VIRTUALCAL.COM - travel agent south america

Secret Sausalito: surprise-filled walks reveal three different sides of Marin County's most scenic town - Travel & Recreation - related article: Where to sleep in Sausalito

Amy McConnell

Phil Frank is known for writing the "Farley" comic strip for the San Francisco Chronicle. But he got his start exploring the goings-on of Sausalito. Among his piles of sketches is a drawing in which a blockhead-looking character by the name of Arthur "Art" Colony announces his intention to run for city council. His campaign slogan: "Where is Art Colony?"

Frank laughs when asked what inspired that. "I came up with Art Colony because everyone always asks, 'Where is this art colony?' as if there were a big tourist attraction here clearly marked with a sign saying 'art colony.' The other question people always ask is, 'Why are there elephants in the downtown park?'"

The artist community is spread throughout the town. And the sculpted elephants? Frank shrugs: "Why not?"

That blend of art and whimsy epitomizes both Frank and his hometown. Sausalito is a place that everyone thinks they know--they know its views, its tourist shops, its summer-weekend crowds. But in his role on the board of the Sausalito Historical Society, Frank spends time lecturing and "noodling around, finding stuff" to celebrate Sausalito's hidden corners. "Locals tend to surrender the town--especially the crowded downtown--to tourists," Frank says. "It's as if you have to get them to rediscover Sausalito."

If, like the locals, you need to he reminded what a special place Sausalito is, here are three walks that will do the job. Each offers unexpected pleasures--a boatbuilding school, a sidewalk cafe, a hidden bay view. Taken together they give you a good idea of what makes Sausalito so special.

WALK ONE

Maritime meandering

Sausalito's earlier incarnation was as a fishing port, and although you wouldn't know it by visiting the bayside Bridge-way street, it's still very much a port town. Just 1 mile north of downtown, you can wander along the waterfront past marinas, docks, houseboat communities, and working boatyards.

Perhaps the most unusual sight along this walk is the Arques School of Traditional Wooden Boatbuilding (open Tue--Sat; Road Three, off Harbor Dr.; www.arqueschl.org or 415/331-7134). Established in 1996 to teach skilled apprentices, the school also offers Saturday workshops for beginners. The process is both fascinating and beautiful: as the school's founder, Robert Darr, says, "It's hard to find any other branch of woodworking that's nearly as creative. The boats are like sculptures." Between noon and 1 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday, you can stop in to watch students casting, bronzing, and lofting. Or peek through a porthole anytime.

The Arques School is in the heart of one of the town's largest houseboat communities. Because all of the docks cross public tidelands, you're welcome to wander around these floating neighborhoods, checking out the sometimes eccentric designs--look for the floating Taj Mahal.

Just south of the boatbuilding school, stop at Marinship Park for a look at the colorful mosaic mural by the late painter Jean Varda, one of the many artists who settled here after the war. Around 1946, after wartime industries dropped off, there was a surplus of affordable housing here, so many artists were drawn by cheap rent and the cosmopolitan feel of Sausalito.

A bit further south is the Bay Model (closed Mon; 2100 Bridgeway; www.spn.usace.army.mil/bmvc/or 415/332-3870). Best known for its hydraulic model of the San Francisco Bay and delta--a reproduction that spans 1 1/2 acres and includes replicas of the area's ship channels, rivers, creeks, and sloughs--the Bay Model also has a small museum that provides a fascinating primer on Sausalito's shipbuilding role during World War II. The building itself was constructed in 1942 as part of the Marinship complex, a facility created for the manufacturing of Liberty Ships and T2 tankers. Between 1942 and '45, a total of 93 ships were churned out here--roughly one every three weeks. Exhibits bring the wartime era to life and explain why the boatbuilding culture here is still so entrenched.

As you continue toward downtown, stop for a rest at Schoonmaker Beach (at the end of Liberty Ship Way) and lunch at the Waterfront Cafe (85 Liberty Ship Way; 415/332-5625).

Note: The Bay Model Visitor Center sells an aerial-view map of Sausalito ($4) that's useful for this walk.

WALK TWO

Sausalito's friendliest street

The few nonlocals who venture to Caledonia Street most often end up at Sushi Ran (107 Caledonia St.; 415/332-3620), considered by many to be the Bay Area's best sushi restaurant. And to be fair, that's a good enough reason to visit Caledonia. But it's certainly not the only one.

The street's attractions are aptly summed up by John Wilmer, whose John Wilmer Studio Workshop (333B Caledonia; 415/331-3037) is crowded to the rafters with his framed photos, artwork, and antiques. "Caledonia is like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," the artist says. "It's got everything you need."

It's true: along Caledonia's eight blocks, you can catch an art film; dine at seven very good restaurants; shop for obscure tools at Water Street Company Hardware and Supplies (318 Caledonia; 415/332-4318), in business since 1971; or browse well-chosen used books at the Great Overland Book Company (215 Caledonia; 415/332-1532).

Wilmer found and fell in love with his studio, a former warehouse, on his first day scouting business space in Sausalito. He still counts his blessings to be here. "I leave my door open every day of the year," Wilmer explains. "My 11-year-old son goes down to the park by himself to play basketball. There aren't that many streets in Mann that have such a friendly flavor."

And he adds, "Caledonia gets the best weather in Sausalito; the sun comes right here. There's a reason William Richardson chose this neighborhood."

In the 1800s, long before Caledonia existed, this was the site of a rancho operated by William Richardson, who once owned much of the land in Mann County and who is widely known as one of the first founders of Yerba Buena, a.k.a. San Francisco. But Caledonia was prime real estate even before Richard son's time. "Where Sushi Ran and the theater are now, there used to be a Miwok village," says Frank, whose own home is on the bill just off Caledonia.

Frank, Wilmer, and other locals can often be found at Caffe DiVino (37 Caledonia; 415/331-9355), a hangout with great Italian food and live music Wednesday through Sunday nights. Wilmer also favors Fukusuke (closed Mon; 45 Caledonia; 415/332-2013), a country-style Japanese restaurant with inexpensive bento-box dinners. Other good ethnic eats: Sartaj Indian Cafe (closed Mon; 43 Caledonia; 415/332-7103), with good takeout and pie; and Arawan Thai Cuisine (47 Caledonia; 415/332-0882).

WALK THREE

Beyond the obvious on Bridgeway

Bridgeway is the street locals often avoid--it's crowded and full of souvenir shops and mediocre restaurants. But come at the right time--early morning or late at night, or on a rainy day when crowds are scarce--and it's hard not to be seduced by Bridgeway's irresistible views: to the east, the bay; to the south, a mansion-dotted hillside.

Back in the 19th century, William Randolph Hearst was enchanted by these views; one of the mansions standing today is built on the stone foundation of what was once slated to be Hearst Castle. Around the 1880s, Sausalito was a popular retreat for wealthy San Franciscans, including Hearst. He moved here at age 23 and set about building a castle on Water Street (then the name for Bridgeway), complete with a proposed private bridge leading to the bay.

When the town fathers objected to his plans, Hearst stormed out of town, leaving his project behind. Look for the remains of the original Hearst Castle's foundation--two wide, fortresslike columns at the base of a beige house on the west side of Bridgeway--just north of the North Street Steps, roughly across from where Al Sybrian's bronze sea-lion sculpture pokes Out of the bay.

A much more accessible mansion is the Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa (see "Where to Sleep in Sausalito," page 32), which recently expanded into the former Village Fair shopping complex. The original structure of what has become Sausalito's major luxury hotel was first built as a family home in 1885--look for the baby blue Italianate mansion up on the hill.

Across from the Casa Madrona, the Sausalito Historical Society maintains the Ice House Visitor Center (11:30-4 Tue-Sun; 780 Bridgeway; 415/332-0505), housed in a former icehouse. Stop in to browse the exhibits, including images of the Liberty Ship-building effort.

At Bridgeway's southern end, where the street curves up a hill, you'll find the Valhalla Restaurant (closed Mon; 201 Bridgeway; 415/331-9463), which first opened in 1893 and has since led many lives. In one comer of the bar, look for a Victorian dentist chair--this was the perch of Marcia Owens, a.k.a. Sally Stanford, the former bordello madam who famously ran for the Sausalito town council in the 1970s, won by a landslide, and eventually became the town's mayor.

The Valhalla has kept up with the times--these days it serves remarkably good food. But Sally's spirit still seems to preside here, echoing Sausalito's more raffish days. Says Frank, "Sally brought a naughtiness to Sausalito. But really, that rowdiness had always existed. In the 1800s, people came here for betting and for the bars."

Indeed, one of the most happening spots along Bridgeway today is the No Name Bar (757 Bridgeway; 415/332-1392), which looks anonymous but for the words "garden patio spirits and beer" near the door. "This was a watering hole for sailors from all over the world," Frank says. "And today, it's a part of old Sausalito that's remained pretty much the same."

RELATED ARTICLE: Where to sleep in Sausalito

Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa. Rooms in the new section are large, luxurious, and contemporary; hillside casitas and rooms in the old mansion retain their Victorian style. A few rooms have big decks overlooking the bay. The day spa is open to the public. An upscale Italian restaurant will soon replace the California cuisine of Mikayla; Poggio is scheduled to open in September (Mikayla will remain open until then). Rooms from $225. 801 Bridgewary; www.rockresorts.com, (800) 567-9524, or (415) 332-0502.

Hotel Sausalito. This 16-room boutique hotel has a French Riviera style, with warm colors and a sunny terrace. From $145. 168 Portal, off Bridgeway; www.hotelsausalito.com, (888) 442-0700, or (415) 332-0700.

The Inn Above Tide. An elegant, 30-room hotel right over the water, with dazzling bay views--splurge on a room with a terrace. From $235. 30 8 Portal, off Bridgeway; www.innabovetide.com, (800) 893-8433, or (415) 332-9535.

VIRTUALCAL.COM - travel agent south america

Menu