When we dream of traveling, it is usually to famous destinations or big cities which are far different from our place of origin. Like I used to dream of seeing Hongkong, Bangkok, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York…. although they may have some outlying parts but they have big and busy downtown areas. And what attract tourists are these central areas or the urban part of the place where everybody “must be there”.
But I have a change of curiosity. I never realize the beauty of a small town. These are the places we pass by as we eagerly travel to our dream destinations. I am guilty of failing to appreciate the little worlds behind the cosmopolitan realm.
I believe that I am a “small town girl”. A town where we used to know almost everyone. We know who owns a certain car, whose house it is, where they work or what their jobs are, who their parents are, even the story of their lives. But since I was dreaming of going to other places, which I believe is a good way to keep learning, I can’t help but to compare and be excited about what I will see and experience from it. Traveling every so often made me wonder what is it there with other “small towns” (which we happen to just pass by when we travel) that makes it different from where I grew up. So, I started to get interested in exploring foreign small towns.
Maybe the most common experience I had appreciating being away from the city is when I get to see the city lights as it give an effect to the city skyline as I watch it from afar. Who hasn’t done this in Hongkong?
Every time I go home to San Francisco, I always hop in the cruise trips, across the Bay Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a constant relaxing feeling that brings serenity…… so calming, so quiet, stress-free, and tell me that I am also home. And I don’t care doing it alone.
I go around the San Francisco Peninsula over and over again whenever I’m there. I always see to it that I go to all my favorite places.
And maybe, at some point in time, I have visited this particular place already and unconsciously unacknowledged being there. One day, as I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, I decided to go straight to Sausalito (again for I don’t remember how many times I’ve actually been there), towards the north end of the bridge. Just as how interesting Fisherman’s Wharf is for me, I loved the hooting sound of the pelicans, the barking seals, and the waves from the sea from that Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I checked in at The Inn Above Tide which I can say is pretty good. Clean tubs, linens, appealing fireplace, and serving good local organic foodstuff.
I started walking from the hotel to Scoma’s. The famous and most visited restaurant in Sausalito. They serve the best seafood dishes. And I can say, I tasted the best Lobster Risotto! It’s creamy and flavorful! On my way there was my first time ever to imbibe the calmness, the gentleness, the simplicity, and the radiant effect of the sunlight that adds up to the serenity of a small town living. There are a lot of local stores that are evidently being patronized even by the locals themselves. Old establishments and designs are still noticeable, even the way some of them are positioned and constructed.
Restaurants in Sausalito sources its fish and other seafood daily, mostly locally which creates dishes you definitely won’t find anywhere else. Sausalito dining is modestly sophisticated and can challenge the class of those served in downtown San Francisco.
It is in Sausalito where I first saw fresh Pine Trees (used as Christmas Trees) being sold. Freshly cut with its amazing scent that gives you the feeling of Christmas Season. Yes, I was there in December!
And because I was there to immerse the life in that small town, the Golden Gate Bridge view from Marin Headlands is just breathtaking. It’s like a gentle forest that has a natural watercourse. It’s an untouched area of a huge biological diversity where endangered species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and birds settled. This also became a strategic site during World War II. Now, it’s perfect for a drive, hike or just hang out to enjoy the beauty of nature.
They also have the Marine Mammal Center dedicated to rescue and rehabilitate the seals, sea lions and other wildlife animals like hawks, falcons, and eagles. They promote global conservation of the oceans and its inhabitants.
Sausalito has the great outdoor activities, and one of it is biking. They even have a bike path map which was designed by a map-maker, Kass Green, who owns the hotel I checked into. She also made the map for the “Step Walk” activity that will take you up and down the hills behind town and bring you to the different Sausalito community zones and history. One of the very obvious are the Sausalito houseboats. Sea Trekking is very famous in this town. Most of the boats parked along the coastline of Sausalito can bring you under the Golden Gate Bridge and take a closer views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, and Marin Headlands.
The floating boats at the Yacht Harbor which not only serve to paddle you across the water to take a good views of historical places but some of them are also their personal yachts and maybe homes. Now, with modern developments, there are even actual house-shaped floating on the waters of Sausalito creating a separate community. This part of the town seems to give a picturesque Mediterranean-like neighborhood. I was straightaway captivated by its exciting history. These Sausalito house-boaters form an extremely different kind of community in an American culture. This house-boat community has its colorful residential and awe-inspiring architecture.
The small town also have an upscale, hippie, elegant residential are clinging to a vertically sharp, hillside-woods above the shoreline. This part of the town is also quiet and charming with a slightly warmer climate.
People in the small town are usually friendly and accommodating. Hospitality is distinctive. There is warmth, kindness, friendliness, and gestures of generosity not only in private homes but even on business establishments.
Sausalito neighborhood is multifaceted. Its cultural elements are rich. For a small town, it has an exquisite Art Galleries, Souvenir Shops, and Museums. I learned that Heath (Heath Ceramics) is one of California’s last remaining mid-century era potteries and it is in Sausalito’s floating home community.
Downtown San Francisco is accessible as ferry runs all day back and forth the island. That is if you get bored being on a laid-back lifestyle. But as for me, Sausalito is place where I can always go back and feels like being home.
Moments & Journeys 