Marin Made: Tomales Bay

When Ian and I got married two years ago today we decided to postpone our full honeymoon and partake in a mini-moon instead.  Little did we know at the time that this would create a mini-tradition of local adventures. For our mini-moon we drove to Mendocino and then down the coast to Pismo Beach staying in bed and breakfasts along the way.  We followed this up a year later for another mini-vacation in Tomales Bay for our one year anniversary. 

[The View from Nicolina]

[Inside Nicolina and Sierra through the peephole]

Despite Tomales only being an hour from home it feels like you are a lifetime away.  We stayed at Nick's Cove which is located in Marshall and is situated right on the bay.  We rented Nicolina which is a tiny cottage complete with fireplace and deck made from a 1930's vessel. We rarely left our little oasis where we consumed wine and local cheeses along with BBQ oysters.  The best part is that they allow dogs so we brought Sierra along to celebrate!

[Cowgirl Cheeses and Local Wine]

[Bloody Mary's and BBQ Oysters]

This year we are headed down to Pescadero for our mini-vacation to stay at Costanoa Lodge so stay tuned for another recap coming soon.

Marin Made: Beautiful Belvedere Island

Growing up on an island isn't for everyone and as a kid I strongly believed it wasn't for me.  Belvedere has less than 1000 houses and most of them don't have kids. I spent most of my younger years finding ways to get off the island and luckily for me Belvedere has long been connected to land.  No restaurants or stores are allowed on Belvedere Island, however, downtown Tiburon is within walking distance and the ferry provides daily access to San Francisco, Sausalito, and Angel Island. 




Like most things about Marin, Belvedere grew on me with time and it is now one of my favorite places to visit.  If you haven't been I highly recommend taking a walk around the island and admiring the 360 degree views.  Be sure to check out the Lava House which has long been abandoned and adds an unexpected element to this otherwise quiet and kidless island.

Marin Made: The Truth about Terra Linda

Growing up in Southern Marin I didn't give much thought to what Northern Marin or even Central Marin might have to offer. I had only visited Terra Linda to shop at the Northgate Mall, which left a lot to be desired at the time. I never stopped to admire the rolling hills or even realized that hiking trails existed in Marin outside of Mount Tam.  It wasn't until my husband and I started our Marin housing search last Fall that we began to fall in love with Terra Linda.

Located 14 miles North of San Francisco and directly across the freeway from the Marin Civic Center, Terra Linda is surrounded by undeveloped hillsides and within walking distance to my favorite weekend past time, the Marin Farmer's Market.  It is also home to the largest Eichler development in the country and we recently purchased one of these original mid century homes in need of some major TLC.

A lot has changed in the past decade, most notably my knowledge of this town of 10,000 residents. Now I can be found frequenting a number of locally owned and operated businesses, hiking the rolling hills, or even shopping at the recently renovated Northgate Mall.

10 Things to Love about Terra Linda:
Marin Farmer's Market - Thursday and Sundays at the Marin Civic Center
Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Divide - Marin County open space and hiking trails
The Weather - warm summer nights feel great after spending 5 years in foggy SF
Scotty's Market - Family owned and operated since 1957
Embrace Yoga Marin - modern yoga studio nestled in the rolling hills
Three Twin's Ice Cream - the original home of Three Twins Organic ice cream
Lococo's Pizzeria - family run Pizzeria since 1971
Peet's Coffee - the only decent coffee shop in Terra Linda (in my opinion)
Panchitos Mexican Restaurant - Mexican foodsince 1979
Weezy's Grass Fed Shed - Organic bite size burgers featuring grass fed beef and veggie options

Marin Made: In Love with Marin

I have had a love affair with Marin County long before I ever realized it.  As a kid I loathed the quiet streets and lack of cul-de-sacs.  The long distances between all of my friends made Marin logistically difficult as a teenager and weekends spent in parking lots made it feel like the most boring place on earth. I vowed to someday move as far away as possible and imagined never looking back. 

It wasn't until I moved 3000 miles away for college that I slowly begun to realize what Marin really had to offer.  I instantly missed the waterfront views, windy roads, and daily fog I had taken for granted for so many years. I finally appreciated the lack of cul-de-sacs and the fact that no two houses really looked alike. I even longed for the quiet streets and small town feel I thought was so boring just a few months prior. 

Moving away suddenly seemed like the biggest mistake I could've made and I spent the next decade plotting my return. It would take 10 years and what felt like a lifetime of unknowns before I became a Marin County resident once again and I couldn't be happier to once again call this beautiful place my home.  This time I moved to Marin with a husband and dog in tow and we actually have a home to call all our own.  We are knee deep in remodeling while relearning everything Marin has to offer and as I learned a decade ago this place is nothing to take for granted.

Marin Made: Hello Barberry Lane.

After saying goodbye to San Francisco and bouncing back and forth between our parents homes for a few months we couldn't have been more excited to call Barberry Lane our own.

This 1956 Eichler is one of 11,000 homes built by developer Joseph Eichler between 1950 and 1974.  It features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Luan mahogany walls, post-and-beam construction, and a concrete slab foundation.  It came with the original building plans and permits along with a laundry list of necessary updates.  Eichler's have a bit of a reputation in the housing market and while people love the modern architecture of these homes, they are also known to come with quite a few logistical obstacles.

The listing described Barberry Lane as a mid-century modern Eichler home with an amazing yard. Coveted original features intact, just waiting for the right buyer to love and appreciate it to it's fullest.

Despite the outdated interior, the yard truly is amazing and fortunately it was enough to convince my husband, Ian, to give this house a chance.  I, on the other hand, was drawn to the original features and all of the "potential" this home has.  Together we are the buyers from the listing and we already love and appreciate this home more than we ever thought we could!