A real charmer.

A short ferry trip away from San Francisco’s Financial District, Sausalito has migrated from being a stronghold of shipbuilding to one of high priced real estate, in a couple of generations. You can either take the rather tired ferry or drive across the Golden Gate Bridge heading north, exiting at Alexander Avenue. I opted for the latter, as I wanted to check out the Marin Headlands en route for a day of R&R.

Perhaps Sausalito’s greatest claim to fame is that Fleetwood Mac recorded its best selling album ‘Rumors’ there in 1976, but none of the group has much recall of the location ….

A haven of civility and service, the Inn Above Tide is unreservedly recommended:

Arriving in time for the cocktail hour, my room had a balcony on the bay. The Oakland Bay Bridge is almost lost in the mist on the horizon.

A glance around the privacy wall on the balcony disclosed the main drag at dusk, overlooked by exotic homes:

Scoma’s seafood restaurant has a beautifully situated outlet in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf on the city side; the location of its sister restaurant in Sausalito is no less dramatic:

Dinner at Salito’s a short walk down the main street saw this piping hot pan of Sand Dabs suffused in a sea of barley:

Walking home was a lot of fun:

Evenings are nothing if not restful:

Awoken the next morning by a barking sea lion – nature’s alarm clock – I popped out on the balcony in my PJs to see this:

A bracing morning walk before breakfast affords lots of opportunities for classic pictorialism:

Any number of small cafeterias make for ample breakfast choices:

I opted for Caffe Tutti, a stone’s throw from the hotel, providing a warm and welcoming interior:

The nets put out at night (to keep the sea lions safe, maybe?) were being pulled up as I returned to my room:

You can read more of Sausalito’s history here, and the city is recommended next time you are in need of a spot of R&R.

All but two snapped on the Panny GX7 with the 17mm Zuiko and 45-200mm Panny lenses – a light and capable travel outfit. The exceptions were pictured on the iPhone 5, which was used for the sand dabs and the window at night.