One of my favorite nearby drives takes us through West Sonoma County’ s bucolic dairy farm country, to the very small town of Marshall for some oysters and on to a great picnic at Dillon Beach.
The day trip I suggest takes you first to the small town of Pt Reyes Station for a stop at Cowgirl Creamery, on to Marshall for Oysters or a cold beverage at Hog Island Oyster company or Nick’s Cove, and then on to Dillon Beach, just west of the town of Tomales. You can just make this a “drive only” and enjoy the couple hours round trip, making no stops and just enjoying the scenery. But my favorite option is to pick up several dozen raw oysters at Hog Island and take them to Dillon Beach for raw oyster shucking and oysters on the BBQ using the Hog Island Oyster Company’s recipe, which is a Brown sugar, Bourbon, garlic, Chipotle butter. Yes, I just said all those things. Together. On an Oyster. Grilled till it’s bubbling. So what the heck are you waiting for?
The Road to Take: There are a number of routes you can go, and all these roads of West Sonoma are fantastic for exploration. But Here’s a great option for about an hour’s drive to Dillon Beach, with stops along the way. Out of San Rafael on Hwy 101, take the Lucas Valley Road exit and head west toward Pt. Reyes Station. along the way to Pt. Reyes, you will pass through Nicasiao and the Nicasio Reservoir area. This is a nice winding road that is often shared by bicyclists. Along the way, you might even notice the front gate of the home of George Lucas (the Road and valley were named before he moved there). Turn left when you get to Pt Reyes Station – Pelatuma Road and head into Pt Reyes Station where the road intersects with Hwy 1. You’ll detour a tad to your left to get into town, but after your stop, you will head up North on Shoreline Hwy 1.
If you want to skip Pt Reyes and some cheese, just turn right on Hwy 1 and head North towards Marshall. the road winds long Tomales Bay and gets you to Marshall, where you’ll find etc Hog Island Oyster Company and Nick’s Cove. Both are great eating options. Call first to find out if you can get a table. If you’re like me, you just stop and buy a bag of 5 dozen small oysters, stick them in my cooler, and head to Dillon Beach. Check this link for a map:
https://goo.gl/maps/abMuZfroVkYsbxpU7
Below is a video of some of the roads in the area, from a group drive I’ve gone on each year for a while. The drive along the Bay and through farm country will energize you and you’ll feel a thousand miles away from the bustle of the City. (BTW, if you’re wondering about the camera work inside my car, I used a Rylo 360 camera that records everything around me. There is nobody in the car working the camera).
What to see: Enjoy the drive out Lucas Valley Rd and take a stop in Pt Reyes Station at the Cowgirl Creamery store. Pick up some cheese and crackers for your beach day, or just take it home for later! If you’ve enjoyed their great artisan, organic cheeses, you’ll love this stop. Pt Reyes is where their original barn location sits.
Where to Eat: Once you’ve left Pt Reyes Station and gotten to Marshall, you can stop (when they’re open) for a cold drink and some good company hanging out at the cool little restaurant/bar “The Boat” at Hog Island Oyster Company. You can get a cheese plate or a dozen oysters, raw or BQ style. The other option is to continue on to Nick’s Cove and get the Clam Chowder and some oysters (seeing the theme here? Oysters are the thing on Tomalas Bay).
Nick’s Cove also has a cool pier you can walk out onto and they have a “Boat Shack” the end of the pier where you can have a drink. They even do weddings, if you’re feeling amorous. As I said above, I’m more inclined to buy several dozen oysters at Hog Island to go (pick up a shucking knife, too, if you don’t have one). If you want the recipe, click here to see the BBQ oyster recipe Hog Island’s website:
More to see: Continue on up Highway 1 about 15-20 minutes to the town of Tomales, and then turn left onto Dillon Beach Road. Another few miles along the winding dairy country road will bring to you to Dillon Beach. There is an entry fee of about $10, so bring some cash. I’d also suggest bringing a small kettle BBQ. The beach does allow fires and has fire rings, so you can also just bring some charcoal and a large grill grate. There are picnic tables so you can set up a spot to shuck your overs and eat them raw (I suggest a classic mignonette sauce or a cocktail sauce laced with creamy horseradish). Shucking your oysters is at first a challenge, but once you’ve learned the trick, they’re pretty easy (it’s all about finding a good starting spot and using a twist motion… you can find lessons online!). Bring some friends, it’s a good time.
The Road Home: I suggest a different route home, my favorite being to take Tomales-Petaluma Rd out of the town of Tomales, turn right (South) on Chileno Valley Rd, right on Wilson Hill, and eventually to Novato Blvd into Novato and back to Hwy 101. It is about an hour back to Hwy 101 and the road is relaxing, little-used, and very scenic.
https://goo.gl/maps/TfguUYXZYLZmEgvEA
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