So your schedule gives you just an hour in Sausalito…
Let's make the most of that hour. We'll assume you're starting out downtown near the Ferry pier, because that's where the big parking lots are located. If you need it, parking information is here. The pages we link to below all have Google Maps to help you find places.
Here's the trick for making a short visit great: Which of the five senses means the most to you? Pick your answer and we'll give you some ways to make that hour count.
Sense of Sight: The Views of Sausalito
– Choice 1: A drink in the bar of the Spinnaker. This restaurant is on a pier that juts out into the Bay and has fabulous views, both from the bar and the restaurant. I've had everything from Diet Coke to Champagne here, and the view was fabulous with every one of them.
– Choice 2: A snack "on the rail" on the deck of Horizons. If the weather is nice their deck, which is also located on a pier above the Bay, is a great spot. You can sit side-by-side at the deck railing and have a drink or a snack (or have a meal and eat really fast!). There will be nothing between you and the Bay and the view of the San Francisco skyline except a narrow bar and a railing.
— Choice 3: Eat or drink at the ferry snack bar, and just go for a walk! Take a walk down Bridgeway, as shown on the Google map below, and you'll see many of the spots where famous postcards were photographed. Stand where Orson Welles talked to Rita Hayworth! You can walk right next to the water for much of the trip. From the Ferry pier, walk towards the hillside and turn left on Bridgeway. You'll be on the route marked on the map below. From A" to "B" is one of the most beautiful half miles in the world.
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Sense of Taste: Dining in Sausalito
– Choice 1: Check out this page that lists restaurants that are great after a ride on the Ferry, because they're all within a few blocks of the Ferry pier. You may not have time for a full meal, but a snack and a glass of wine are within reach and all the listed choices are good.
– Choice 2: If it's after 3:30 PM, turn right as you leave the Ferry and go to Wellington's Wine Bar. They have the good fortune (or the cunning!) to be situated next to a chef's school, so their small plates are delicious. Their love and knowledge of wine runs deep, and the sofas and tables are an engaging place to sit, sip and talk at the edge of the Bay.
Sense of Touch: The Shops of Sausalito
– Choice 1: Virtually all the downtown shops are near the Ferry, right along Bridgeway. Take the same path as Choice 3 under "Sight" above, but when you run out of shops and walk back allow time to go one block farther north of the Ferry to pick up a few more great places.
– Choice 2: Allow extra time to go one block up Princess St., the cross street in the middle of Downtown Sausalito, and check out the shops, which are a little less tourist-focused than on Bridgeway itself. Check out gift shop Out of Hand, which features the work of local artists.
Senses of Sound and Smell: The Feel of Sausalito
– Choice 1: After some debate, the Editors here agreed that the sound of the Bay washing against the rocks and the (usually clean) smell of the Bay are what we think of as home. Follow the same path listed above as Choice 3 under "Sight" and soon you'll be walking along the shore.
– Choice 2: For a brief tour of the Sausalito that is designed for local residents instead of for visitors, walk north towards Caledonia St. and window shop. You'll find all the usual features of small town America, done Sausalito style. Here's a map to lead you there, and be sure to check out unique gift shop Pinestreet Papery.
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Hey, next time you'll be able to stay longer. As you'd expect from a place called "Our Sausalito," we predict you'll be back!
