland of hippie friendly houseboats and bad-ass bikes of bamboo.
Just how do houseboats procreate into a waterfront community in the first place? The answer lies in the chaos of the Second World War. The area was the hothouse of building Liberty Ships for use in the war to end all wars and Nazi agression. The region exploded with workers and the Arsenal of Democracy was on a full dose of steroids. Once the war ended, so did the need for Liberty Ships so the waterfront was returned to it's peace time tranquility. One industrious soul who had waterfront property began buying up old barges and boats, moored them on the property and in time it became a flaoting campground. Bohemian artists in the beat era Fifties moved in followed by the hipsters of the Sixties. A lot of the barges had additions put on them so there was a diverse canvas of watercraft design available and afloat!
In the 70's something close to class warfare broke out between the bohemian bolsheviks on the bay and the yachties on the hill with money over the waterfront. In the end, compromise won out and the revolution went into sleeper mode. Some of the famous residents included Jerry Garcia and Sterling Hayden the reclusive star of Dr. Strangelove (the bodily fluids guy!) Otis Redding was on one too and is where he was inspired to pen his hit, Sittin on the dock of the Bay!) Today you can tour the waterfront in style.
Pedal power goes Green with renovation innovation at Renovo Bicycles. These are zen bikes whose frames are made from hollow woods or laminated bamboo. These natural materials are more than durable and highly sustainable. Not only are they lightweight but are pro's when it comes to absorbing shock so your ride is smooth as floating on a magic carpet ride. (Ok, that may be pushing it but wanted to get "magic carpet into the article) The bikes are custom built to your weight and riding style and some seasoned bikers consider the frames a work of sustainable art! (Remember up the road in Mill Valley for the more hard core, visit Sammy Hagar Bikes, mountain bikes at ten decibels!
Shopping is eclectic and bohemian to say the least, or the most. Shops offer handmade one of a kind originals including one shop with speciality ties for that psychedeilic dress up affair you may have on your social calendar. The arts are well represented at the Quest Gallery which is a repository of works by Califoria artists that include ceramics, jewelry woven clothing and glassware.
Camping is allowed in surrounding areas of Marin County, but many opt for hosteling, the original European crash pad archtype. If comraderie is what you are all about and need a place to set your back pack along with other haiku hobos on your Marin journey, then the Marin Headlands Hostel is where you can take a load off in a laid back atmosphere that is very California or Amsterdamish in feeling.
The hostel offers magnificent ocean vista's, along with hiking and biking trails through nearby Redwoods or Mt. Tamalpais and within easy distance of the ocean for a sea kayaking or standup paddleboard experience or taking to the ocean blue to watch whales and seals in their natural habitat. The hostel is in a two story building on the site of old Fort Barry with lounges to kick back in, laundry facilities to keep it clean and kitchen to test your uninhibited culinary skills. It has shared rooms or private, and dorms are gender specific or co-ed..take you choice. I know what mine would be. It's probably the least expensive way to lodge and lounge and you'll meet some wonderful compadre's who along with you share the experience of reaching out to our fellow human beings and getting to know one another. Look at it as social networking without the computer but based on shared experience and actual conversation! Take that Facebook!
Sausalito cherishes it's nautical pedigree and is home base for the Marine Mammal Center, non-profit research facility that rehabs injured sea lions, seals and other marine mammals, and since 1975 as of this writing, have rescued over 16,000 of natures oceanic creatures. There are tours and volunteer opportunities also present themselves.
If you want sassy, make it Sausalito. If you want bohemian, make it Sausalito. If you want houseboats and art, make it Sausalito. Bohemian Houseboats to Bamboo Bikes, redwoods to whales, and all within striking distance of San Francisco across the bay. Sausalito has it all..except Bacall, but what the hell, close your eyes and pretend your Humphrey Bogart. Who knows what the magic of Sausalito will conjur up!