The ferry ride from San Francisco to Sausalito is one eye-catching experience. It's even been rated the second best boat trip in the world by the Society of American Travel Writers. Perhaps it's the San Francisco skyline or the 1.2 miles of Golden Gate suspended high to the right. Maybe it's the desolate rock looming ahead, otherwise known as Alcatraz, or the historichouseboats and hillside homes which decorate the Sausalito shoreline. Whatever your favorite sight may be this six-mile skip across the bay is an enjoyable journey.
A quaint and intimate town in Marin County, Sausalito served as a distant oasis for bootleggers during the Prohibition Era. Its geographic positioning, waterways and societal...
The ferry ride from San Francisco to Sausalito is one eye-catching experience. It's even been rated the second best boat trip in the world by the Society of American Travel Writers. Perhaps it's the San Francisco skyline or the 1.2 miles of Golden Gate suspended high to the right. Maybe it's the desolate rock looming ahead, otherwise known as Alcatraz, or the historichouseboats and hillside homes which decorate the Sausalito shoreline. Whatever your favorite sight may be this six-mile skip across the bay is an enjoyable journey.
A quaint and intimate town in Marin County, Sausalito served as a distant oasis for bootleggers during the Prohibition Era. Its geographic positioning, waterways and societal culture was a perfect match for the lawless activity of the 1920s. American mobster George ‘Baby Face’ Nelson was once a neighborhood resident and rumored fan of the Hotel Sausalito. At El Portal and Bridgeway Street, the hotel doors are still open for business.
Thriving shipyards occupied the waters of Richardson Bay during WWII but were eventually abandoned. Making use of the empty space, San Francisco's beatniks and hippies flooded the vacant shipyards throughout the 50s and 60s. Writers, musicians and artists built homes aboard deserted boats, ferries and barges˜thus, Sausalito's original houseboat community was born. Today, historic relics of the early days wade beside floating homes of various shapes, sizes, values and luxuries. Explore Sausalito’s eclectic seaside community at the Annual Floating Homes Tour. In fact, Otis Redding’s “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” was written right here.
Sausalito's vibrant and diverse culture attracts young professionals, retirees and empty-nesters. It offers everything from vintage estates to contemporary condos. Hilltop balconies, terraces and rooftops provide incredible views of San Francisco, Richardson Bay and Angel Island. Property sizes tend to be smaller in Sausalito due to its vertical nature. Old Town Sausalito, New Town and The Hill neighborhoods feature everything from Queen Anne Victorians, Craftsman houses, Italianate villas, ranch-style bungalows and brown-shingled exteriors. Here you’ll find a blend of yesterday’s charm and today’s amenities.
Recreation and leisure are important components to the Sausalito lifestyle. The fun is year-round with activities like the Jazz and Blues by the Bay, Sausalito Art Festival, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Annual Chili Cook-Off and Farmer’s Market. Parks and playgrounds are a bit sparse, but the century-old Fort Baker is close by with 355 acres to explore. The fort’s Cavallo Point offers historic and contemporary lodging which great for family vacations and weekend getaways. It’s also the venue of the Sausalito Film Festival ˜ celebrating the area’s creative inspirations as well as the philosophers, artists, writers, Hollywood icons and rock legends who’ve passed through. Some of Billboard’s hottest hits were recorded on the north side of town at the Plant Studio. Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, Mariah Carey, Santana, Beyonce and Lady Gaga have passed through its doors!
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