If you're out of the Bay Area and reading this post, it's possible that you've never stumbled upon the earthy beauty of the eclectic little West Marin County coastal community of Bolinas.
Geographically insular, unincorporated Bolinas has no mayor, no town hall, no problem in maintaining its reclusive, bohemian reputation at the storied lands end of narrow, deer-grazed, unmarked country roads.
Just under 700 households of rustic, hand built homes and hidden retreats of a motley array of coastal natives, past and present poets, surfers, artists, writers, chefs, designers, musicians, activists, environmentalists and film makers (some more famous than others), Bolinas is described by the New York Times as 'the Howard Hughes of towns'.
Get the picture? Visitors who do succeed in figuring out its signless whereabouts en-route from Stinson Beach to the south to neighboring Point Reyes National Seashore, either take to the place with its natural unruliness or not.
It takes a certain frame of mind to appreciate Bolinas, its spirit and sense of place and now's the season to best enter the kicked-back zone that sucks in the willing passersby and forces them to slow down and watch for the waves.
Out and about at the weekend we stopped by 2 Mile Surf Shop (advertising 522 steps to the beach!) to check out Bolinas' best in longboarding and beginning surf lessons, camps and rentals. After a balmy day of board swaps and bbq, fellow Petaluman and one of 2 Mile Surf Shop's partners, retired Marine Biologist and Environmental Protection Scientist Drew Reinstein was leisurely shutting up shop for a moonlight surfing after-closing session with the pros.
Dudes in sun-bleached cotton Hawaiian shirts made the most of the last of the grill as the final few day trippers strolled back with rental gear. Back at the beach playful seals popped up from the surf.
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