Marin Magazine January 2006 by 270 Media

MARI N E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

L I V I N G

JANUARY 2006

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CONTENTS

Features 78 life

Married in Marin

Four beautiful and unique weddings in Marin County. story kendra smith

home design Green on the Bay What was intended as a simple remodel turns a Corte Madera waterfront cottage into an eco-friendly modern home.

PH OTO: JAY KELLY

story p.j. bremier photos barbara ries

92 think

It’s Our Fault

Taking a close look at the San Andreas Fault. story & photos tim porter

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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CONTENTS

Departments 40

letters

at-a-glance

snap

fashion

Readers respond to Marin Magazine.

Hot tips day by day in the Bay Area.

Out and about, in and around Marin. by mimi towle

Wedding Accesories by samantha schoech Life Style Mill Valley’s Jennifer Fitzgerald shares thoughts on fashion.

45 fyi Travel Destination Weddings by mimi towle Performing Arts A look at local circus performances. Home Getting organized for the new year. Books Hungry Planet: new title by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio.

play

wine country

Tae kwon do beneﬁts all ages. by mimi towle

Life beyond wine and food in Napa Valley. by katherine martin

Big Sur—a place to be. by samantha schoech

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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121

CONTENTS

101 118

Departments 62

looking back

101

galleries

113

flavor

121

microclimate

130

A tale of two historic bars in West Marin. by jim wood

Local galleries highlight art to bring in the new year. by anne crump ray

Three Italian restaurants are explored. by rachel & david michael cane

Fairfax—the ultimate Marin County town for fun. by jim wood

dialogue Catching up with Marin author Cyra McFadden. by samantha schoech

Columns The Cover Parasol, acrylic on panel, by Petaluma artist Philip Michelson. His work can be

view from mount tam

pov

rambling

117

family

The creators of Marin Magazine welcome you to share their vision.

West Marin: a treasure to be enjoyed and supported. by jim wood

seen at Edith Caldwell Gallery in Sausalito or at www.edithcaldwell.com.

Hiking suggestions from the expert. by barry spitz

Taking time to discuss plans and resolutions. by dr. denver coleman

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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STYLE • NEW DESIGN • INTIMATE • CAPTIVATING • PANORAMIC VIEWS • UNPARALLELED

Editorial editorial director Nikki Wood ext 105 nwood@marinmagazine.com

executive editor Jim Wood ext 106 jwood@marinmagazine.com

associate editors Mimi Towle ext 101 mtowle@marinmagazine.com Samantha Schoech ext 116 sams@marinmagazine.com

editor-at-large Tim Porter tim@timporter.com

There are hundreds of hotels around the bay, but only one directly on it.

editorial assistant Michal Lev-Ram editorial@marinmagazine.com

copy editor/proofreader Cynthia Rubin

editorial contributors Rachel & David Michael Cane Denver Coleman, Ph.D., Susan Kostrzewa Katherine Martin, Kendra Smith, Anne Crump Ray Jordan E. Rosenfeld, Barry Spitz

Art art director Trpti Todd ext 112 ttodd@marinmagazine.com

production manager Karyn Kraft ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

production artist Marc Moore ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

contributing photographers

30 El Portal Sausalito, California 94965 Ph: 415.332.9535 Fax 415.332.6714 www.innabovetide.com

Drew Altizer, Sean Arbabi, Ben Davidson Charlotte Fiorito, Tom Gibbons, Sasha Gulish Dinno Kovic, Jean Larette, Kristen Loken Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries Patty Spinks, Theresa Vargo Marin Magazine One Harbor Dr, Ste 208 Sausalito, CA 94965 phone: 415.332.4800 fax: 415.332.3048 email: editorial@marinmagazine.com web address: www.marinmagazine.com

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publisher Lisa Shanower 415.332.4800 ext 107 lshanower@marinmagazine.com

Advertising advertising director Courtney Q. Roberts 415.332.4800 ext 108 croberts@marinmagazine.com

account manager Lisa Wolford 415.332.4800 ext 110 lwolford@marinmagazine.com

account executive Genevieve Luckel 415.332.4800 ext 109 gluckel@marinmagazine.com

regional sales offices california media marin associates Lora Dinga 415.898.6400

hawaii media matters Kay Hampton 808.395.0088

midwest/detroit murphy media group Daniel P. Murphy/David Tapia 312.857.1200

advertising art director Karyn Kraft ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

Administration controller Jill Harmston ext 104 jharmston@marinmagazine.com Volume 2, Issue 1. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2006. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine LLC. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed bimonthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Subscription rates are $36 per year. Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Sausalito, CA 94965. Phone 415.332.4800, fax 415.332.3048, email editorial@marinmagazine.com, website www. marinmagazine.com.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Follow me home

to the Islands of Hawai‘i.

Only one airline is Hawaiian. Our island-style cuisine, hospitality and entertainment travels across the Pacific daily non-stop from San Francisco and now San Jose. Come home with us. You can book flights at our lowest fares online.

HawaiianAirlines.com H A W A I I S TA R T S H E R E

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V I E W F R O M M O U N T TA M

Response and Responsibility ning on tying the knot in the near future. The First Annual Wedding Resource Guide, with information compiled by our editorial staff, is a special insert in this issue. This guide covers topics from apparel to venues and provides a list of the best available options in all categories. For those of you who obtain Marin Magazine via newsstand, go to our website (marinmagazine.com) for the online version. Starting on page 78, contributor Kendra Smith continues the wedding theme as she profiles four Marin couples who were willing to share details of their nuptial experiences. Editor-at-large Tim Porter shifts gears with his report on the San Andreas Fault (page 92), and Marin contributor P. J. Bremier takes us on a tour of a newly built green home on the bay in Corte Madera (page 86). Other stories include a Mill Valley mom going for her

part, readers are happy to have us publishing

Marin Magazine is the immediate

With the response comes a serious

penings (page 70); Looking Back discovers

response we get from the community. Each

response-ibility on our part—to continue to of-

Marin’s oldest bars on page 62; our Dialogue

monthly issue is mailed all at once and read-

fer quality editorial and to provide the commu-

on page 130 features Cyra McFadden of Serial

ers receive the magazine at the same time in

nity with a worthwhile resource that covers all

book and movie fame; and Dr. Denver brings

a relatively defined area. We know when dif-

topics and interests relative to Marin County

in the New Year with family-style resolutions

ferent towns have gotten delivery by the calls,

living. We recognize the diversity in our read-

on page 117.

emails, and letters we receive on a given day.

ership and realize that we also have a responsi-

As always, our wish is for your good read-

Mostly the responses have been extremely pos-

bility to deliver stories that appeal to all Marin

ing. Enjoy Marin Magazine as we continue to

itive. People tell us the magazine is “a reflec-

Magazine readers. In this particular issue our

celebrate this extraordinary place!

tion of this amazing place” and that “it gives

subjects range from the joy of planning a wed-

us a sense of pride in our community.” Every

ding to the frightening reality of earthquakes.

once in a while we hear a complaint like “your

We are pleased to share with our readers

magazine is too upscale,” but for the most

the very best resource for those who are plan-

black belt in tae kwon do (page 66); Katherine

rewarding aspects of publishing

the magazine for and in their community.

Martin’s update on winter Wine Country hap-

Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

NE OF THE MOST enjoyable and

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Andrew Grossman Direct: 415-342-9995 Email: andy.grossman@ncmc.com

“The ATeam” Simplify the process. Experience

Integrity

Efficiency

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LETTERS

Readers Respond

Last month, while in Marin

In the December issue of Marin Magazine, Jim Wood

MARI N E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

L I V I N G

County, I bought a copy of Marin Magazine simply be-

asks, “Will Marin become elit-

cause I loved the cover. I

ist, conforming...and congest-

didn’t get to meet the artist

ed?” Will it? One need not

Jeff Faust of Sausalito, nor did

look much further than the

I go and see more of his work

pages of your magazine for

at Gallery Bergelli in Larkspur.

the answer: advertisements

I did go online to see his oth-

for Marquis Jet, Cartier diamonds, Faberge egg necklac-

OCT/NOV 2005

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es. And then there’s your feature on second

er paintings. His work is stun9/13/05 2:47:21 PM

ning. I especially love the

clouds. I look at it every day. Thank you.

homes. Second homes?? That’s a little insult-

Jill Potter, via email

ing to those of us for whom one home is a pie-in-the-sky idea. I realize that your maga-

Corrections: Jim Wood’s POV column mis-

zine caters to a certain demographic, but such

stated the date when the San Clemente Family

talk about Marin needing to do better by its

Apartments, an affordable housing project in

less affluent folk, its “critical workforce,” by

Corte Madera, will be open. They are sched-

providing more affordable housing, in a mag-

uled to open by summer of 2006.

azine that does little to invite such an audi-

Juliana Collezione fashion consultants are all women like yourself; with taste,style and integrity. We are offering you an opportunity to profit financially from your networking ability. Our collections address all customers’ lifestyle needs. From career suitings to casual sportswear and special occasion dressing, we have it all. Our apparel is only available through our fashion consultants. We now have openings for managers and fashion consultants who want to work from the security of their own homes, with little investment and flexible hours. Juliana Collezione limits the number of its consultants so that each can maximize their financial opportunities while enjoying the chance to dress clients in the finest of fabrics and most elegant fashions.

ence, strikes me as, well, elitist, conforming

Thanks to Marin Magazine for the fine story,

Kornblum and Katie Jarman were cochairs of

BUILD A FASHION EMPIRE RIGHT FROM YOUR OWN HOME

“Angel Island Anecdotes” (Dec. 2005, page 80).

the event.

1.800.535.0214 www.julianaonline.com

and congested. A. Novesky, via email

Younger readers may not connect with this sentiment, but I look forward to receiving Marin Magazine the way I once anticipated the Saturday Evening Post’s arrival. It made me feel good to be alive and part of the human race. These days, that’s quite an accomplishment. But so far, Marin Magazine is doing just that.

In Snap Happenings’ coverage of San

You combine social news (not of great inter-

Francisco’s Opera Ball (Dec., 2005, page 33),

est to me) with intelligent and useful articles

Guy and Victoria Kornblum were mistakenly

about life in Marin County (which to me is

identified as Claude and Katie Jarman. To cor-

very beneficial). Congratulations are in order.

rect this error see above photo: Pictured from

Chuck Taylor, Tiburon

left are Guy and Victoria Kornblum, and Katie and Claude Jarman. Also of note: Victoria

I’m pleased that the Angel Island Association and the island itself have reached your audi-

Letters to the editor may be edited for clar-

ence. Marin is a class act.

ity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine,

Skip Henderson, executive director

One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA,

Angel Island Association

94965 or email to jwood@marinmagazine.com

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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YOU’VE BEEN ADMIRED FOR YOUR GREAT SENSE OF STYLE,

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NOW BE ADMIRED FOR YOUR GREAT SENSE OF BUSINESS

11/23/05 3:08:27 PM

POV

Think Marin—all of it Planning a getaway? Or want great eats? Stay local was in Point Reyes Books recently, behind a customer

Point Reyes Lighthouse. With the lenses and mechanism

who wanted three books about West Marin shipped

constructed in France, then shipped around Cape Horn

to St. Louis. “For a relative?” asked store owner Steve

and mated with a cast-iron tower built in San Francisco,

Costa, making conversation as he packaged the items.

the Point Reyes Lighthouse first beamed its light out to

“No, they’re for me—that’s where we live,” she re-

sea on December 1, 1870. The drive out there is long,

plied, nodding toward her husband. “We’re returning

but spectacular. I passed through four active ranches,

from China and always stop in West Marin.”

each dating back to the 1800s. With the road’s twists and

Intrigued, I asked her, “Returning from China? Why a stop in West Marin?”

turns allowing views of azure inlets and grazing cattle, you could be in Ireland, Wales, or… West Marin.

“It’s our favorite place in the world,” she answered.

While this issue of Marin Magazine reports on the

“Do people living nearby realize how rare and lovely this

venerable Smiley’s Saloon in Bolinas and the William Tell

area is?”

House in Tomales (page 62), an article last month high-

I began wrestling with that question. While 80 per-

lighted, among others, Manka’s Inverness Lodge, Olema’s

cent of the county’s land is generally described as West

Druids Hall, and clever shops like Epicenter, Vita Collage,

Marin, only a small percentage of Marin’s population, 6

Spirit Matters, and Toby’s Feed Barn. With plenty of op-

“Do people

percent at most—lives in that area. Then came a seat-

tions for hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and

living nearby

of-the-pants observation: An overwhelming amount of

beachcombing, and the ever-changing weather, there’s

Marin’s wealth lies outside of West Marin. All of which

obviously much more to the region.

realize how rare

prompted a second question: Are Marin’s moneyed resi-

Examples: The tiny Marshall Store on Highway 1

and lovely this

dents doing the best they can to support West Marin, the

serves up the “Planet’s Best Oysters.” Nearby and up

county’s most scenic and productive land?

a steep driveway, Ravensview Cottage looks out over

area is?”

I’m not talking about charity. I’m talking about win-

Tomales Bay and bills itself as “so close and so very far

win arrangements. Instead of only taking getaway trips

away.” A mile north, popular San Francisco restaurateur

to Tahoe or Southern California, are couples from Ross,

Pat Kuleto is planning the restoration of a dining spot

San Anselmo, and Belvedere also spending time at bed-

known as Nick’s Cove and four bayfront cabins to their

and-breakfasts in Inverness or Olema? When buying gro-

1930s allure.

—Pt. Reyes Station visitor from St. Louis

ceries, are we making the extra effort to buy agricultural products from Tomales and Point Reyes? The drive to West Marin can be a trek, but that’s what

rates and appeals. West Marin agriculture consists of

makes the area so special, so able to make you feel away

memorable names like Cowgirl Creamery, Marin French

from it all. And what awaits you? I’ve been fortunate to

Cheese Company, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company,

have traveled the world—Tibet, Patagonia, Mongolia,

Straus Family Dairy, Star Route Farms, McAvoy Olive Oil,

Scotland, and the Burgundy region of France. I’ve spent

Niman Ranch, and wine with labels such as Stubbs, Pey-

time in Aspen, Sun Valley, and Big Sur. West Marin—with

Marin, and Sean Thackrey. If your store doesn’t stock

its dramatic coastlines, pine-covered mountains, rolling

these brands, request that it does.

farmlands, lack of people, and relative accessibility— equals them all. I love the place. Not long ago, I went to the very end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard (emphasis on the very end) to see the

Any Internet search reveals dozens of enticing West Marin inns, from Stinson to Tomales, with a variety of

A worthy 2006 resolution for Marin residents is to enjoy—and in the process support—all that West Marin has to offer. That’s my point of view; what’s yours? Email jwood@marinmagazine.

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

BY JIM WOOD

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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I believe that knowledge is as vast as the ocean. I believe in thinking for myself. I believe in the power of knowing.

R E A L

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V i s i t o u r n e w Ta s t i n g R o o m i n d o w n t o w n H e a l d s b u r g . 2 3 5 H e a l d s b u r g Av e n u e , H e a l d s b u r g , C A . O p e n d a i l y 10 : 3 0 a . m . t o 5 : 3 0 p . m . P h o n e 7 0 7. 4 31. 9 4 0 0

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AT A G L ANCE

JA NUARY JANUARY 9 & 12 Tom Daschle

THRU JANUARY Whale Ho!

Head over the Richmond Bridge for a night of Schubert, Bach, Grieg, and more performed by Julia Fischer at Hertz Hall (Berkeley). 510.642.9988, calperfs.berkeley.edu

Join this three-term senator as he shares his in-depth perspective on our country, its issues, and its future, produced by the Marin Speaker Series (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

Head out to the seashore to look for California gray whales, aka eschrichtius robustus, as these gentle giants head south for warmer waters.

▼

JANUARY 8 Youthful Talent

JANUARY 12–FEB 12 Date Night

Mellow out in West Marin with the next generation of Hawaiian slack key guitarists, Daniel Ho, Keoki Kahumoku, and Herb Otta Jr. (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075

Plan on dinner for two at a Mill Valley restaurant, then go to the Marin Theatre Company to see Killer Joe (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org

▼

JANUARY 13 Hang Loose

Join naturalist Michael Ellis on a Lunar Light Night Hike up Mount Wittenberg for this full moon (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

JANUARY 16 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Honor the life and achievements of the late civil rights leader at the Bay Area’s annual MLK Freedom March and Rally Celebration (SF). norcalmlk.org

JANUARY 19 Playful Pinnipeds! Join the Marine Mammal Center in celebrating the 16th anniversary of the the sea lions’ arrival at Pier 39 (SF). 415.705.5500, pier39.com

▼

JANUARY 14 Full Moon Rising

JANUARY 27–29 Flyway Festival

JANUARY 28 Teach Green

Get your tickets for this year’s Nature Lovers Ball benefiting Wildcare at the Presidio Officer’s Club (SF). 415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org

Celebrate our feathered friends by participating in birding outings and guided treks at this three-day festival on Mare Island (Vallejo). 707.557.9816, sfbayflywayfestival.com ▼

Interested in new ways to support the environment through teaching? Check out the Bay Area Environmental Education Resources Fair at the Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

JANUARY 28 Fluid Motion

Marin’s creeks are teeming with life this time of year. Check out the returning coho salmon at Lagunitas Creek (415.459.5267) or Redwood Creek in Muir Woods (415.388.2595).

▼

Get inspired to dance with Pilobus Dance Theatre, a post modern dance troupe at the Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

THRU JANUARY Spawning Salmon

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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EVE NT S I N M AR IN & B EYO ND

JANUARY 21 Wild Night

11/28/05 2:34:32 PM

S N A P HAPPENINGS

Autumn Parties

John and Gretchen Berggruen

Virginia Clasing and Alfonso de Mariay Campos

’Tis the Season

Roswitha Woolley, Chuck Miller

The New de Young

Peter Coyote

The new privately funded and publicly admired de Young opened this fall to allnight parties and enthusiasm. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, this copper-plated palace of art has drawn its fair share of controversy—but this did not stop the thousands and thousands of patrons from standing in hour-long lines t o wa l k t h e h a l l s a n d ex p e r i e n c e i t for themselves. A black-tie gala kicked off the long-awaited public opening, with lots of sparkle, smiles, and hometown George Saxe art patrons.

Sandra Farris, Richard Goldman

Unmasked?

Hundreds of music lovers recently gathered to celebrate San Francisco Performances’ 26th Season: Swing, Strings, and Song gala event. The party, cochaired by Marin’s Roswitha Goeppert-Woolley, took place at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and featured performances by the Alexander String Quartet, Fred Hersch, the Paula West Trio, and Regina Carter.

Shannon Dolan, Julie Wainwright

Nancy Livingston, Fred Levin

Chris Smith, Ruth Fel

Over 400 costumed guests turned up for this perennial favorite fundraiser: the Mystery Ball, a chance for adults to dress up as their favorite characters. The proceeds beneﬁt the artist-in-residence program at Headlands Center for the Arts.

MASK PHOTO: MARGOT DUANE, RANDAL ALAN SMITH/SF PERFORMANCE PHOTOS: STUART BRININN

Ruth Buchanan, Gavin Newsom, Dede Wilsey, Pierre de Meuron

Nancy Pelosi

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S N A P HAPPENINGS

In Marin and Beyond

Axel Strauss, Noralee Monestere, Alasdair Neale

JoAnn Bowler, Jennifer Finger, Alison Fletcher

Jacyra Rawlins, Syris Falkan, Judd Williams, Anne Bonaparte

Marge Bartolini

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Caroline Boitano

Patrons gathered at the Novato home of Lou and Marge Bartolini to celebrate the 2005 season. Maestro Alasdair Neale was on hand with President of the Board Dr. James Boitano and his wife, Caroline. The season opened with a black tie gala in October, has welcomed guest artists such as pianist Jeffrey Kahane and violinist Axel Strauss, and will be featuring timpanist, Tyler Mack, violinist Leila Josefowicz, and pianist Melvin Chen in the months ahead. For more information on performances contact Lou Bartolini marinsymphony.org.

MARIN SYMPHONY LUNCHEON PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

Marin Symphony

11/27/05 2:33:31 PM

11/28/05 11:22:07 AM

Raising Funds for NCCC

NCCC P H OTO : ANGIE SILVY

Hillary Newsom Callan, Geoff Callan

The PlumpJack Group and Octagon recently hosted a fundraiser at MatrixFillmore for the Northern California Cancer Center featuring 49er bartenders. While mingling and helping to raise money for cancer research, guests were entertained with music, drinks, and autographs as players like Kevan Barlow, Jeremy Newberry, and Keith Lewis tended the bar.

For the Family Over 300 Marin folks gathered at a private estate in Ross for SPELLBOUND, Family Service Agency of Marin’s 60th anniversary gala. They raised $100,000 Margaret Hallett for FSA’s programs helping vulnerable Marin children, adults, and families, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, childhood trauma services, and crisis intervention. The event was cochaired by Dave Green, board president, Margaret Hallett, executive director, and Marianne Gabelman, development director. Food and wine were provided by Chalet Basque, Comforts, Sorella’s, WildFox, and Whole Foods, and dinner by Sage Catering in San Rafael.

Joycelyn Calvin White, Marianne Gabelman

Merry Alberigi

Tom and Bette Foley

Be a Guest at your own Wedding Creative

Occasions

Parties • Weddings • Special Events Phone 415-897-9939

Fax 415-898-9822

www.creative-occasions.com SYLVIA’S PHOTOGRAPHY

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S N A P BUSINESS

Marin Cuisine Piatti Locali kicked off its farm dinner series last fall, featuring produce and other treats from local farms, ranchers and winemakers. Executive chef Lissa Kane creatKathy Burke, Danny Farr, Lissa Kane, Bob Burke ed a tasty multi– course meal using fresh ingredients from Bolinas-based Star Route Farms, like dinosaur kale and cranberry beans, as well as artisan meats from Niman Ranch. Jonathan Fabio of Bonterra wine served up a delectable sangiovese, chardonnay, syrah, and roussane as well as an informative talk on organic wine making. This is an Jonathan Fabio ongoing event featuring local farmers.

From the Prince to Poggio

Umberto Gibin, Susan and Jonathan Pey, Leslie Harlib, Larry Mindel

After having their wine served to Prince Charles, Jonathan and Susan Pey were happy to pour for locals at Sausalito’s Poggio Restaurant . Poggio’s executive chef, Chris Fernandez, paired their Marin-grown Mt. Tamalpais merlot and Pey-Marin “Trois Filles” pinot noir with a delicious duck salad, white truffle cannelloni, and veal. Sorry you missed it? Don’t worry, it will happen again this spring.

Royal Tour West Marin welcomed Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to tour and sample the county’s bounty of organic goods. They lunched at Warren Weber’s Star Route Farms, discussed microbes with Dennis Dierks, wandered through the farmers market, and dined at Manka’s. If you ask Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery, she’d say they came for the cheese. All in all, executive director of Marin Organic, Helge Hellberg says of the experience: “The visit contributed enormously to the growing awareness of the importance of local and organic agriculture Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall around the world.”

I Dream of Cake L a s t O c t o b e r, Shinmin Li celebrated the opening of her “cake boutique” in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood with an open house and tasting. Li, an artist with a culinary b a c kg r o u n d , d e signs and creates cakes in any shape —a purse, a shoe, a bottle of wine. Her recently opened space on Grant Shinmin Li Avenue serves as a cake gallery and kitchen where clientele can check out various cake models and sample flavors by appointment.

ROYAL TOUR PHOTO: RUSS EDDY/POGGIO PHOTO: PETER TOWLE

Farm Fresh

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S N A P BUSINESS

Pretty Party People Juice Beauty

Christine Powell, Karen Behnke

Allison Hastings, Christine Gaudenzi

The ladies of the Marin-based organic skin-care line Juice Beauty, including founder Christin Powell and CEO Karen Behnke, recently partnered with Spa Vitale to host an evening of treatments and organic fare at San Francisco’s Hotel Vitale. Guests enjoyed penthouse views and were treated to complimentary minifacials and hand massages with Juice Beauty products, which Spa Vitale will now feature.

Valerie Sarnin-Andre, Melissa Jochim

Nancy Evans, Zinaida

Kelly Mc Peak, Dierdre Julian

N o, i t’s t h e Fl y i n g Beauticians Satellite Lounge, which has landed in the “pretty triangle” of Mill Valley at 18 East B l i t h e d a l e. O ve r 2 0 0 locals welcomed the mother–daughter team of Polina Gerado and Nona Daron. Daron lives in Mill Valley and has been running the Flying Beauticians in San Francisco’s Union Square location for more than a decade. They offer the works: from facials, pedicures, and manicures to their signature service—waxing.

Margie Simestad, Michelle McGee, Toni Piccinini Jennifer Salow, Nona Daron, Stephanie Canall

Polina Gerado

Michelle McGee celebrated the grand opening of her new spa in San Anselmo, proving that the Bay Area’s love affair with spas is still going strong. Marinites showed up for a day of activities aiming to teach clients about holistic skin care and beauty from the inside out, including a presentation on the beneﬁts of Manual Lymph Drainage, McGee’s signature skin care offering.

JUICE BEAUTY PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY/MCGEE PHOTOS: BROOKE MCCORMICK

Michelle McGee Beauty

A Bird? A Plane?

Christina Friedman, Tina Field

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S N A P COMMUNI T Y

The Heart of Marin

John and Susan Blackstone

Rick Hayes, Devin Dixon

The new Ralston White Retreat Foundation hosted a cocktail party last fall to celebrate the future of this historic 43-acre property in Mill Valley. The purpose of the foundation is to restore the 1913 Willis Polk–designed mansion and well-loved retreat venue and rededicate it to the public. Members of the Ralston White family were on hand to give tours and share their memories of Ralston and Ruth Bowie-White. ralstonwhiteretreatfoundation.org

Leslie and Walter Hopper

MAGC’s Earth-friendly Fair

Wendy Krupnick, Kate Frey

Over 200 attendees gathered at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross to take part in the ﬁrst annual Earth-Friendly Gardening Fair. Green-thumbed participants enjoyed lectures, panel discussions, and advice and demonstrations on native plants, waterwise planting, and habitat gardening for animals and birds. Keynote speakers included sustainable agricultural specialist Wendy Krupnick and landscape manager Kate Frey.

A Boy in Need

Marin’s Iron Athletes

Reflecting the benevolence of a caring community, Craig Swanson spearheaded a fundraiser last fall to benefit an adoption fund for nine-year old Vanya, a Russian boy who came to the United States in 2003 for reconstructive surgery. Vanya is Craig Swanson thriving in his foster home in Lucas Valley, yet needs to find a new home so he can stay in the Bay Area. Lucas Valley Community Church and Novato Sunrise Rotary, along with Swanson, matched the donations made that night. For more information go to afamilyforvanya.com.

A handful of hardcore Marin athletes braved the intense heat and competition of the infamously grueling Iron Man Triathlon on the Big Island of Hawaii this fall. A few highlights include Rich Clark of Tiburon, who took Kathy Winkler, Duane Franks first place in his age group again this year, as well as Chris Hauth, Dirk Vilets, and Jeri Howland of Corte Madera, Mike Dhurrie of Inverness, and Mill Valley’s Elias Olson and Kathy Winkler. “Like childbirth, I love the process, love the end result, but the actual event can be a bear,” Winkler said, after finishing fifth place in her age group. Winkler’s Sausalito–based coach Duane Franks, family, and friends (in matching aloha attire) were there to cheer her across the finish line.

MAGC PHOTO: SOPHIE KURNIK/HEARTS OF MARIN PHOTO: DANIELLE ZITOUN /IRON MAN PHOTO: DORETTE SUMMER

The House on the Hill

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FA S H I ON

Sole vase by Richard Ginori, $99 at Gump’s (San Francisco) 415.982.1616. Three-tiered sterling silver centerpiece by Tiffany & Co, $3,150 at Tiffany & Co. (San Francisco) 415.781.7000. Feather comb by Haute Bride, $255 at Haute Bride (San Francisco) 415.923.5900. Flower hairpin by Jennifer Leigh, $21 at Alexandra Bridal Salon (San Francisco) 415.951.0440. Blue topaz necklace by Claudia C, $380 at Jin Wang (San Francisco) 415.397.9111. Sheer gloves by Carolina Amato at Alexandra Bridal Salon. Mother-of-pearl hairpiece/brooch by Regina B, $250 at Jin Wang. Rhinestone-andpearl hairpin by D. Charles, $25 each at Dana Gail Couture (Sausalito) 415.686.1768. Satin shoe with rhinestones by Grace, $110 at Dana Gail Couture. Veil by Jennifer Leigh, $175 at Alexandra Bridal Salon. 1837 stainless ﬂatware by Tiffany & Co., $135 per setting at Tiffany & Co. Linen napkins by Crate & Barrel, $9 each at Crate & Barrel (Corte Madera) 415.924.5412.

finishing touches You have the groom, the site, and the dress. Now all you need is the icing on the cake. We offer a selection of stunning bridal accessories to complete your look. PHOTOS SASHA GULISH EDITOR SAMANTHA SCHOECH

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Cake plate by Shefﬁeld Silver, $95 at Gump’s. Rhinestone sandals by Stuart Weitzman, $245 at Jin Wang. Rhinestone spray hairpin by Haute Bride, $44 at Haute Bride. Antique style handbag by Santi Designs, $155 at Jin Wang. Trinity headband by Thomas Knoel, $410 at Jin Wang. Hair comb by Erica Koestler, $187 at Alexandra Bridal Salon. Organza ﬂower hairpin by Erin Cole, $375 at Haute Bride. Malmaison cup and saucer by Lalique, $100 at Gump’s. Pearl and rhinestone choker by Haute Bride, $264 at Haute Bride.

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FA S H I O N

life style Name Jennifer Fitzgerald Home Mill Valley Occupation Desktop Publisher What are you wearing? A dress I had made by a local dressmaker, Sara Rothan. It’s based on a design by Justina McCaffrey. Kate Spade heels, diamond earrings for my “something borrowed,” my own Mikimoto pearl necklace, a “tulip”-shaped veil handmade in Italy. With some training, I did my own makeup using Paula Dorf products. How long did it take you to find the perfect dress? About three minutes! I was looking through a bridal magazine and saw it under the headline “The Perfect Dress.” I tried to keep my options open and try others, but nothing compared to it. I asked Sara Rothan to re-create a toned-down version of the McCaffrey design. How long did it take you to get ready on your wedding day? I started to get ready with a relaxing lavender bath at 12:30 and was ready for photos by 4 p.m.

What did the groom wear? Todd wore a three-piece, three button black tuxedo with a white collared shirt and a brown and green striped tie. To tone down the formality he wore a regular tie instead of a bow tie and cummerbund. Did you help him pick it out? Yes. We went shopping for a tux and couldn’t ﬁnd one he liked, then one day I was out shopping and found one that was 42

P H OTO: TU PHOTOG RAPHY

What’s your favorite thing about your wedding attire? Besides the dress, the Kate Spade shoes. I loved them so much I wore them the next day to brunch.

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perfect. I bought it since I knew his size and thankfully, he liked it too. Did you have bridesmaids? Yes, ﬁve. What did they wear? They wore very simple, knee-length, A-line dresses that matched the groomsmen’s ties—a rich apple green. Their accessories included sterling silver necklaces with a small bezel set diamond pendant and a matching bracelet, and a kitten heel silver metallic sandal with a small bow across the foot. Everything was very simple since we were trying to portray a comfortable, garden-like setting. Describe your personal style when you’re not in a big white dress. Jeans, tank, and a sweater, or if I am working at home I prefer cozy pajamas by Calvin Klein or Gap. Who are your fashion influences? I am inﬂuenced more by comfort and color. I used to lean toward neutrals exclusively

but lately I am attracted to clothing with vibrant colors—greens, purples, and blues. With the exception of a few key items each season, I am not big on keeping up with trends. Favorite designers? Citizens of Humanity and Splendid make great everyday basics. For dress-up l love Diane von Furstenberg. Where do you love to shop in Marin? I don’t discriminate; I shop everywhere, but my favorites are the local boutiques like Canvas, Allie G, and Viva Diva. What is always in your bag? I never leave home without Beneﬁt’s “Kiss Me” gloss, my favorite KS sunglasses, and a snack. What is the single most essential piece in your wardrobe? My Keen slippers. I wear them every day and with everything. What would you never be caught dead in? A belly-baring top.

What do you splurge on? Everyone who knows me would agree I splurge on purses. My husband is still in shock over the new Marc Jacobs wallet I just bought. What is your best cheapo secret? Marshall’s. I always ﬁnd great buys there. What’s your fashion pet peeve? Stained or soiled clothes. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? A silver Donna Karan knit dress in New York. Did it make you happy? I was happy when I bought it, but I had no reason for getting it and I don’t think I ever wore it. I was only 17 and for my age it was much too extravagant a dress. Was your real wedding dress anything like the one you imagined when you were five? No, I always imagined it would be a sleek duchesse satin dress with a long detachable train. My wedding dress was the complete opposite. —S.S.

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F Y I WEDDINGS The father of the bride announces their arrival at Kauna’oa Bay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel with the traditional conch shell. The wedding may now ofﬁcially begin.

Wedding Wanderlust From Hawaii to Paris—more and more couples have been turning their weddings into destination parties HEN SAUSALITO resident

away beaches and slopes. According to Bud

Brooke Channon and her fiancé,

Carmichael of Destination Weddings Travel

Sean Dee, decided to say “I do,”

(destinationweddings.com), 13 percent of the

they invited friends and family from all over

2.6 million American couples getting married

the country to join them...on a trip. Instead of

for the first time and 60 percent of the second-

staying in town, they decided to get married in

timers opt to tie the knot at their favorite va-

a place they both love to visit: the Mauna Kea

cation spot. This adds up to millions of brides,

Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii.

grooms, flower girls, and wedding guests fly-

W PHOTO: MARK WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MIMI TOWLE

Destination weddings have long been the

ing the friendly skies every year.

domain of the rich and famous, but these

Needless to say, both the wedding and the

days more and more noncelebrity couples

travel industries have taken note. There are

are choosing to exchange vows on exotic far-

websites dedicated to planning the entire affair,

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and most major resort hotels have a wedding coordinator on staff. LaRoma Tomosada, who helped the Channon-Dees plan their event, has been at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for just over nine years. “My business has quadrupled since I first started working here,” she says. And while there are still couples that steal away to Hawaii for an intimate ceremony, she’s also noticed a trend toward larger affairs. “When I first started, it was common for couples to come with a few friends or family members,” she observes. “They would have the ceremony, reception, and possibly a breakfast the next day, but now many invite up to a hundred or more guests and turn it into a weeklong event.” Usually wedding parties will need to book rooms in a few different hotels to accommodate varying budgets. But the Mauna Kea has a sister hotel on the same property with less expensive rates, the Hapuna Prince, so most guests can find a room on site in their price range. Tomosada recommends booking a wedding up to a year in advance to secure a particular date. Planning ahead can help ensure that a desFacials • Massage • Body Polishes & Wraps • Waxing • Natural Face-Lifting

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experience for all, Carmichael says. As a 50year travel industry veteran, he feels it’s crucial to work closely with the couple and their guests to ensure everyone is situated close to the venue and to account for all the nuances of foreign travel: “Using the buying power and experience of a company like ours can save money and headaches for everyone involved.” Lodging is a prime example. There will undoubtedly be guests who want to save money by booking their own rooms. That’s when having one travel agent to coordinate plans can be a godsend, Carmichael says. He’s witnessed many mishaps through the years, ranging from maverick guests staying in an inconvenient location to brides missing flights with no backup plan. Whether it’s from trying to economize or just not being travel savvy, the best-laid plans

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can easily be derailed by not crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. Besides costs, there are legal issues to consider when marrying overseas. France and

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Spain mandate a 30-day residency period before you can legally tie the knot, while in other countries just a few days might be required. (Note: While 48 hours is the standard waiting period, some governments measure that in business-hours rather than calendar days, so it’s best to check.) In Jamaica you can be hitched within 24 hours as long as you’ve sent all your documentation ahead of time. Mexico requires blood tests. To be on the safe side, unless they’ve done their homework and are absolutely sure the vows will be legal back in the States, Carmichael suggests couples marry in a civil ceremony before leaving home. A wish to avoid international logistics is one reason many brides and grooms choose Hawaii as their getaway wedding spot. In 2005, more than 90,000 couples flew across the Pacific to marry under the palms on an island of their choice. As for the party particulars, “my advice to destination brides,” says Brooke Channon, “is to trust in your location. Choose a venue that speaks for itself.” Tomosada, her liaison at the Mauna Kea, agrees. She encourages the brides she works with not to obsess over details like table settings or floral arrangements. After all, when you and your guests are watching a multicolored sunset over the Pacific with a warm tropical breeze gently blowing offshore, who cares if the flowers are white long-stemmed tulips or plumeria? That took some shifting of gears for Brooke, who, as former host of HGTV’s Sensible Chic, is hardwired to care about details. Luckily, “since my stepmother lives on the Big Island, she was

You’re invited to “Celebrations, Commitments, Ceremonies: Getting Married at Gump’s” See our show of tabletop ideas; meet our top florist, photographer, baker and caterer; and view a runway show of wedding gowns presented by Marina Morrison with Grace. Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $20.00 per person includes Champagne and hors d’oeuvres. For reservations and information, please call 415.984.9250.

able to help out, and the Mauna Kea was really helpful in areas that I didn’t have a clue about, like a photographer, transportation, and catering,” she says. She also stresses the importance of sending out save-the-date cards to give guests enough time to schedule vacation time and book travel. And she emailed friends and family the details on shuttle schedules and rehearsal times as soon as they were finalized to make sure all went as smoothly as possible. The planning and communication paid off. “I enjoyed my day from morning till night, without frantic interruption,” she recalls. “And it was fabulous.”

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F Y I PERFORMING ARTS

BY MICHAL LEV-RAM

Walking a Fine Line Peking acrobats carry on a rich and ancient tradition in Marin Center F COULROPHOBIA, otherwise known as a fear of clowns, has been keeping you away from

the big tent, here’s a circus you can finally attend: the Peking Acrobats’ upcoming perfor-

Haven’t had enough juggling? Check

mance at Marin Center. The Chinese troupe uses acts such as balancing bowls on a unicy-

out additional circus performances

cle, building gravity-defying human pyramids, and contortionism—no clowns involved—to entertain audiences.

Acrobatics is no mere circus act in China; it’s part of a rich and ancient folk art tradition, with

going on this month (coulrophobics be warned: these shows do include clowns):

2,000-year-old roots dating back to the Ch’in dynasty. But it wasn’t until the last few decades, fol-

Cor teo by Cirque du Soleil A

lowing economic reforms, that Chinese acrobats were finally able to share their skills with the

clown pictures his own funeral tak-

outside world. The Peking Acrobats have been touring internationally since 1986, under the direction of the Hai family. Their upcoming North American tour will feature 22 performers, including gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists, and tumblers, plus five musicians, who will accompany the show on traditional Chinese instruments. At this January’s performance, Marin audiences can expect to see

ing place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by angels, through January 8 at SBC Park (SF). For more information, call 800.678.5440 or log on to cirquedusoleil.com.

some of the troupe’s signature acts—wire-walking, precision tumbling, and contortion (sometimes performed atop a 26-foot tower of chairs)—as well as new stunts. “Every decade I’ve asked myself how much longer we’ll bring acrobats from overseas to tour the United States,” says Don Hughes, the Pismo Beach, California–based coproducer for the

High Water Radio by the Pickle Circus Physical feats, sight gags, and plain old clowning, set in an early 1920s radio studio, through January

troupe, who first brought acrobats from Asia to overseas venues in 1973. “But we just keep sell-

1 at the Palace of Fine Arts (SF). For

ing out our performances.”

more information, call 415.392.4400

Watch the Peking Acrobats live January 20th at Marin Center (San Rafael). For more informa-

or go to cityboxoffice.com.

tion, call 415.499.6800, or visit marincenter.org.

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F Y I HOM E

Make Room

PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES.COM

Clearing out clutter can create space for new things...in more ways than one BY MIMI TOWLE

ANUARY IS ONE of the busiest months for junk relocation. According to projections from the National Retail Federation, holiday spending for the 2005 season will have totaled over $400 billion. This translates into

truckloads of new shirts, socks, ties, toys, and gadgets dispersed around the country as tokens of love from family and friends. MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Regardless of how you celebrated the holidays, you can be sure some of these tokens have landed on at least one of your open countertops or shelves, awaiting a place to reside. The annual new year’s challenge is where to put all this stuff. While it’s easy to clear some space by tossing cards and packaging into the recycling bin, making room for new loot is another story. Yet whether you’re a ruthless purger or a mindful sorter, getting rid of stuff can be heady. One popular “house-clearing” technique is feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of seeking inner balance by creating a favorable flow of chi (energy) through one’s home. Two local experts, Manu Butterworth of the Golden Gate School of Feng Shui and Terumi Leinow, a feng shui and space-clearing consultant, offer advice on attaining a chi-friendly new year.

OUTSOURCE THE JOB

These nuts-and-bolts resources can provide how-tos for de-cluttering and reorganizing your space. California Closets calclosets.com, 415.921.2040 Closets & More closetsandmore.net, 415.924.0889 Closet World closetworld.com, 800.434.6018 Garage Solutions garagesolutions.com, 800.755.7704 Garage Source garagesource.com, 916.660.9681 Closets by Design closetsbydesign.com, 800.293.3744 Closet Factory closetfactory.com, 310.715.1000

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While most of us have heard that the orientation of your bed, color of the dining room, or placement of mirrors are important in feng

DELEUSE JEWELERS

shui, clutter is another big factor, and possibly the biggest offender. The word, Butterworth points out, is derived from clotter, which means coagulate. “Like with a blocked artery,” he says, “the more [clutter] you have, the more you attract.”

“

Organize and clear out the clutter to make space for someone else’s clothes. After all, how can you ﬁt someone new into your life if you don’t have space in your own closet?

”

—TERUMI LEINOW

Conversely, you can make room for new opportunities in life by scrapping stuff that doesn’t serve an obvious purpose. “Clutter represents the past,” Butterworth explains. “It

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doesn’t have much bearing on the present, and keeping it around shows a lack of faith in the universe continuing to provide us with what

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we need.” In other words, time to toss that tiara from prom night—bigger and better moments lie ahead. Leinow elaborates. “In Black Tantric Buddhism (BTB) feng shui, every section of your home and office represents an area of life such as family, wealth, reputation, career, health, et cetera, ” she says. “I have found it fascinating that the most clutter in a person’s life often represents an area that’s not working optimally.” For instance, she has done a lot of work with single people who want a partner and yet find their bedroom closets stuffed to the gills. Her suggestion: “Organize and clear out the clutter to make space for someone else’s clothes. After all, how can you fit someone new into your life if you don’t have space in your own closet?” Besides blocking opportunity, clutter represents stuck energy, both experts agree. And unfortunately, as Leinow points out, “what’s the easiest thing for us to do with stuff? Hide it—

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NEXT STEP

Marin’s Finest Boutique Hotel Collection Gives You Reason to Celebrate

You’ve cleaned out your closets, garage, and cupboards… now what? Here is a list of local and nationally based companies that want your stuff. Goodwill Industries Drop-off locations throughout Marin; call ahead, as they have strict guidelines on what they will take; tax deductible. 415.456.5273, goodwill.org

Enjoy $50 off when you book a two-night stay (Sunday – Thursday only; offer based on availability; cannot be combined with other offers; offer valid January 1st – March 31st, 2006)

Jaco Environmental They come to your home to pick up household appliances, televisions, and computers to recycle or reuse. They charge for pickup by item: a refrigerator costs $20 and an entire computer runs about $45. 800.741.0172, appliancerecycling.com

Acqua Hotel • 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941 • 415.380.0400 Mill Valley Inn •165 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941 • 415.389.6608 Waters Edge Hotel • 25 Main Street, Tiburon, CA 94920 • 415.789.5999 www.marinhotels.com These hotels are managed by Joie de Vivre Hospitality. www.jdvhospitality.com

MarinMax, created by the Marin County Department of Public Works, is a new swap, barter, or exchange system, including marinrecycle.com. They also list local garage sales. marinmax.com Marin Computer Resource Center This Novato–based company takes all computers and electronics; a fee may apply. 415.883.1428, mcrc.org

Photos: Cesar Rubio, Mark Darley

Mt. Carmel Shop This Mill Valley–based shop will take clothing, housewares, books, and baby equipment; tax deductible. 415.388.4332 Salvation Army Call for a free pickup of working appliances, recreational equipment, clothes; tax deductible. 800.958.7825, salvationarmyusa.org Tiburon Thrift Shop They will take very clean and salable clothing, housewares, and small furniture; tax deductible. 415.435.7605 Renew Computers Take your used computer equipment to this San Rafael–based company and they will recycle it for a fee. 415.457.8801, renewcomputers.com United Cancer Research Society This group will pick up your “tangible personal property” for free; tax deductible. 800.443.4224, unitedcancer.org

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Trips for Kids Drop off used bikes and scooters in good condition to this San Rafael–based location and they will be reused for a good cause. 415.458.2986

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out of sight, out of mind.” This seems to be our natural response to too much stuff and too little time. That’s why “garages and closets tend to become repositories for unused things,” she adds. One client of hers who bucked the trend by cleaning out the closet beside her front door (related to career) received a promotion at work within a week. Books on feng shui say closets represent things that are hidden and unknown. When we unceremoniously stuff them full of clothes, sports equipment, and rainy-day projects, we can stifle our creativity and impede our progress through life and relationships. A cluttered garage is said to hamper forward progress in your life, since a car (which is supposed to fit into the garage) represents mobility and independence. SOME JEWELRY SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS. THE A. JAFFE BRIDAL COLLECTION. DESTINED TO BE WORN EVERY DAY...FOREVER.

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path to enlightenment, however, be realistic. Tackle one room at a time, making a place for items you want to keep and releasing others to a new owner, to create space in your life for new energy and experiences. “Clutter-clearing is not something you can do just once; it needs to be done with regularity,” Leinow points out. She applies the organizing principle of “a place for everything, and everything in its place. It’s easier to sort things when there is a specific place to put them.” A great way to determine whether it’s time to get rid of an object, she says, is to pick it up, look at it, and see if it “lifts” or “depletes” your energy.

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The Global Table Hungry Planet, a fascinating new book by the creators of The Material World, shows us what the world eats

BY SAMANTHA SCHOECH

UCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN lately about America’s weight problem. There have been news programs and articles and magazine covers. The FDA has issued a revamped food pyramid, and McDonald’s is fighting its reputation as one of the culprits be-

hind the crisis by handing out pedometers with its meals. But even with all this increased attention and information about diet, few Americans are fully aware of what they put in their mouths. According to Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, the new book by photographer Peter Menzel and journalist Faith D’Aluisio, Americans consume nearly 55 gallons of soft drinks, 158 pounds of sugar and sweeteners, and 275 pounds of meat per person each year. This book is not only about what America eats, it’s about what the world eats. In their 1994 book The Material World, husband-and-wife team Menzel and D’Aluisio photographed families from Above: The Ayme family of Tingo, Ecuador with a week’s worth of food displayed in front of them.

around the world standing outside their homes with all their possessions to show the discrepancies in wealth and consumption of resources. In Hungry Planet they present photographic studies of 30 families in 24 countries in their homes with everything they eat in a week. The book reveals more than just differences in caloric intake and cuisine; it illustrates the way the world is changing in the era of globalization. “It’s not just a book about food,” says D’Aluisio. “It’s about being connected in ways we’ve never been before and how this maybe is not a good thing.”

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to talk. The best way to get to know people is to share a meal,” says D’Aluisio. Menzel and

vegetables in a huge backyard garden, spent three years working on Hungry Planet. They met families through translators and contacts in each country. In some cases, as in Mexico, they took to the street, approaching people they thought might make good subjects. They rarely met with resistance. “People like to talk about themselves,” Menzel says. D’Aluisio first did extensive interviews with each family to get a realistic portrait of their weekly intake (every grain of rice, every Snickers, every late-night snack). Although they didn’t tell the families what the plan was beforehand (so as not to skew the research), they then went shopping, mostly accompanied by the families, and purchased everything on the list they had derived from the interviews. D’Aluisio, who works as the photo assis-

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writer, would then arrange the shots, carefully displaying every edible. Each portrait is accompanied by a detailed list of items, a weekly total spent on food, and a profile of the family. It’s a chance to peek into the home lives of people all over the world, and the results are endlessly fascinating. The five members of the Casales family of Cuernavaca, Mexico, drink six gallons of Coca-Cola a week. The Dongs of Beijing supplement their diets with KFC and Häagen-Dazs. The Cuis of rural China have never heard of a hamburger. In a refugee camp in Chad, a Sudanese family of six from the Darfur province survives on $1.23 worth of food per week. Erika, a 26-year-old Inuit mother, says her favorite food is narwhal skin. The Aymes of Ecuador consume 15 pounds of potatoes a day. Almost everyone from Guatemala to Mali uses

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in a Paris suburb, fetching well water in Chad, watching cartoons in American Canyon. Menzel is a photojournalist who has shot for National Geographic, Life, Time, and other major magazines, and his style is both lush and unblinking. The accompanying essays by D’Aluisio, Michael Pollan, Francine R. Kaufman, and other writers and thinkers in the fields of nutrition, food politics, and science make this more than just a coffee-table book. It is an intimate glimpse into people’s lives, illustrating both our similarities and our differences by shedding some light on what we eat and how we live. The point, say Menzel and D’Aluisio, who themselves have become much more proactive and educated food consumers since they began working on this book, is to get people to pay attention to what they put in their mouths. “I just wanted people to think,” says D’Aluisio. “When people think, good things happen.”

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Cataract Trail It’s winter, and waterfalls are roaring on Mount Tam BY BARRY SPITZ HERE IS NO SURE WAY to predict peak season for Marin’s waterfalls.

when the original Bolinas Road was built by

when Alpine Lake overflows (historical note:

They may be spectacular in January,

Chinese laborers in 1878, it crossed Lagunitas

traditionally our wettest month, or not until

Creek here over what was then the Alpine

in February; even March. It is certain, how-

Bridge). Park well off the road near the big

ever, that flows are heaviest during a heavy

bend just ahead.

rain. The Marin’s most famous waterfall is

Cataract’s trailhead is well marked. The

Cataract—that’s hardly a secret—but you

path starts gently beside an inlet of Alpine

haven’t seen this “Best of the Best” until

Lake that was previously the bed of Cataract

you’ve witnessed it several hours into a win-

Creek as it joined Lagunitas Creek. This first

ter downpour. Wear boots with good traction

section is reliable for yielding Marin’s earliest

and breathable rainwear, and consider bring-

wildflowers; certainly some will have appeared

ing a camera and a walking stick. Then pre-

by late January. Among first bloomers expect

pare to be awed.

fetid adder’s-tongue, trillium, Solomon’s seal,

To reach Cataract Trail, take the Fairfax-

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and mission bells.

Bolinas Road from central Fairfax (where it’s

Suddenly, an uphill portion of the trail be-

called Bolinas Road) past the Meadow Club

gins. Cataract Trail is steep—not suitable for

golf course, where the road passes through

everyone—and it’s slippery to descend when

pristine watershed lands. Eight miles from

wet (in other words, when you’re likely to vis-

Fairfax you’ll cross Alpine Dam, completed in

it). But work by the Marin Conservation Corps

1919, and itself creator of a mighty waterfall

from 1999 to 2001 added helpful bridges over

P HOTO: ERIC PROTEAU

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formerly dicey feeder stream crossings. And the views are spectacular. Soon the series of falls that give the trail its name comes into view, and they’re definitely loud. Now there are vista point turnouts at the choicest spots. Comparisons to the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest or to Kauai are inevitable. Keep climbing nearly three quarters of a mile to the old wooden bridge over Cataract Creek. This is a magical spot, a place you’ll surely want to linger. Another three quarters of a mile gets you to Cataract Falls. Many visitors turn back here and return to the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. But there are options. If you want to continue for another two miles on Cataract Trail, a second car should be stashed at the Rock Spring parking area (reached by driving on up the Fairfax-Bolinas Road, turning left at Ridgecrest Boulevard, and continuing to the Rock Spring parking area near the Mountain Theater on Mount Tamalpais). This is where Cataract Trail ends. If you choose this option, the views are outstanding, but don’t forget: In wet conditions it may be safer to climb up than hike down. Hearty hikers might consider a second option: A classic seven-mile loop leaving from a spot just yards above the bench at Cataract Falls. Turn left on the well-marked High Marsh Trail. Follow this quiet, reasonably level trail its full 2.2-mile length to Kent Trail. Take a left, going downhill and passing another impressive waterfall, to Helen Markt Trail. Go left again, and this time you’ll be trekking above the shores of Alpine Lake. Helen Markt Trail is as remote as you get on Mount Tam; you’re not likely to pass anyone. Midway along, Helen Markt utilizes a great bridge to cross Swede George Creek, which is barely less powerful than Cataract Creek. Helen Markt trail returns to Cataract Trail at the Cataract Bridge. Head back down to the car. Hot chocolate beckons at any of several Fairfax cafes or from the drive-through Java Hut, just to the right on Broadway. Whatever option you chose, it’s time to kick back; you’ve had a good winter day’s hike.

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LO O K I N G BACK

A Tale of Two Bars Together, Smiley’s in Bolinas and the William Tell House in Tomales have been around nearly 280 years BY JIM WOOD

he crackled gold leaf lettering

fabled Swiss hero in a nod to the area’s Swiss-

in town.” The saloon was rebuilt and flour-

on the clouded mirror reads

Italian settlers).

ished during the railroad’s heyday of the ear-

“William Tell House—Since

In 1877, Tomales was a bustling seaport

ly 20th century, but a fire ravaged the city in

1877—Marin County’s Oldest

known as Potato Country and the last stop on

1920, destroying three hotels, a barbershop,

Saloon.” But don’t believe it.

the North Pacific Coast Railroad, which origi-

a blacksmith’s quarters, and the William Tell

“If you’re looking for the oldest bar in Marin,”

nated in Sausalito. “Lumber, mostly, along with

House. The bar remained closed well into the

says Liz Kass, “this isn’t it.”

dairy, beef, and sheep products and lots of po-

1930s, when a succession of owners began re-

Kass’s husband, Richard, and his local

tatoes, were shipped out,” says Ginny Magan

storing life to its high ceilings, plank floors,

business partner, Jennifer Puccioni, own the

of the Tomales Regional History Center, “while

and golden oak bar.

William Tell, which sits aside Highway 1 in

a few tourists came in.” For the next three de-

“Now we have a Monday night dinner in

Tomales just a hill south of the Sonoma County

cades the William Tell House was a saloon and

the bar for locals, with burgers for three dollars

line. Kass explains why, despite its 128 years,

dining hall downstairs and a hotel (or whatev-

and beer for a buck and a quarter,” says Kass.

the bar isn’t the county’s oldest: “In the first

er) upstairs. “There was probably a brothel up-

“Thursday through Sunday night, we open the

place, it burned down twice, so we haven’t

stairs,” says Kass. “There are outlines of small

dining room and serve dinner and drinks to lo-

operated continuously since 1877. Second,

rooms, all in a row, on the floor where our of-

cals and whoever else drops in.” In addition

Smiley’s in Bolinas has never been closed and

fice is now.”

to Tomales and Dillon Beach residents, the

it’s much older.”

The 1906 earthquake hit Tomales hard.

William Tell’s clientele consists of nearby folks

We’ll get to Smiley’s shortly, but first let’s

“This building crumpled and burned down,”

from Marin and Sonoma counties, a surpris-

spend time at the William Tell (named for the

says Kass, “along with several other structures

ing number of tourists from Europe, and “for

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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The William Tell House in the 1950s.

This photo was taken “between 1870 and 1900,” claims Smiley’s present owner, Don Deane.

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11/28/05 12:19:20 PM

some reason, lots of Sacramento people,” says

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Things are pretty much the same—only different—down Highway 1 in Bolinas. “Except for weekends, our clientele, if you want to call them that, are mostly locals,” says Don Deane, owner of Smiley’s Schooner Saloon and Hotel, which opened in 1851. Deane quickly catches himself. “Ahh,” he says, “I guess several times a week ‘outsiders’ come in.” Curious wanderers who find themselves in the less-than-welcoming environs of Bolinas want to belly up to Smiley’s well-scuffed oak bar and drink in the atmosphere of this legendary watering hole

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where dogs are welcome and voices, by necessity, are loud, really loud. Should the drive home be too long—or too risky—visitors can pass the night in one of Smiley’s six sparsely appointed hotel rooms (no smoking, no pets, no TVs, no phones).

“

Except for weekends, our clientele, if you want to call them that, are mostly locals.

AncaSire_0106.indd 1

11/28/05 10:30:08 AM

”

— DON DEANE Downstairs, the barroom ceiling is low and built of wood slats to resemble a schooner’s cabin. Vintage photos line the walls and weathered faces are common among the customers. Yet it’s not unusual to see these worn visages reflecting a green sheen, because Smiley’s makes an Internet connection and a computer poker game available. With everything going strong, an early winter evening here is spirited indeed. Burly, bearded beer drinkers in bib overalls laugh loudly at the bar, while a Leviwearing, ponytailed blond lets out a celebratory “Yesss!” as she slams the eight ball into a side pocket of the pool table. In 1851, Bolinas was known as Jugville, and no one, not even Deane—who moved here in 1971, owns the monthly Coastal Post, and is a local history buff—knows the saloon’s original name. The bar is believed to have been built by an energetic ship captain named Isaac

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Morgan and, from 1872 to 1912, was owned by one Niles Ogden. Then, as the years passed, names appeared and disappeared in accordance with ownership: “Jim Redmen’s Saloon,” “Ed Knott’s Bar,” etc. The name game ended in 1955 when an engaging Italian named Ismaele Biachini bought the place. Biachini was known to his many friends as “Smiley.” For years, Smiley’s Bar and Bait was a Bolinas fixture. “Supposedly Al Capone drank here,” says

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Deane, “but who knows for sure?” One thing Deane does know: “No Prince of England ever set foot in the place.” The author Richard Brautigan, who committed suicide in his Bolinas home in 1984, was widely rumored to have been a Smiley’s regular, but Deane is doubtful. “From what I’ve heard, he was a solitary drinker.” According to the California Historical Society, Smiley’s is one of only 14 California bars to have remained open without interruption for more than 100 years. Smiley’s endured the ’06 earthquake (two rivals, the Flagstaff and the Del Mar, reportedly fell into the Bolinas Lagoon) and operated through Prohibition (windows were painted black,

susanadler

with only an ersatz barber’s chair visible

Alix&Co_0106_v1.indd 1

to prying eyes), the Great Depression, and

photography

World War II. As for the title of State’s Oldest Continuously Operated Bar, that’s claimed by the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland, a tourist-

11/27/05 1:06:33 PM

people

celebrations

life

oriented town near Yosemite. “I hear it’s a different-type operation,” says Deane. “But I’ve never been there.” With an office and guest suite above the bar, Deane is a diligent custodian—in a Bolinas kind of way—of Smiley’s ambience. When the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun rushes from the lit-up orange-and-red coin-operated CD player (three plays for a dollar; 18 for five dollars), he says, “Doesn’t that sound great,” a satisfied smile creasing his face. With thinly disguised pride he points out a poster taped to the bar’s mirror: “Hangovers—Installed and Serviced Here.” Nearby, in another of his touches, a placard proclaims, “Welcome to Smiley’s Rest Stop—Eat and Get Gas.” All signs point to Smiley’s being good for

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another 100-or-so years.

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You won’t see me in the gym

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”

cise just to sweat; I like swimming and horseback riding,” she says. She’d tried to find a suitable workout routine; she liked the mind/ body idea of yoga, but wanted something more energetic. So when Master Roger Carlon, Pablo’s instructor and the owner of West America Tae Kwon Do, mentioned he was about to start a morning adult class, Van der Molen stepped up to the challenge. It was only an hour class, twice a week, and it fit into her schedule. “I had always been drawn to martial arts, but I never thought I had it in me to actually do it,” she admits. She’s not alone. The closest many of us come to martial arts is watching a Bruce Lee movie in our sweats. Once the novelty of Ninja Turtles and kung fu action flicks wears off, it’s back to good old golf, tennis, or the gym. “I didn’t think I could make the commitment,” Van der Molen says. After all, a martial art is more than a sport; it’s a lifestyle. According to the dictionary, the definition of “martial” is 1. Of, relating to, or suggestive of war. 2. Relating to or connected with the armed forces or the profession of arms. 3. Characteristic of or befitting a warrior. Not your typical recreation. Martial arts are said to integrate grueling physical activity with the Taoist philosophy of balance, Buddhist meditation and breathing, and Confucian ethics. That’s daunting

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Another obstacle to donning the traditional white jacket and drawstring pants is choosing which venerable practice to pursue. Each has its own subtle variations in approach and tech-

Located in the Acqua Hotel, Mill Valley (by appointment only 415-999-0952)

niques: Tae kwon do, originally from Korea, is similar to the Japanese karate in its straightline powerful blocking, punches, and kicks, whereas kung fu and tai chi, both from China, involve slow, purposeful, circular movements.

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A glance at the Marin County yellow pages reveals classes in all these disciplines as well as aikido, jujitsu, kung fu, and, for the undecided, “mixed martial arts.” “Tae kwon do is an art and a sport,” says Mike Valentine of Practical Martial Arts, a popular mixed-martial-arts studio in Corte Madera. “It combines a dancer’s grace with amazing speed and crisp power.” While martial arts in general are lauded as a ticket to increased strength, self-confidence, flexibility and balance, tae kwon do has not had much academic attention. However, a recent study by the British Sports Medicine Journal followed a group of seniors practicing martial arts for just four months, and found that those who were

La Sede Bella

able to stick with the program had improved core flexibility, balance, and strength. Valentine promotes martial arts for all ages, but recommends that people go at their own pace and al-

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low their body to recover between workouts. Van der Molen, meanwhile, has taken her practice into high gear. “I’ve never been in bet-

535 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo, CA 94960

Open Daily 415.453.8200

ter shape in my life,” she confides. “At 40, I am in much better condition than I was at 20. It has become my passion.” Last year, her dedication paid off when she won two gold medals in the LaSedeBella_v2.indd 1

7/6/05 4:47:24 PM

California State Tae Kwon Do Championships. “It was a great experience,” she says. “Still, I’ve been more nervous performing routine demonstrations at Edna McGuire Elementary school than performing in front of the judges.” Her goal: Continue competing and enjoy the benefits of her newfound passion.

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WI N E CO UNT RY

BY KATHERINE MARTIN

Music of the Vines

HERE’S A MYTH about wine country that I like seeing debunked in the winter months, and that is that food and wine are our only culture here. Though gastronomic indulgence fuels a good 99 per-

cent of life among the vines, we occasionally stagger out of our mustladen cellars for other entertainment—much of it involving food and wine, about Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as they are a limited-release pinot. January in wine country offers all of this and more. Events this time of year give nondrinkers, families, and those watching their waistlines a chance to get out without the guilt or repercussions. There’s also some fun for the unabashed hedonists among us (you know who you are).

PHOTO: BEN DAVIDSON

but not limited to it. Gastronomes are complex creatures, often as passionate

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Winter wine country calendars are packed with musical happenings—a clear indication that arts action indeed exists in the rural realm. A love of classical and contemporary music is so prevalent here that I’ve begun a game with myself—I can almost always nail down a person’s musical taste by the wine he or she drinks. Like a bold and brooding cabernet? Beethoven is your man. A dancing yet lush viognier? Debussy does the trick. How about the light and reflective touch of a pinot noir? Sounds like Chopin. On January 12 at Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Center, fans of Tchaikovsky should check out the Moscow Chamber Orchestra (707.546.3600; www. lbc.net) with conductor Constantine Orbelian; the orchestra has recently played Carnegie Hall and Moscow’s Great Hall. The beautiful brooding continues on January 22 and 24 at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater (707.226.8742; www.lincolntheater.org), where violinist Elmar Oliviera plays Beethoven, Dvorak, and Kulhau. The theater was recently renovated and is an elegant setting in which to get your culture freak on. For thrill-seekers wanting more oomph in their outings, the Edith Piaf musical tribute at Petaluma’s Cinnabar Theater (707.763.8920; www.cinnabarth eater.org) through January 21 sounds like a

NAPA VALLEY’S PREMIER SPA AND FITNESS CENTER

raucous affair, with hits like “Je Ne Regrette Rien” belted out by a troupe in the Little Sparrow’s throaty, no-nonsense style. Expect large crowds; wine country residents are ir-

Relaxing indoor and outdoor massages Indulging body treatments Beautifying facials

repressible Francophiles. Unless you’re already crocheting by the fire or tinkering with your model train, January is a perfect month for learning or refining a skill. Impress friends and family with

Spa treatments using Health Spa Napa Valley’s natural products

your expert origami after a January 8 workshop at the Charles M. Schulz museum in Santa Rosa (707.579.4452; schulzmuseum. org). Want a little more meat? Famed financial columnist Suze Orman runs a workshop on January 14 at Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa (707.546.3600; lbc.net) that will help you squirrel away your dollars for that next great vintage from Caymus. Francophiles (remember, there are lots of

707 967 8800 relax@napavalleyspa.com 1030 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 napavalleyspa.com hsnv.com

them here) can test their mettle with French

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conversation sessions at Napa’s Café Society (707.256.3232; cafesocietystore.com) every Monday, when no half-cocked franglais is allowed. On Saturdays nearest the first quarter moon, families can bond over the Public Star Parties at the Santa Rosa Youth Community Park (707.576.7833; sonomaskies.org), where the local astronomical society sets up telescopes and teaches everyone to find planets, star clusters, and more (and we can actually see the stars up here). While we’re on the family kick, check out the Carolyn Parr Nature Center in Napa (707.255.6465)—an ongoing museum display geared toward families and teaching about habitats found in the region, including a fabulous exhibit on birds of prey. It’s always good for a child to know what those things flapping around in the sky actually are—but never mind me; I’m kind of a traditionalist. Did I say we do things other than quaff wine and nibble food up here? Okay, we do,

Fine Stationery, Invitations & Gifts 1118 Magnolia Avenue • Larkspur • 415.461.0120

but January is also a month rife with gala events for the eat-drink-and-be-merry. From January 14 to 15, 100 wineries along the Russian River Wine Road (800.723.6336;

The Best of Ever ything Knitting Folio_0106_v2.indd 1

wineroad.com) band together for a tast11/27/05 2:44:59 PM

ing event where you can sample new releases and library wines, meet winemakers, and get great deals on “last of vintage” wines. The Russian River area is always friendly, always beautiful, and as you should already know, the wines are some of the best in the world. You’ll be humming Coldplay’s “Yellow” at St. Helena’s Mustard Magic event and auction on January 28 as you stroll through a

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MARIN JANUARY 2006

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decked-out CIA (and if you’ve attended any of these events you’ll know the CIA does not

All your favorite

skimp), nibbling, imbibing, and bidding your

clothing designers

life away on two auctions (707.944.1133;

under one roof.

ciachef.edu). The charity stampede continues with the “Just Imagine” St. Helena Wine

Trina Turk

Auction, also on January 28, in St. Helena

Nanette Lepore

(707.967.2712 ext. 155). St. Helena is the

Calypso

epicenter of wine country chic, so you’re sure

Rebecca Taylor

to rub elbows with top-tier types as you sam-

Velvet

ple gourmet noshes, sip Napa wines, and bid in the auction conducted by Fritz Hatton, fa-

True Religion

mous for his turns at the Napa Valley Wine

Theory

Auction. Finally, also on the 28th (should be

Seven for All Mankind

a buzzing weekend in Napa County, so book

Plus many more...

your rooms early), the Red & White Vintage Affair at Yountville’s Silverado Winery (360.320.2155; silveradovineyards.com) will include wine tasting, a gourmet meal, and a silent and live auction. Which one to attend? All of these events are top-notch; I suggest dumping some paper into a hat. Since we’re now officially back on the topic of food and wine, you should know that January is a month humming with food events. It seems right—rain outside, cold creeping in, and a big hunk of farmstead GreenApples_1205_v1.indd 1

11/27/05 2:50:14 PM

cheese calling your name. You’ll believe in the brilliance of blue after a food education tour at Giacomini Farm in Point Reyes on January 6 (877.759.1004). The farm is famed for its blue cheese and offers up info on how to pair it with wine, how to cook with it, and how it is made. The day includes a dairy tour, wine, and lunch, and you walk away with a cookbook helping you whip up meals with this creamy, cranky cheese. On January 8 in Healdsburg, be assured that chef Nitsa Knoll will never say “No soup for you” as she ladles out a lesson on soups and stews (877.759.1004). Who needs the Soup Nazi when you can learn to make stocks and seasonal treats like lamb and turkey stew? You’ll also be eating and drinking along the way, so the learning is tasty and fun. Learning a language, listening to music, stargazing with the kids—January is a great time to explore the lesser-known facets of wine country and feed your mind, body, and soul.

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Being in Big Sur There’s lots to do in Big Sur, but just being is the best bet BY SAMANTHA SCHOECH

Sierra Mar restaurant, Post Ranch Inn

efore we left for our weekend in Big Sur, I scoured the guidebooks and websites for

things my husband and I could do during our stay. Since we usually camp while we’re there, most of our non-hiking time is spent setting up and breaking down camp and cooking meals. This time, though, we were going luxury and I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss a thing. Somehow, I had forgotten that Big Sur, with its

population of 1,400 and its 90 miles of pristine coast, is a place you go not to do, but to be. I was reminded of this as soon as we crossed the Bixby Bridge and I smelled that unique, unmistakable Big Sur scent: coastal sage and warm dust and ocean air. Nature’s own aromatherapy. The sun was low as we wound our way along Highway 1 to the Post Ranch Inn and the mountains to the east glowed golden. We found the turnoff south of Pfeiffer Beach and entered a world where nature and luxury are seamlessly brought together. Located on a tree-lined ridge 1,200 feet above the Pacific on what was once ranchland, the Post Ranch Inn is known the world over as one of the most stunning resorts to be found anywhere. PH OTO: THOMAS LOOF

After being driven to our treehouse (it sits on nine-foot pillars among the oak branches) by a bellhop straight out of Surfer magazine, we decided it was time to start power-relaxing. The huge room, which, like all 30 of the guest rooms at the ranch, was designed by architect Mickey Muenning, proved perfect for this plan. A glass-framed reading nook, a fireplace, a bed piled high with a fluffy down comforter, a wooden deck with chaise lounges, and a spa tub with a view of

WHERE TO STAY Big Sur Lodge, bigsurlodge.com, 800.424.4787; rooms $99–$229 Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, deetjens.com, 831.667.2377; rooms $75–$195 Post Ranch Inn, postranchinn.com, 800.527.2200; rooms $525–$1,285 Ventana Inn and Spa, ventanainn.com, 800.628.6500; rooms $340–$1,450 (check the website for specials and packages)

WHERE TO EAT Big Sur River Inn, bigsurriverinn.com, 831.667.2700 Cielo (at Ventana Inn and Spa), 831.667.4242 Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, deetjens.com, 831.667.2378 Nepenthe, nepenthebigsur.com, 831.667.2345 Sierra Mar (at Post Ranch Inn), 831.667.2800

the oaks made deciding just where to lounge a bit of a challenge. We decided to leave the room to

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take advantage of the evening’s last sunshine.

the restaurant deck, but after a trio of bay

We set out to find the hammocks pictured in

scallops, roasted beet salad, lamb two ways,

the brochure.

and chocolate soufflé, all we wanted to do

Resort almost seems a misnomer. While at

was revisit our hammocks. We did our own

the Post Ranch Inn, it felt as if we were there by

stargazing and listened to the symphony of

ourselves. We walked along the ridge, admiring

crickets, so loud it drowned out the crashing

that quintessential Big Sur view, and found our

of the waves below.

way to a grove of trees. Strung between them

We woke to the soft eastern sun through

A visit to Pfeiffer Beach

were two hammocks. They beckoned. We an-

the many angular windows in our treehouse.

Sunset cocktails at Nepenthe

swered the call and stayed until dinner.

After a buffet breakfast on the deck at Sierra

Post-hike snacks & beer with your feet in

We were sure we were going to see mov-

Mar, we decided to explore some of the re-

the river at the Big Sur River Inn

ie stars at Sierra Mar restaurant—it has

sort’s hiking trails and check out the pool. We

Bird-watching along the Big Sur River

that secluded, I-need-to-get-away-from-my-

followed the well-groomed Billy’s Trail, which

Lounging in a hammock at Post Ranch Inn

public vibe. We didn’t, but as we made our

winds through tree groves, open meadows,

An herbal tea wrap and therapeutic

way languidly through the four-course fixed

and thickets of berries to the pool about a

massage at Ventana’s Allegria Spa

price menu, we saw something better—the

quarter mile away.

A moonlight tour of the Big Sur lighthouse

sun setting pink over the ocean while bats

By midmorning we had finally grown rest-

Poking around the Henry Miller Library

fluttered past the floor-to-ceiling windows in

less with lounging and decided to do some

Soaking in the hot springs at Esalen when

the twilight. Just after dark, Venus appeared

exploring. We drove north to Andrew Molera

they open to the public from 1 to 3 a.m.

like a wink in the western sky—much better

State Park to shake our stupor on the eight-

than J. Lo any day.

mile loop hike we do on every visit. It begins

10 Hiking—in the redwoods, along the coast, on a riverbank, up a hill, through the brush—it’s endless and beautiful.

074-077_GO.indd 76

We probably should have taken advan-

with a strenuous climb but quickly rewards

tage of the guided stargazing offered on

you with stunning views of the Pacific and

P H OTO : GA L E N R OWE L L

TEN THINGS TO DO IN BIG SUR

MARIN JANUARY 2006

11/29/05 3:01:48 PM

long meandering switchbacks through fragrant

through the galleries. Toby Rowland-Jones,

coyote brush (and poison oak—bring Tecnu)

a 15-year resident of Big Sur who originally

leading down to the driftwood-strewn Molera

hails from Wales and works at the Hawthorne

Beach. By the time we made it back to the

Gallery, knows everything there is to know

car, energized and happy, we were ready for a

about Big Sur’s art and residents. When asked

meal more substantial than Cliff bars and luke-

for tips on his favorite things to do in Big Sur,

warm water. We headed south again.

however, he wasn’t much help. “I like being on

It would be a shame to visit Big Sur and

the property that I caretake. I garden and hang

skip Nepenthe. There is something in its wood-

out in my outdoor bathtub.”

en structure and long history that seems to

For dinner that night we crossed Highway

embody the very essence of the place. It’s as

1 to the Ventana Inn, which sits on another

if Joan Baez and Henry Miller and Richard

parcel of the original Post family ranch. We

Fariña are in its very cells. It’s been a gathering

had an early dinner scheduled at Cielo so we

place for tourists, bohemians, poets, and wan-

could catch a glimpse of the view before the

derers for more than 50 years and there are

sun set. The evening had turned chilly, so we

few places in the world that offer a better view.

requested a table next to the roaring fireplace.

Looking south as the dramatic coastline disappears in fog just makes everything taste better.

Cielo restaurant, Ventana Inn

That, and an eight-mile hike beforehand. We had never had a better turkey sandwich.

The sun and the fire made the room glow orange, which was both spectacular and sad. We would be leaving in the morning. Before we

Gregory Hawthorne sculpture. Pete was on

even looked at our menus we took a moment

After lunch we meandered farther south. I

his never-ending search for surfable waves.

to admire our surroundings—the light, the

wanted to visit the Coast and the Hawthorne

He struck out (but the local surfers were

scent, the feeling of the very air were another

galleries to see the Henry Miller prints and

very friendly), so I had ample time to wander

reminder from Big Sur to stop and just be.

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11/28/05 11:43:33 AM

LI F E

MARRIED IN MARIN Beautiful scenery, unique locations, personal ties—four couples share why they chose Marin as the place to say “I do” STORY KENDRA SMITH

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Carly Loveman and Jim Lutz July 9, 2005

hen Carly Loveman’s grandfather, Martin Siem, heard she and her boyfriend, Jim Lutz, were engaged, he told her, “You should just get married in the front yard.” Martin and his wife, June, lived in the Cascade

Canyon area in Fairfax and their home was a special place for the family; Carly’s parents owned a house across the creek. Carly and Jim knew her grandparents’ home couldn’t accommodate their guest list, but the Manhattan-based couple was set on a location in Marin. Carly’s mother’s family had lived in the area for 100

Location: Outdoor Art

years. In the 1930s, when Martin and June were teenage sweethearts,

Club, Mill Valley,

they would travel by rail from San Francisco to picnic at Mount Tam

outdoorartclub.org.

(and sometimes intentionally miss the last ride home). Jim and Carly

Photographer: Darius Hariri, dariusphoto.com.

are similarly adventurous—they went for a run on the day of their

Caterer: Michael

wedding—so they settled on the elegantly rustic Outdoor Art Club in

Goldstein Events,

Mill Valley. “It feels like a cabin in the woods,” says Carly, “and that’s

mgccevents.com.

what we liked about it.”

Cake: OhCake!,

Their ceremony took place in the redwood grove behind the main club building, emceed by Greg Scholl, a friend of Jim’s, who was depu-

510.713.2257. Flowers: Christy’s Flowers, 510.276.6016.

tized at the courthouse as a wedding commissioner for the day. Carly and

Music: Entire Productions,

Jim wanted the ceremony to be conducted by someone they knew. Each

entireproductions.com;

had provided him with answers to a list of questions about marriage to

Platinum Entertainment

help him create a ceremony. Carly was nervous about it: What if their

Group, 415.383.5266.

answers didn’t jibe? But in his remarks, the first thing Greg said was how many answers were the same, especially one meaningful one: They both had selected Carly’s grandparents, together for 57 years, as a marriage model. Martin Siem died before the wedding, so it was in some ways a bittersweet event for

PH OTOS : DARIUS H A RI RI

Carly’s grandmother. To remind her grandmother of how cherished she was, Carly told June, “Grandma, you have to dance at my wedding.” June would always reply, “I don’t know if I can.” When the day came, though, Jim asked June to dance, and she said yes. It was one of Carly’s favorite moments at the wedding.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Gina Silvestri and Ben Sanger July 23, 2005 uests at Gina Silvestri and Ben Sanger’s wedding

found a CD at each place setting, its jacket embossed with an illustration of the Eiffel Tower. The gift commemorated a trip to Paris, where Gina and Ben had met on a house-exchange va-

cation with friends. Inside, the liner notes read, “Songs about who we are and the places we’ve been, including one for the garden of a country house in St. Martin, France, where a city girl fell hard for a country boy over ping-pong.” Ben is not nearly as much of a country boy as one would think from the couple’s whimsical cake topper (a creation of Kentfield designer Maggie McCarty that depicts the groom in a cowboy hat and boots), but the Colorado native did move his entire life to the Bay Area for his bride. Gina has worked in San Francisco for more than a decade and considers herself an urbanite, but she’s stuck close to her family’s Novato roots and lives in San Rafael. “I think if I’d lived in the city, Location: St. Vincent’s School for Boys, San Rafael, 415.972.1239. Photographer: Linda Russell, russellphoto.com.

Ben never would have made it,” she laughs. At first they considered a destination wedding—maybe a villa in Mexico?—but eventually settled on St. Vincent’s School for Boys in San

Caterer: Sage Catering,

Rafael, which began hosting weddings about 10

sage-catering.com.

years ago after renovations to its courtyard over-

Cake: Just Desserts,

looking the bay. A Catholic ceremony was impor-

415.602.9245.

tant to Gina, and her younger brother had also

Flowers: Baldocchi & Daughters Floral Designs, 650.343.4094; Aloha State

married at the historic, mission-style chapel. Family was central to Gina and Ben’s cele-

Flowers, 415.781.4095.

bration. To welcome Ben’s side, they invited the

DJ: Platinum Entertainment

Lutheran minister from Ben’s hometown church,

Group, 415.383.5266.

who co-conducted the wedding mass with the Rev. Kevin Gaffey, a retired pastor of St. Anthony’s in Novato, Gina’s family’s church. In lieu of bridesmaids, Gina asked nine girls and 16 boys, most of them the sons and daughters of her eight cousins, to walk with her up the aisle and stand with her at the altar. “My girlfriends were all done with being brides-

The children showed their love for Gina with a surprise—a group rendition of “L-O-V-E,” coordinated by Gina’s sister-in-law, Libby Silvestri. For the bride, having everyone from the 25 kids to her two 93-year-old grandmothers at the celebration made the ceremony even more poignant. She was the last of the cousins to marry. “Now it’s about the next generation,” she says.

078-085_Life_Weddings.indd 80

P H OTOS: LINDA RU S S ELL

maids,” she explains, “but it meant so much to these kids.”

11/27/05 2:59:36 PM

“My girlfriends were all done with being bridesmaids, but it meant so much to these kids.” —GINA SILVESTRI

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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11/27/05 2:59:56 PM

“You can’t plan the energy of your party...It was what we were most worried about, and what we were most pleased about at the end.” —MARGI HIBSCHMAN

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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11/27/05 3:00:32 PM

Margi Hibschman and Kevin Trilli September 4, 2005

argi Hibschman and Kevin Trilli bonded over a broken bone. It was 2003 and they were on their fourth date, snowboarding at Squaw Valley. Margi fell and injured her ankle. With Margi hurt and scared, Kevin gently took con-

trol, guiding her down the hill seated on his board, carrying her onto the gondola and then to the emergency clinic at the bottom. “I’m used to being the one who has to take charge and get things organized,” says Margi. “I was surprised when it was all taken care of.” Kevin went even further. He prepared a gourmet get-well dinner for Margi that night (which he shopped for after the clinic doctors banned him from the examining room). A year and a half later, after a meaningful proposal at the top of Squaw Mountain (overlooking the site of Margi’s accident), the couple began to plan their wedding. Kevin was excited about a city celebration—he loves the San Francisco skyline—

Location: Corinthian

but nothing in San Francisco felt special enough to

Yacht Club, Tiburon,

Margi. Tiburon, on the other hand, had a getaway

corinthiancatering.com.

feel but was close enough so guests wouldn’t have

Photographer: Jay Kelly,

to travel far. At the small town’s turn-of-the-century Corinthian Yacht Club, the couple found postcard-

jaykellyphoto.com. Caterer: Corinthian corinthiancatering.com.

perfect city views and the right space for the celebra-

Cake: Branching Out

tion they envisioned.

Flowers: Julie’s Flowers,

“We wanted the party to start as soon as the wedding was over,” Margi says. A trio with an accordion (one of several touches in homage to the couple’s Italian heritage) played a rousing recessional song—

juliesflowers.net. Music: Notable Talent (Pride and Joy), notabletalent.com.

“That’s Amore”—to lead guests from the ceremony to cocktails on the outdoor deck. The high-ceilinged ballroom was transformed for dinner and dancing, with muslin hung to soften the redwood walls and wrought iron candelabras on the tables, creating the feel of a wine cellar—albeit a huge one. Margi and Kevin organized the tables so friends who had similar interests were seated together, even if they were from different parts

PH OTOS : JAY KELLY

of the couple’s lives. Then they created a novel system of table cards to encourage conversation. Each one included a fact about one of the guests, beginning, “Someone at this table...” Conversations and laughter unfolded, setting the tone for the entire evening. “You can’t plan the energy of your party,” says Margi. “It was what we were most worried about, and what we were most pleased about at the end.”

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Beverly Prior and John Friedman September 10, 2005 everly Prior and John Friedman had been together for

a decade and they wanted their wedding ceremony to include the people who had supported them over the years. A friend told them about the Quaker tradition of marriage: An individual cannot marry a couple; instead,

the whole community must confirm the union. That sounded just right to Beverly and John, so they created a ceremony that involved their entire community—no bride’s side, no groom’s side, just a circle of seats with their loved ones surrounding them. The location had to complement the theme, so the couple scoured Northern California. On one extended scouting day, they drove from Napa to Sonoma to Marin. “Each valley closer to the ocean we moved, the better it felt to us,” notes John. They ended their search at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge, with its spacious grounds and creekside setting. “It’s an immediately relaxing place,” says John, Location: Point Reyes Seashore Lodge, Olema,

and their guests could have the run of

pointreyesseashore.com.

the place for the weekend. The couple

Photographer: Susan Adler,

planned the rehearsal dinner across

susanadlerphotography.com.

Highway 1 at the Olema Inn, so the

Catering: Sage Catering,

wedding party could just walk there.

sage-catering.com. Cake: Branching Out, 415.924.0198.

Beverly and John designed and scripted their ceremony. Central to it

Flowers: Cherries Flowers,

were 600 feet of gauzy ribbon. The two

415.924.0198.

strands were woven through the cou-

Music: Eric and Suzy

ple’s wedding rings, and then wound

Thompson,

along the ground in front of the chairs.

bluegrassintentions.com/ ericandsuzy.htm.

At the end of the ceremony, the guests were asked to pass the rings along the ribbons from chair to chair, pausing to share a thought. Twenty-five minutes of heartfelt sentiments and thoughtful moments later, the couple exchanged the rings and walked up the hill toward the

and John reached the top and turned around, they saw that the guests had stayed seated, still holding the ribbons in their hands. They didn’t want to let the moment go. Later, John got the best compliment he could have received about the ceremony: “They said, ‘We were sorry when it was over,’” he recalls. MM

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P H OTOS : SUS AN A D LER

lodge to celebrate, expecting their guests to follow. But when Beverly

11/29/05 1:52:33 PM

“Each valley closer to the ocean we moved, the better it felt to us.” —JOHN FRIEDMAN

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H OME D E S I G N

GOING

GREEN ON THE BAY A simple Corte Madera remodel takes on a life of its own STORY P. J. BREMIER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Above: Kitchen adjoins living room and continues the same warm color theme on the walls with stainless steel countertops and black acacia wood bar countertop. Lower left: Kay Keohane enjoys a moment with Pepper in the kitchen. Lower right: red pottery provides simple and elegant touch to living room.

“WE STARTED OUT with the idea of remodel-

The latter, she adds wryly, “we did very badly.”

ing, of just adding one bedroom and a bath-

Yet their effort—guided by “green” architect

room,” says a still-bemused Jack Keohane, “and

Sim Van der Ryn and project designer Michael

we ended up tearing the whole house down.”

Heacock—was a hit with visitors on the 2005

So began the process that took Keohane,

Build It Green Home Tour, who selected the

an orthopedic surgeon with carpentry skills,

Keohane home for the People’s Choice Award

and his wife, Kay, an outdoor education teach-

for Marin County.

er at Marin Montessori School, on a yearlong,

The house melds the drama of high ceilings

hands-on journey—the transformation of their

and window-framed views of Mount Tamalpais,

1940s Corte Madera waterfront cottage into

Ring Mountain, San Quentin, and San Francisco

an eco-friendly modern home.

Bay with the warmth of a Brazilian cherry floor

“Beauty was our first priority,” says Kay.

(harvested from a flooded orchard), boldly

“We also wanted to try to do it ecologically

chosen furniture, and a restful color palette

and, third, we wanted to try to save money.”

rendered in low-toxin paints.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Interior color was especially important to

they learned, they’d have to raise the house

the Keohanes, who worked with color consul-

six inches to meet flood requirements. Even

tant Jaquie Porteau. “I told everyone repeat-

though they’d be adding only 200 square feet

edly that I didn’t want to wimp out on color,”

to the 1,800-square-foot home, it was more

says Jack. “I didn’t want beige.” Kay agreed:

cost-effective to rebuild.

They chose a warm red for the main living

Less economical was the decision to go

space because “this is where we sit down al-

green, which added about 25 percent to the

most every night,” she says. “It’s the heart of

total price of the project and eliminated a few

the house and I wanted a color that symbolizes

items on their wish list. What they did install

love and warmth.”

were Energy Star appliances, double-paned

The decision to rebuild rather than remodel

windows, structural insulated panels under

came when the Keohanes looked into turning

the roof shingles, and non-off-gassing cabine-

their attached two-car garage into more space

try. They also recycled almost 75 percent of

for their teenage daughter, Cleo. To do that,

their construction waste.

Photo above: Living room looks out over garden and bay beyond. Santa Barbara sandstone ﬁreplace is a focal point and warms the house on winter nights. Six-foot-long dining table in foreground was created from ecologically harvested black acacia wood purchased from Evan Shively of Marshall.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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Above: The Keohanes carefully protected the mature plant materials throughout the construction process. Contractors were told to tread lightly. Paths meander through the property surrounded by lush landscaping. Opposite page above: Destinations in the garden provide places for reading, socializing, and taking a nap. Below: Brick recovered from Jack’s hometown was used in the pathway near the entry.

TOUCHES OF GREEN

with all kinds of wood. It’s almost like an art

Along the way, some personal stories wove

gallery, with stones and fountains from France,

their way into the architecture and aesthetics.

all in the middle of a cow pasture.”

For example, a backpacking trip to Utah proved

At the top of Jack’s wish list was a fire-

fortuitous when the Keohanes happened on

place. “I love a fireplace in wintertime,” he

a sawmill owner who cut standing deadfall

says. “And when this one is going, we don’t

from the forest. When the couple needed ceil-

need to turn on the heat.” Bolinas stone-

ing beams for the living room, Jack pulled the

mason David Moritz built the heat-efficient

man’s phone number from his wallet, and the

Rumford fireplace out of Santa Barbara

necessary ponderosa pine was soon on its way

sandstone.

to California.

Other eco-friendly and artistic touches can

The couple found beautiful, ecologically

be found in Jack’s own handiwork: a roll-out

harvested black acacia wood for their six-foot-

ladder for Cleo’s hide-away loft made out of

long custom dining table when they met Evan

leftover wood, a redwood countertop for the

Shively of Marshall. “He calls himself a forag-

powder room taken from the former house,

er,” says Jack. “He goes out and finds trees and

and a frame for the powder room mirror made

deadfall and he has this incredible warehouse

from Cleo’s old twin bed.

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THE ART OF THE GARDEN

ents (bearing the official request “Don’t spit on

The lush 13-year-old organic vegetable and

sidewalk”) worked into a small landing.

flower garden, featured on two previous

Because the garden is so integral to the

Garden Conservancy tours, surrounds the

family’s lifestyle, a mudroom was a must; it’s

house and was key to the decision of scale.

located off the kitchen. “Both Jack and I like

“We decided not to make a larger house be-

to garden,” says Kay, “and I wanted a place

cause we didn’t want to invade the garden,”

where I could come in, take off my shoes and

Jack says, “and we decided not to build anoth-

dirty clothes, and clean up.” Even Pepper, the

er story because Kay felt she would be too de-

family dog, uses the mudroom entrance.

tached from the garden.”

The Keohane house balances sensitivity with

Even here, recycled materials were incorpo-

practicality with grace, a feat accomplished

rated into the design. A garden shed made by

through thoughtful collaboration.“What I al-

Jack features antique “found” windows and left-

ways wanted to do my whole life was to build

over shingles. There’s a lovely recycled garden

a house,” says Jack. “I wouldn’t necessarily do it

gate and table, a piece of washed-ashore lum-

again, but the result is that we have a house that

ber used as a long step, and a pair of vintage

we all enjoy,” he adds, and one that “brought us

bricks from the Kansas hometown of Jack’s par-

closer together as a couple.” MM

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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SAN ANDREAS IT’S OUR FAULT STORY & PHOTOS TIM PORTER

Whenever the earth trembles in Marin County, Dana Davidson’s phone rings. It’s the news media calling for Davidson’s reaction to the latest quake. Davidson is not a geologist. She’s not a seismologist. She can’t even remember the exact date of the big 1906 quake. Davidson is the owner of Epicenter, a tiny store on Highway 1 in Olema that sits smack dab atop the San Andreas Fault and where you can find anti-Bush buttons, Dogtown hoodies, whimsical West Marin skirts and, if you’re a reporter on deadline working a quake story, a ready-made quote from a very cheery lady. “I’m an earthquake celebrity,” says Davidson. She’s planning a “big party” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Big One next year (it’s April 18) and is stocking up on hats and sweats celebrating Olema’s nowdefunct reign as epicenter of the ’06 quake.

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T H I NK

U.S. Geological Survey map showing the earthquake faults underlying the Bay Area. The San Andreas runs the length of the San Francisco Peninsula, crosses the

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Golden Gate, and enters Marin County at the Bolinas Lagoon, where it intersects with the offshore San Gregorio Fault. The most worrisome fault in the region besides the San Andreas is the Hayward Fault, which runs the along the foot of the East Bay hills.

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Carol Watt

Dana Davidson

From left, Victoria Swift and Ana Anderstein

Mary Patterson

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11/27/05 3:09:42 PM

Moments after the last sizable earthquake

lines. Reporters lucky enough to have working

When that will be is always the question.

in Marin County—a 5.0 in Bolinas on August.

phones won’t be looking for a cute angle about

A U.S. Geological Survey study forecasts a

16, 1999—Davidson “got 15 calls” from report-

a West Marin clothing store. They’ll be trying

62 percent chance of a 6.7 or larger earth-

ers, she says. Since then, she’s continued to

to figure out what happened, how they sur-

quake occurring on one of the Bay Area’s spi-

do a brisk business in epicenter-wear (“USGS

vived, and why we weren’t more prepared for

dery array of faults by 2032. By itself, the San

people come in here all the time and buy our

a disaster scientists declared certain to hap-

Andreas, the region’s largest fault, has a 21

hats”), but the San Andreas has stayed still.

pen—and sooner rather than later.

percent chance of replicating the 1906 earth-

This is where things get scary.

quake in the same period—this time with ca-

Marin’s Coiled Spring

sualties the USGS estimates could reach 6,000

Davidson probably won’t be getting any phone

The San Andreas cuts like a scar across the

dead and damages of up to $100 billion.

calls even if her store’s still standing—and it

comely features of West Marin, extending from

Tina Niemi, a geologist with the University

might be, considering that the building is al-

the Bolinas Lagoon, skirting beneath the gold-

of Missouri–Kansas City, knows as much about

most 150 years old—because despite billions

and-green brow of Mount Tamalpais, and run-

the San Andreas as anyone. Niemi spent a

of dollars spent on retrofitting buildings, bridg-

ning north out to sea again through Tomales

good amount of the last four years literally in-

es, and freeways since the 1989 Loma Prieta

Bay. The fault is barely visible to all but the few

side the fault, working in a trench dug deep

earthquake, Marin County and much of the

who look closely, but it lurks as a prevalent re-

into the rich soil of the Olema Valley near the

rest of the Bay Area will likely be a mess of

minder that the beauty of this seaward land was

Point Reyes National Seashore. She and her

landslides, crumpled roads, collapsed hous-

born in a tectonic violence that will visit again

team were determining the dates of the past

ing, and flames spurting from pretzeled pipe-

someday as surely as the incoming tide.

10 temblors on the fault.

The next time the San Andreas jumps,

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The 1906 earthquake caused the earth to move as high as 21 feet in West Marin, and ripped the ground apart in some places. In this photograph taken soon after the quake near Inverness, a woman stands next to a rupture. Opposite page: Craig Morgan, a ranger at the Point Reyes National Seashore, gives a tour of the Earthquake Trail. He is holding a photograph taken of the ﬁeld behind him immediately after

P H OTO: G. K.GI LBERT, CARNEG IE REP ORT (J. B. MACE LWANE ARCH IVE S, SAI NT LOUIS UNI V E R S I T Y ) .

the 1906 earthquake.

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By looking at the past, Niemi hopes to see into the future.

building up stress and energy until they break

ter the earthquake when it last slipped up in

free, causing an earthquake.

Marin County, that means that right now we

“Everybody should know that if you have

That is what is happening in Marin County.

have about 2.4 meters—take 24 millimeters

an active fault,” she says, “the longer it’s been

“The plates are not moving,” says Niemi.

and multiply it by 100 years—so you have

since the last earthquake the sooner it will be

Instead, they are compressing at the rate of 24

right now the capability to make an earth-

to the next, because of the amount of stored

millimeters a year, about an inch. The earth

quake that would slip at the ground surface at

strain energy there.”

“stores that energy as if you were to squeeze

about two and a half meters.”

The San Andreas Fault runs 800 miles

a spring an inch every year. The rocks act like

In other words, if the San Andreas coughs

through California, marking the twitchy

little springs. You squeeze them and they begin

up a quake in the upper 6 or lower 7 magni-

boundary between the planet’s Pacific and

to store up” force.

tude, the earth in West Marin could move about

North American Plates. The former is mov-

Niemi talks with precision. She’s accus-

ing slowly northward relative to the rest of the

tomed to translating her complicated science

continent. Contrary to popular perception, tec-

into a version of tectonics for dummies that

Niemi points out that a disturbing pattern

tonic plates rarely creep by one another. They

reporters can understand. When she uses a

is emerging in the Bay Area, one that appeared

tend to move in lurches. (An exception is the

metric number she patiently converts it, say-

before the 1906 temblor: Earthquakes are oc-

Hayward Fault. In Fremont, for instance, it

ing things like “a meter is 3.2. feet” and “2.54

curring more often.

actually does creep, bending curbs and rail-

centimeters is an inch.”

eight feet along the fault line—about a third to a half of what it did during the 1906 quake.

“Building up to 1906, there were a lot of

road tracks as it inches onward.) The oppos-

She continues: “If we’re storing it an inch

earthquakes,” she says. “Then afterwards there

ing plates grind relentlessly against the other,

a year, or 24 millimeters, then 100 years af-

was a relatively long period of quiet. Maybe

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50 years. Then you had the Daly City earth-

Area. “We’re talking about half that many road

breaking gas lines, and as soon as you break

quake—a 5.3, in 1957. And now the activity

closures in Marin County by itself.”

gas lines and have sources of ignition, you can

appears to be picking up.” What happens even-

The San Andreas shift itself will cause the

tually is basic physics, conservation of mass

most damage. “You close Highway 1, obvi-

In the many communities in Marin where

and energy. Says Niemi: “The energy’s being

ously,” says Perkins. “You also close any local

narrow roads snake into dead-end canyons,

stored even though the plates aren’t moving.”

roads that it crosses. Basically, you’re isolat-

houses nestled among the vegetation are es-

ing the Point Reyes Peninsula from the rest of

sentially tinderboxes with million-dollar mort-

the county.”

gages. Last year, a Marin fire official told a

When the Earth Moves

have fire.”

As much as Tina Niemi knows about the un-

Other roads will be rendered unusable

local newspaper these towns—places like Mill

derground workings of the San Andreas,

either by landslides (especially during the rainy

Valley, Larkspur, and Ross—were “designed for

Jeanne Perkins, earthquake program manager

season), liquefaction (low-lying bay fill turning

disaster.”

for the Association of Bay Area Governments

to watery mush), collapsed bridge approaches,

(ABAG), knows about the dangers it poses to

falling buildings, or broken utility lines.

the human-made things above it.

Walking the Fault

Perkins is also “very concerned about hous-

Many people treat earthquake predictions with

If you really want to unnerve yourself to

ing in Marin,” because more than 80 percent

the same listless regard they give to advice

the point where you think trading in your

of Marin’s 100,000-plus houses, apartments,

from their dental hygienist. Those folks need a

Marin hot tub for a Minnesota ice-fishing

and condos were built in the ’70s or earlier, de-

dose of Craig Morgan.

shack is a good idea, spend some time on the

cades before building codes took earthquakes

ABAG earthquake website (http://quake.abag.

into account.

Morgan is a big, long-legged man, with blue eyes the color of a sunny Stinson Beach sky and

ca.gov/). There’s very little good news there,

Most worrisome, she says, are what are

a handlebar mustache gone white that, viewed

and Marin falls into the not-so-bad news,

known as soft-story buildings. These struc-

straight on, points up arrowlike to a broad-

worse news category.

tures typically contain housing built atop

brimmed straw hat bearing the signature strap

“

Everybody should know that if you have an active fault, the longer it’s been since the last earthquake the sooner it will be to the next, because of the amount of stored strain energy there. —TINA NIEMI, GEOLOGIST

”

of a National Park Service ranger.

The not-so-bad: Since the San Andreas

parking or first-floor open commercial space.

slices through a relatively unpopulated area,

The bottom, “soft” story is weak, and hence

You can find Morgan at the Point Reyes

fewer people are likely to die in Marin than

prone to collapse in earthquakes. Visualize the

National Seashore, where he leads a weekly

in a similar quake on the Hayward Fault,

listing and collapsed homes in San Francisco’s

one-hour tour of the Earthquake Trail. The 0.7-

which passes under densely peopled cities

Marina district after the Loma Prieta quake:

mile loop wanders from the Bear Valley Visitor

like Berkeley and Oakland.

Those were soft-story buildings. There are

Center into a shady gully, where Morgan will

several thousand of these in Marin.

show you the spot the earth ripped asunder in

The worse: Roads and homes in Marin are particularly at risk because of the proximity of

Although higher ground is firmer and less

1906, leaping 16 feet to the north and opening

the fault, the topography of the county, and

likely to liquefy, an earthquake can shake it

a waist-deep ditch that would be the envy of

our affection for a life with a view.

severely.

any trench-digging geologist. It’s a humbling experience that makes you want to stock up

ABAG predicts that a 1906-type rupture of

“The problem with these hillside homes,”

the San Andreas would destroy 77 roads and

says Perkins, “is the downhill foundation.”

nearly 3,500 housing units in Marin. If those

Homes located above the road and dug into

The Earthquake Trail is self-guiding, so you

numbers don’t seem very high, Perkins puts

the hillside are “not as big a problem as these

can walk it yourself and read about the local

them in perspective.

downhill ones where people are literally park-

geology and the 1906 quake on 11 illustrated

ing on their roof.”

panels spaced along the route. (Geologist Tina

“Proportionately, closing 77 roads in Marin

on bottled water and beef jerky.

County is a big chunk,” she says. The Loma

Finally, there’s fire. “As you get a larg-

Niemi is pictured on No. 9. “My name’s spelled

Prieta earthquake, epicentered 50 miles south

er number of landslides and other kinds of

wrong, of course—for the next 20 years,” she

of San Francisco, closed 142 roads in the Bay

ground failure,” says Perkins, “you end up

says, laughing.)

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The early morning tranquility of the Bolinas Lagoon (looking north) belies the danger lying beneath it—the San Andreas Fault, which runs north from here to Tomales Bay.

Living on the Fault

last for a “reasonable survival period without

loon, Smiley’s. Her anomalous attitude about

In Olema, earthquakes are at once part of ev-

outside support.”

earthquakes reflects her Bolinas heritage.

eryday existence and something better thought of at another time.

Ana Anderstein, who works for Swift as innkeeper of the 120-year-old Olema Druids

“They only last a few second and they are usually pretty fun,” she says.

Carol Watt owns the cluster of buildings on

Hall up the road, tells a very West Marin sto-

Last year, when a 7.2 underwater earth-

the east side of the Highway 1 near Sir Francis

ry about her last earthquake. “I was at yoga

quake shook far Northern California and a

Drake that house Dana Davidson’s Epicenter

at the Dance Palace (in Point Reyes Station),”

tsunami warning was issued for the Bay Area

store and her own shop, the Olema Trading

she says. “We were all on the floor, trying to

coast, Patterson left town—heading toward the

Company. She’s used to life on shaky ground.

take deep breaths. Then there was this rolling

ocean. “If a big one is going to come and kill

“Stuff moves,” she says. Over the years “I’d

quake. You could feel it all the way down your

us in 30 seconds, I’d like to meet it rather than

come in and find things in different places.

spine. It lasted a few seconds. We all thought,

run from it,” she says.

Everything would have moved a little.” Has she

What should we do? Should we get up? Should

done anything to prepare for a big quake? “Not

we get out? We didn’t do anything.”

really. We burned sage around the building. Sage works on evil spirits. But not on earthquakes.”

For Patterson, life on the San Andreas is personal. She sleeps on it in Bolinas, works on

On the other side of the highway, Mary

it in Olema, and drives it daily on her Highway

Patterson works the plank at the Olema Farm

1 commute. When a reporter points this out to

Next door at Vita Collage, owner Victoria

House bar and restaurant, pouring frothy pints

her, she smiles drolly and delivers a line that

Swift surveys the shelves of sparkling glass-

of Marin IPA beer and mixing colorful Bloody

was made to end a story like this one.

ware and says quakeproofing is “on the to-

Marys (“hey, my name is Mary!”).

do list.” At home, though, she’s ready, with a

Patterson was born in Bolinas and spent

“stock of water and canned food” that would

nine years bartending in the town’s famous sa-

“Yeah,” says Patterson, as Ry Cooder sings “All Shook Up” on the jukebox near the front of the bar, “it’s my fault.” MM

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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11/27/05 3:12:11 PM

Ezra Katz Gallery North Featuring Painter s a n d Sc u l p t o r s Fr o m Ac r o s s t h e West

30 x 15 Oil on Board

11 x 14 Oil on Board

14 x 18 Oil on Board

415.454.9000 • 635 San Anselmo Ave • San Anselmo CA 94960 Visit us in Todos Santos, BCS • Ezra Katz Gallery South • Juarez Street

EzraKatz_0106_v1.indd 1

11/23/05 4:27:47 PM

GA L L E RI E S

Natural Beauties A trio of galleries highlight local treasures BY ANNE CRUMP RAY ausalito Art Collection specializes in

Art Collection turns the spotlight on works

as a clothing designer but traded her needles

art that highlights California’s natu-

by California artist Ray Carpenter as well as

for paintbrushes in 1996 and today is known

ral beauty. Given its location along

Argentinean native Rubén de la Colina.

for lush plein air pieces that depict scenes

seems a natural fit.

the downtown Sausalito waterfront, the focus

The de la Colina exhibition coincides

from around the Bay Area.

with the release of a new book, Light and

Morris’s landscapes incorporate abstract-

While the gallery’s windows frame a slice

Shadows (available at the gallery), about the

ed color fields that lend richness and light to

of Northern California’s celebrated scenery, the

prolific 80-year-old artist’s work, by the di-

her canvases and reveal a deep appreciation

works on its walls bring the splendor indoors.

rector of an Argentinean museum that exhib-

for nature and the land.

The selection on view changes regularly, show-

its his paintings.

“We won ‘Best in Marin’ recognition last

casing paintings, drawings, and works on paper

“Rubén’s paintings are some of the finest

year,” notes Otterman, who emphasizes the

by all eight artists in the gallery’s stable, most of

things I’ve seen around,” says gallery director

gallery’s ongoing commitment to celebrating

whom have ties to the Bay Area.

Denise Otterman. “The work is so magical and

the county’s local treasures. At Sausalito Art

so wonderful.”

Collection, that means the artists as well as

Every month, the gallery also presents a concentration of two artists’ work to give visitors a

In late January, the gallery shifts its focus

better appreciation for the depth of each one’s

to paintings by two award-winning Marin

Sausalito Art Collection, 589 Bridgeway,

individual output. Beginning December 2 and

artists: Teresa Dong and Gail Morris. Dong,

Sausalito, 415.339.9250, sausalitoart.com;

continuing through mid-January, Sausalito

a native of China, began her artistic career

11–5 Mon–Sun

the landscape.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

100-103_Galleries.indd 101

101

11/27/05 10:53:29 AM

such as Hector Flores, Nancy McDonald, Matt Tasley, and sculptor Rod Zullo. (Katz also exhibits his own work with several galleries in the United States and Mexico.) “We don’t limit the number of artists represented in here,” Symons explains, noting that the style and caliber of their work is the uniting force. The constant variety ensures visitors find something new each time they come. For some, the new discovery might actually be something familiar. “We get a lot of Marin surfers who have been to Todos Santos and have visited the other gallery,” notes Symons. “They really relate to the paintings of Baja.” Coming in to enjoy the view from the patio is okay, too. Ezra Katz Gallery North, 635 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, 415.454.9000, ezrakatz.com; 11–5 Tues–Sat; closed Sun–Mon

t Rena Bransten Gallery in downtown San Francisco, the new year brings an assortment of new works from the Bay Area and beyond.

Starting in December and continuing through

January 14, the gallery presents sculptures and works on paper by celebrated San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa.

or 15 years, Marin

Asawa, whose pieces incorporate such varied media as

Coffee Roasters

steel, fiber, and paper, is known by many for her high-

occupied

the

profile public commissions, including bronze fountains

space at 635 San Anselmo

at Ghirardelli Square and Union Square. Her endless

Avenue. When the cof-

experimentations with materials, spanning a 50-plus-

feehouse relocated, many

year career, have resulted in a staggering variety of

in the neighborhood be-

work that highlights delicacy, strength, and unexpected

moaned the loss of its

possibility.

prized garden patio. They

Also on view during this period are new paintings

needn’t have worried:

by Paul Henry Ramirez, featured in an exhibition titled

Painter Ezra Katz has en-

Frothy. Flirty. Feely. Explaining the choice of title, the gal-

sured the patio remains a

lery’s Calvert Barron says, “His paintings are controlled but

welcoming spot.

spontaneous. They look like splashes—they’re wild and ex-

Patrons no longer sip

uberant with an organic quality that’s also a little nasty.”

Previous page: Gail Morris,

coffee in the space, but it fosters quiet contemplation all

From January 19 through February 25, the gallery

Rio del Mar (oil on canvas;

the same as part of Ezra Katz Gallery North, the U.S. coun-

shifts gears, decking the walls with large-scale color photo-

20”x 20”), Sausalito Art

terpart to Katz’s four-year-old gallery in Todos Santos, Baja

graphs by German artist Matthias Hoch. Hoch is interested

Collection. Above: Ezra Katz, Nicasio Church (oil on canvas, 20”x 24”), Ezra Katz Gallery. Lower: Matthias Hoch, Leipzig #1, 2004, Rena Bransten Gallery.

California Sur, Mexico. Opened in April 2005, Katz’s Marin

in photographing public spaces, indoor and outdoor envi-

location shares its sibling’s focus on contemporary plein

ronments that have been shaped by the human hand. He

air impressionism, evidenced in the rotating variety of oil

particularly enjoys the serene beauty of these spaces when

paintings, pastels, and sculptures shown within its walls.

they are empty—devoid of the human activity that created

“The walls change all the time,” says gallery director Lisa Symons, a longtime friend of Katz’s who helped the Mexican native realize his dream of a gallery in Marin, his

102

them, and that they were designed to support. The gallery hosts a reception for Hoch from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on January 19, and the public is invited to attend.

second home. Though Katz’s own paintings are well rep-

Rena Bransten Gallery, 77 Geary St., San Francisco,

resented, the gallery is no vanity project: The presentation

415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com; 10:30–5:30

always includes works by multiple artists with local ties,

Tues–Fri, 11–5 Sat; closed Sun–Mon

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SAUSALITO FART COLLECTION E AT U R I N G L I V I N G C A L I F O R N I A I M P R E S S I O N I S T S

TERESA DONG

BEAUTIFUL MARIN

GAIL MORRIS

Artist Opening: Saturday, January 28th 6 – 9 pm Open House: Sunday, January 29th 1 – 3 pm

5 8 9 B R I D GE WAY, S A U S A L I TO , CA • 415.339.9250 • WW W.SAUSAL IT OART.COM

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CAL E NDA R

JANUARY 2006 PERFORMING ARTS T H E AT E R

Thru January 8 Corteo A clown pictures his funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere. Cirque du Soleil. SBC Park (SF). 800.678.5440, cirquedusoleil.com

Thru January 29 Lestat Check out the world premiere of a new play inspired by author Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Curran Theatre (SF).

Photo caption goes here

415.551.2050, shnsf.com

January 1 High Water Radio The Pickle Circus presents its holiday production. Palace of Fine Arts (SF). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

January 6–8 Walkin’ Talkin’ Bill Hawkins W. Allen Taylor recalls his search for his father, the ﬁrst black disc jockey in Cleveland. Marsh Theatre (Berkeley). 800.838.3006, themarsh.org

January 5–February 5 Sexual Perversity in Chicago A brash take on sex and love by Pulitzer Prize–winning David Mamet. Performed by A.C.T. Geary Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org A performer dangles from a chandelier on the set of Corteo, playing through January 8 at SBC Park.

January 12–February 12

January 13–February 19

January 20

Killer Joe A greedy family hopes to collect

Sly Fox Larry Gelbart adapts Ben Jonson’s

The Peking Acrobats An elite company of

on their mother’s insurance money. Intended

early 17th-century play Volpone to 1890s

jugglers, gymnasts, cyclists, and tumblers

for mature audiences only. Marin Theatre

San Francisco with hilarious results. Directed

brings 2,000-year-old disciplines from the

Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208,

by Phoebe Moyer. The Barn Theatre (Ross).

Ch’in dynasty to Marin Center (San Rafael).

marintheatre.org

415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.org

415.499.6800, marincenter.org MARIN JANUARY 2006

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January 23

January 8

January 15

Oscar Wilde’s Notebooks & Letters A staged

Julia Fischer The young violinist returns to

Operatic Ensembles Join San Francisco vocal

reading of Wilde’s own words, presented by

the Bay Area with a program of Schubert,

coach Svetlana Gorzhevskaya and her stu-

Porchlight Theatre. 142 Throckmorton

Bach, Grieg, and more. Presented by Cal

dents in an evening of selections from classic

Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600,

Performances at Hertz Hall (Berkeley).

operas. Falkirk Cultural Center (San Rafael).

142throckmortontheatre.com

510.642.9988, calperfs.berkeley.edu

415.485.3436, falkirkculturalcenter.org

C O M E DY

January 8

January 15

The Natural Gas Jazz Band Expect to hear

New Century Chamber Orchestra A festive,

Every Tuesday

blues, stomps, rags, marches, and spiritu-

all-Baroque show featuring works by J.S.

Mark Pitta and Friends From newcomers

als from this 35-year-old Bay Area main-

Bach, Vivaldi and Schmelzer. Osher Marin

to professionals—all ﬂex their stand-up mus-

stay. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur).

JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000,

cles. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley).

415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

marinjcc.org

January 10

January 15–16

Celebrating Songwriters Hosted by local

Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique

singer/songwriter Caren Armstrong, this

Celebrate 250 years of Mozart, led by con-

monthly event will feature two or more musi-

ductor John Eliot Gardiner. SF Symphony

January 1

cal guests. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur).

(SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

Vienna Woods/New York Nights Songs of

415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

MUSIC

January 22

Two Cities Start off your musical journey with waltzes on the banks of the Blue Danube, and

January 13

Brad Mehldau Trio & Bill Frisell Quintet

end with showstopping hits from Broadway.

Ian Dogole and Hemispheres Jazz favorites

Classically trained pianist Mehldau and

SF Symphony (SF). 415.864.6000,

mixed with sounds from around the globe.

Frisell at Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley).

sfsymphony.org

142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley).

510.642.9988, calperfs.berkeley.edu

415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

January 7

January 22 & 24

The House Jacks Experience rock mu-

January 13

Tyler Mack Marin Symphony’s own tim-

sic sans instruments as this a cappella

Hawaiian Slack Key The next generation of

panist performs Kraft’s riveting Timpani

band sings love ballads and funk hits.

slack key guitarists performs at the Dance

Concerto No. 1. Marin Center (San Rafael).

142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley).

Palace (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075,

415.479.8100, marinsymphony.org

415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

dancepalace.org

January 27

SPOTLIGHT ON W. ALLEN TAYLOR Ever wondered how ideas for scripts and plays evolve? Sometimes, the best material comes from real life: When W. Allen Taylor found out that the father he never knew was Bill Hawkins—Cleveland, Ohio’s ﬁrst black disc jockey—he wrote a play about the search for his famous dad and the cultural legacy he left behind. This January, Taylor, also an actor and drama instructor at the College of Marin, brings the professional premiere of his one-man show to the Marsh Theatre in Berkeley. Through a combination of his own narrative, characters based on people who knew his father, historical recordings, and musical interludes, Taylor tells the intimate story of his long-lost father, who was the highestrated DJ in Cleveland in the 1950s. Walkin’ Talkin’ Bill Hawkins...In Search of My Father opens January 6 in Berkeley. For more information call 800.838.3006 or log on the website: themarsh.org.

The Chieftains Discover traditional Irish music from the pioneering folk ensemble of Dublin, Ireland. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

January 28 A Tribute to Jimmy McCracklin An evening of music in honor of the West Coast blues legend. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

January 29 Les Yeux Noirs Sit back and enjoy a diverse mix of gypsy, klezmer, jazz, and world music from the Paris-based octet. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

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January 29 Magnus Lindberg International Contemporary Ensemble Immerse yourself in the works of one of Europe’s most talented young

Drumming as a fine art.

composers. Presented by Cal Performances at Hertz Hall (Berkeley). 510.642.9988, calperfs.berkeley.edu

January 29 Del Sol Quartet A program of contemporary music by the Bay Area string quartet. Dance Palace (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

DANCE

Not your ordinary ordinary drumming. Not your ordinary concerto.. On January 22 and and 24,, Tyler Tyler Mack Mack performs performs William William Kraft's Kraft's On groundbreaking Timpani Timpani Concerto Concerto No. No. 1. 1. groundbreaking Also on the program: Dvorak’s Carnival Overture and Symphony Also on the program: Dvorak’s Carnival Overture and Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Tickets $24, $44 and $57 at No. 9, “From the New World.” Tickets $24, $44 and $57 at 415.499.6800. Or click www.marinsymphony.org. Come hear the 415.499.6800. click www.marinsymphony.org. Come hear the beat of someOrvery different drums.

beat of some very different drums.

January 13 RoCo Dance An evening of progressive dance and entertainment for the whole family, featuring over 400 RoCo students of all ages and skills. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

January 14 Love2Dance Winter Recital Over 250 students ranging in age from three to ﬁfty light up the stage with a combination of jazz, ballet, and more. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

January 20–21 Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Two distinct programs of dance and theater at Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley). 510.642.9988, calperfs.berkeley.edu

January 28 Pilobolus Dance Theatre A combination of pop dance, theatre, mime, and sculpture. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

January 28–29 Ronald K. Brown/Evidence Three of the mod-

Come to a concert. You’ll stay for a season.

ern dance company’s most celebrated works, featuring a signature fusion of African, club, and postmodern dance. Yerba Buena Center

415.479.8100

www.marinsymphony.org

for the Arts (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org MARIN JANUARY 2006

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January 28–February 4

Marin Society of Artists

S F Ballet’s Swan Lake Enjoy the beauty and

Journey A group show, on display, Jan

precision of one of classical ballet’s most

8–26. Marin Art and Garden Center, Ross.

ArtHaus

beloved stories, set to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant

415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org

Carolyn Meyer, paintings of Bay Area streets. Jan 3–March 30. 411 Brannan St,

score. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.865.2000, sfballet.org

SAN FRANCISCO

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts

415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

Annual Members’ Show, Jan 3–28. 616

GALLERIES

Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331,

Caldwell Snyder Gallery

ohanloncenter.org

Ongoing exhibits. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

MARIN

Fraenkel Gallery Art Brokers

Works by Katy Grannan, on display. Jan

Irene Belknap, Tjasa Owen, Clark Mitchell,

5–Feb 25. 49 Geary St, 415.981.2661,

Wendy Gruber, Brennie Bracket and

fraenkelgallery.com

others. 247 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley.

Gallery Paule Anglim

415.380.4100, artbrokersinc.com

Ongoing exhibits. 14 Geary St,

Art Works Downtown

415.433.2710, gallerypauleanglim.com

Transforming Art, Jan 12–Feb 24. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119,

George Krevsky Gallery

artworksdowntown.org

Gallery Collection, thru Jan 14. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Claudia Chapline Gallery Get A Life Figurative paintings, on dis-

Gregory Lind Gallery

play thru Jan. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson

Found Objects by sculptor Chris Corales

Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

and Bared and Bended by photographer Frank Yamrus; both thru Jan 21. 49 Geary

Contemporary Fine Arts (CFA) Ongoing exhibits. Greenﬁeld Ave, San

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company take the stage at Zellerbach Hall.

St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com

Hackett-Freedman

Anselmo. 415.457.8847, cfagallery.com

Robert Green Fine Arts

The Seven Laughters of God Works by F.

Edith Caldwell Gallery

Ongoing exhibits. 154 Throckmorton Ave,

Scott Hess, thru Feb 25. 250 Sutter St,

Still-life paintings, contemporary tapestries,

Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com

415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com

Spin Gallery

Hang Art and Hang Art Annex

Ongoing exhibits. 7 Mark Dr, San Rafael.

Elemental images of Fire and Water,

415.499.7640, spingallery.net

Paintings by Sukey Bryan; Jan 2–30 at

and objets d’art. 819 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.5003, edithcaldwell.com

Gallery Bergelli

Hang Art. Distilled, a group show, Jan 2–30

Ongoing exhibits. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com

Tiburon Fine Art

at Hang Art Annex. 556 & 567 Sutter St,

Kathleen Dunne, Barbara Lawrence, Stevan

415.434.4264, hangart.com

Gallery Route One

Shapona, Paige Peterson, and others. 84

Ongoing exhibits. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes

Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.5999,

Jack Hanley Gallery

Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

tiburonﬁneart.com

Ongoing exhibits. 395/389 Valencia St,

Garzoli

William Lester Gallery

Works by Edwin Deakin, Grace Hudson,

Ongoing exhibits. 11101 Shoreline Hwy,

John Berggruen Gallery

William Keith, and more. 930 B St, San

Point Reyes Station. 415.663.9365,

Ongoing exhibits. 228 Grant Ave,

Rafael. 415.459.4321, garzoligallery.com

williamlestergallery.com

415.781.4629, berggruen.com

415.522.1623, jackhanley.com

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John Pence Gallery

“One of Northern California’s Top Spas” – Vogue Magazine

Sculptures on display thru Jan 15. 750 Post St, 415.441.1138, johnpence.com

den

Meyerovich Gallery Modern European masters including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, and

DAY SPA

Joan Miro. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171,

Experience Ancient Tranquility at a True Mediterranean Spa

meyerovich.com

Paul Thiebaud Ongoing exhibits. 718 Columbus Ave, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.com

Rena Bransten Gallery Paintings and drawings by Paul Henry Ramirez and sculptures by Ruth Asawa,

Turkish Bath

both on display thru Jan 14. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

MUSEUMS MARIN

Bolinas Museum New Acquisitions and other farvorites from the permanent collection, photoMost advanced anti-aging treatments High performance ultrasonic resurfacing Exclusive European face and body products

graphs by Steve Brock, thru Feb. (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

Falkirk Cultural Center

Threading

Back to Basics: The California Society of Printmakers, Jan 27–Feb 25. (San Rafael). 415.485.3328, falkirkculturalcenter.org

An ancient method of hair removal which is an alternative to waxing, even for sensitive skin.

Marin Museum of the American Indian On the Red Road A pictorial essay on the Plains Indians, thru March 31. Miwok Park (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com

B AY A R E A

Asian Art Museum Traditions Unbound: Groundbreaking

Thai Herbal Massage

Painters of Eighteenth-Century Kyoto on display thru Feb 26. (SF). 415.581.3500,

415 464-9111

www.edendayspa.com • 541 San Anselmo Ave. San Anselmo

asianart.org MARIN JANUARY 2006 EdenDaySpa_1205.indd 1

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California Academy of Sciences

carefully deﬁned practice—experimenting

January 8

HOTSPOT California on the Edge Meet live

with his own image as subject matter. His

Dana Smith and His Performing Dog Lacy A

frogs, salamanders, and insects and dis-

self-portraits will be on display thru Feb 28.

hilarious combination of juggling, balancing,

cover California’s amazing biodiversity, thru

(SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

and impressive dog tricks. Osher Marin JCC

Aug. (SF). 415.321.8000, calacademy.org.

(San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

Sonoma Valley Museum COPIA

Sculpture Large spherical works in stone

January 15–February 26

Out of the Earth: Adventurous Winery

by local artist Edwin Hamilton; thru Feb 26.

World on Stage Travel the world from the

Architecture Thirty photographs by Erhard

(Sonoma). 707.939.7862, svma.org

comfort of the Discovery Theatre: featur-

Pfeiffer feature exceptional new facilities

ing music and dance from around the globe.

from the major wine-growing regions of the

Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito).

world (Napa). 888.512.6742, copia.org

415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

The Contemporary Jewish Museum

January 28

Intersections: Reading the Space Three

Fantastic Fungi Bring your young ones for

women from different cultural backgrounds

a day of learning about the fascinating

each use abstractions of religious text as

world of mushrooms. For children seven and

both theme and medium in their joint art-

up. Point Reyes National Seashore (Point

work—a length of cloth, thru Feb 26. (SF)

Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

415.591.8800, jmsf.org

B AY A R E A

de Young Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh A col-

Saturdays thru January

lection of art created during the glorious

Bufano Sculpture Tours Join the muse-

reign of the female pharaoh; thru Feb 5.

um’s ceramics instructor Dennis Treanor

Jasper Johns: 45 Years of Master Prints;

for a free tour of Bufano’s eight giant animal sculptures. Randall Museum (SF).

thru Feb 12. (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org/deyoung

Bufano sculpture of a mother bear and her cubs at the Randall Museum.

Legion of Honor

January 8 & 15

FAMILIES/KIDS

After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006: Rephotographing the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Powerful images of

415.554.9600, randallmuseum.org

Children’s Story Time and Family Walk Dig into great garden stories, then venture

MARIN

the city; thru June 4. Museum admission

out on a special tour of the SF Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum (SF).

is free to the public every Tuesday (SF).

Thru January 15

415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

Berenstain Bears Discover life with the

415.661.1316, sfbotanicalgarden.org

adorable and famous Berenstain fam-

January 12, 19, 26 & February 2

Museum of Craft & Folk Art

ily through interactive, three-dimensional

Zoo 4 You In this four-session class, four-

Folk Art of the Soul from Bay Area

environments based on the classic story-

year-olds can learn about diverse ani-

Collections Featuring examples of interna-

book’s illustrations and cartoon characters.

mals through zoo walks, classroom talks,

tional folk art from over ten Bay Area collec-

Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito).

crafts, and animal visitors. SF Zoo (SF).

tions, thru Jan 29. Please note that the muse-

415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

415.753.7073, sfzoo.org

January 7

January 15

um has moved—this is the ﬁrst show at Yerba Buena Lane (SF). 415.775.0991, mocfa.org.

Storyteller Ane Carla Rovetta: It’s

Let’s Build a Savanna Visit and learn about

SFMOMA

Elemental, My Dear! An evening of warm

the African animals living at the zoo, then

Chuck Close: Self-Portraits 1967-2005

family stories that everyone can cuddle

create your own savanna in a transformed

Through nearly four decades of art move-

up to at the Dance Palace (Point Reyes).

classroom. For children four to ﬁve years old

ments, Close has remained committed to a

415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

(SF). 415.753.7073, sfzoo.org

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January 21–22

ﬁeld trip ideas, education programs, and

Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair

more—at this annual fair. Marin Center

January 12–18

Gear up for the Year of the Dog with fresh

(San Rafael). 415.499.6800,

Berlin and Beyond Film Festival A unique

ﬂowers, fruits, candy. Chinatown (SF).

marincenter.org

event showcasing new cinema from Germany,

415.391.9680, chineseparade.com

EVENTS

Austria, and Switzerland. Castro Theatre (SF). 415.263.8760, goethe.de/uk/saf/

January 25

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Opening Night Gala Celebrate the SF

January 14

Ballet’s 73rd season. War Memorial Opera

January 9 & 12

International Rubik’s Cube Tournament

House (SF). 415.865.2000, sfballet.org

Marin Speaker Series Three-term senator,

Watch as the world’s greatest solvers of the

congressman, and Senate Minority Leader

Rubik’s Cube compete. Exploratorium at the

Tom Daschle shares his in-depth perspec-

Palace of Fine Arts (SF). 415.563.7337,

tive on our country, its issues, and its future.

exploratorium.edu

Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

January 14–15 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration A

January 13 & 14

full weekend of festivities in honor of the

Touching the Earth Lecture Series Author

late civil rights leader. Various locations

Gretel Ehrlich kicks off the ﬁrst speaker event

(SF). norcalmlk.org

of this series, which lasts through June. SF Zen Center (SF). 415.863.3136, sfzc.com

January 14–15 California World Guitar Show Meet instru-

January 14

ment experts from all over the world, and

Stephen Colbert The Daily Show’s comedic

celebrity artists. Marin Center (San Rafael).

“fake newsman” takes the stage, with an

415.499.6800, marincenter.org

intro by Tim Goodman. Herbst Theatre (SF). 415.392.4400 cityboxofﬁce.com

January 19 Sea Lions’ Arrival Commemorate the 16th

Nature Lovers Ball held at Presidio Ofﬁcers’ Club, see January 21 listing.

anniversary of the playful pinnipeds’ resi-

January 23 Margo Jefferson Pulitzer Prize–winning

dence on the ﬂoating docks. Docents from

January 27–28

New York Times culture critic is inter-

the Marine Mammal Center will be on

Fundraiser and Silent Art Auction Eat,

viewed onstage at the Herbst Theatre (SF).

hand to answer questions. Pier 39 (SF).

drink, and bid to beneﬁt the San Anselmo

415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

415.705.5500, pier39.com

Arts Commission’s programs. This year’s theme is the Chinese Year of the Dog.

January 19

Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross).

Tiburon International Film Festival

sananselmoarts.com

January 8

Independent ﬁlm from around the world.

NATURE WALKS/TALKS

Dead Heat Under the Shrubs, ﬁlmed in Iran

January 27–29

Stalking the Wild Mushroom A discus-

and directed by Esmael Barari. It plays Jan

Flyway Festival Celebrate the return of

sion of identiﬁcation methods and foray

19 at the Bay Club Marin (Corte Madera).

shorebirds, ducks, geese, and hawks at the

into nearby woods to hunt for and collect

415.945.3000, tiburonﬁlmfestival.com

only three-day birding festival in the Bay

specimens (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200,

Area. Mare Island (Vallejo). 707.557.9816,

ptreyes.org

January 21

sfbayﬂywayfestival.com

January 14

Nature Lovers Ball Enjoy dining, dancing, and a silent auction, as well as the presenta-

January 28

Lunar Light Night Hike Climb up Mount

tion of the 2006 Terwilliiger Environmental

Bay Area Environmental Education

Wittenberg as the sun sets and the moon

Award. Presidio Ofﬁcers’ Club (SF).

Resources Fair Find new ways to support

rises. Led by naturalist Michael Ellis (Point

415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org

the environment—conservation techniques,

Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org MARIN JANUARY 2006

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11/29/05 11:39:26 AM

Banquet Room Available 931 Fourth Street San Rafael, CA 94901 456-2425

SR_Joes_0106_v1.indd 1

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A Sausalito Landmark Since the late 1960’s Scoma’s Restaurant, in the heart of Sausalito, has offered romantic views of San Francisco and the Bay while serving superb fresh seafood and authentic Italian specialties.

Located in historic downtown Novato. Private Parties. Dinner Every Night Reservations suggested, walk-ins welcome! 868 Grant Ave. 415 892 6100 www.kitchen868.com

112

Jutting out on piers over the water are two Victorian dining rooms, furnished with period pieces. There is also a full bar and lounge, along with a deck where visitors can try a sampler menu or full dining. If your interest is a romantic dinner for two or for a group function, up to 65, it’s not hard to imagine why Scoma’s is invariably filled to capacity. Open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays November thru March. Reservations recommended.

588 Bridgeway, Sausalito 415-332-9551 www.scomassausalito.com

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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FL AVOR

CHOW

ITALIA Sausalito’s Rustico, Mill Valley’s Vasco, and Café Arrivederci in San Rafael

Rustico’s ravioli with fresh tomatoes

PH OTO: SASHA G ULIS H

BY RACHEL & DAVID MICHAEL CANE

hen Italians talk about food,

of Italian opera. The room is warm and color-

over arugula. This southern Italian–inspired

they’re talking about their souls.

ful, with art on the walls, a centrally located

menu features the freshest ingredients from an

Their culinary traditions and

fireplace, and upbeat and friendly service. The

area known for meats, sausages, and Pecorino

quest for the freshest ingredients are the sacred

pasta here shines, made on site with organic

Romano cheese.

threads that tie families together. For some

flour and organic eggs to create the most deli-

For lively and convivial dining, ven-

Marin Italian restaurants, you are like family

cate and sensual ravioli. Savor the flavor con-

ture to Vasco (106 Throckmorton Ave.,

the moment you walk through the door.

trast between gentle ricotta-spinach pillows

415.381.3343), nestled off Mill Valley’s vil-

Driving into Sausalito—with its likeness to

with a sweet ripe tomato sauce and a creamy

lage square. Named after proprietor Paul

the Amalfi coast or Lake Como—brings a sense

pumpkin-stuffed ravioli with browned sage

Lazzareschi’s father, this Tuscan-style eatery of-

of being in Italy that puts you in the mood for

butter, pumpkin seeds, and slivered almonds.

fers straightforward food in healthy portions at

great food. Entering Rustico (39 Caledonia

And don’t miss the sublime insalata di fruitti di

a decidedly popular price. In such a stylish en-

St., 415.332.4500) perpetuates that feel-

mare, the signature seafood salad of sautéed

vironment, you’d think the veal piccata, grilled

ing, right down to the greeting by proprietor

shellfish cooked to order, simply dressed with

beefsteak, large slow-cooked lamb shank, and

Antonio Ruggieri and the welcoming sounds

lemon and extra-virgin olive oil and served

seafood entrées would cost more, but the

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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most expensive dish is $15.50. The nicely var-

gnocchi melts in your mouth, and the fried

for nights when you want restaurant cuisine in

ied wine list is also fairly priced, by the bot-

calamari is light, crisp, and perfectly cooked.

the comfort of home.

tle or the glass. Lazzareschi believes his guests

From the first course to the desserts, take your

Rachel and David Michael Cane, winners

should enjoy a meal quickly, affordably—and

time with this one and remember to say arri-

of the coveted James Beard Foundation Award

frequently. Vasco doesn’t have white linen and

vederci, or “until we meet again.” On that note,

for Excellence, host A Matter of Taste, Sundays

doesn’t take reservations, which helps keep

the full menu is available for delivery through

from 11 am to 1 pm, on Talk 910 KNEW–AM,

prices down. Note: The wood-fired pizza oven

Dining in Marin and Room Service of Marin,

San Francisco; www.amatteroftaste.com.

not only produces wonderful pizza, but also is where some of the roasted vegetable salads are born. The beets nestled on greens with goat

QUICK BITES

cheese and crispy pancetta is a standout—the

If slow-cooked food is fast winning you over, then Gira Polli in Mill Valley is your

depth of flavor the oven-roasting imbues is de-

place. From the almond-wood-fired rotisserie crafted in Sicily emerge tasty herb-

licious. Open daily from 5 to 11 p.m., Vasco is

scented roast chickens. Call in your order and it will be ready when you arrive. You

a choice spot for a late-night bite.

can even buy fairly priced wines to go. The frequent chicken buyer card entitles you to

Last but hardly least, family-owned and

one chicken free after purchasing ten. A full menu is available with restaurant seating,

-operated Café Arrivederci just celebrated ten

and there’s counter service for lunch. Another really easy-feeling contemporary Italian

years of serving northern Italian cuisine in San

menu is at Cucina Restaurant and Wine Bar in San Anselmo. This trattoria beck-

Rafael (11 G St., 415.453.6427). The exten-

ons with authentic aromas of authentic fare inspired by the cuisine of Rome. Expect

sive lunch and dinner menu serves a hungry

great ingredients prepared for dine-in or takeout; the fresh mozzarella di bufala cre-

neighborhood crowd, and both families and

ates one of the best pizzas imaginable. The wine list is exceptional, with a broad se-

businesspeople feel welcome. The restaurant

lection from both known and little-known regions. The bar is small and cozy, a perfect

is spacious and gracious, with additional din-

backdrop for wine tasting and casual meals.

ing outside, weather permitting. Homemade

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FA MI LY

New Year’s Eve, Family Style

BY DENVER COLEMAN, PH.D.

Resolutions present and past will still be made

page. For many, New Year’s equates with “reso-

Googling “New Year’s resolutions” reveals

lutions.” But resolutions can easily fade from

people everywhere resolve to lose weight, be-

memory. As a way of minimizing this possi-

come fit, and spend time with their families.

bility, years ago my wife Theresa and I began

What if instead of individually writing out

a tradition with friends that we now practice

these resolutions, you and your family develop

ere’s 2006 already sitting in our

Dr. Denver suggests: ■

Download the New Food Guide Pyramid for

laps—like an eager child, swing-

and reviewed, but it’s the spontaneous chatter

ing her legs back and forth,

between those activities that may prove most

children at www.usda.gov/cnpp/KidsPyra

ready for a turn of the calendar

productive.

to reeducate your family about healthy eat-

with our children. Ideally, it results in resolu-

your own “group think” process to accomplish

tions becoming realities.

these goals? Let’s imagine some results:

ing. Then post it on the refrigerator so everyone can choose foods wisely. ■

Use “group think” to plan at least one meal a week so your kids can practice pyramid food combinations.

■

If you haven’t browsed the family activity books in your local library, you’ll be sur-

Here’s how it worked with friends: Come

Losing weight means eating better. As your

prised. Check out one for each person in

New Year’s Eve, after a sumptuous feast topped

family discusses foods and food combina-

your family and rotate them as you browse

with to-die-for desserts, each of us listed our

tions, everyone participates in planning cre-

predictions and resolutions for the coming

ative meals. Your children’s input helps keep

year, sealed them in envelopes, and anticipat-

everyone on track, while learning how to plan

Put everyone’s choices in a bowl and draw

ed them being read the following year. Then,

healthy meals will serve them for a lifetime.

tickets to place them in order. Then fill in a

them for ideas. ■

Settle on activities that involve exercise.

after we rang in the new year, the previous

Becoming fit means being active. So kick

calendar with activities: Hike Año Nuevo/

year’s envelopes were retrieved from the back

around plans for active—and attractive—day

see elephant seals; Go to Point Reyes/to

of a drawer and distributed to their origina-

trips, e.g., Tahoe and snow, climbing Mount

look for birds, whales, and elk; S.F. Bay/

tors. “Oh! “Ah!” “Oh no!” reigned as everyone

Tam, beachcombing at Stinson. Ideally, and

kayak; Napa’s Silverado Trail/bicycles, etc.

opened their envelopes. Year after year, accu-

with practice, your family will eat more

Have a healthy and fun 2006. And let me

racies and successes proved spotty and varied.

healthily, become more active, and enjoy in-

know how “group think” works for your family.

Clairvoyant we weren’t.

creased time together. Most important, when

But something important happened at those

each family member has a voice, and feels his

Denver Coleman, Ph.D.’s practice is based

revealing celebrations. Between the writing of

or her needs are being met, everyone feels val-

in Mill Valley. Email questions or comments to

the coming year’s resolutions, and the reading

ued and happy to participate.

drdenver@marinmagazine.com.

of the past year’s projections, a “group think” process took place. During this less-than-anhour interlude, we spontaneously exchanged ideas, imaged trips, and talked of adventures. Year after year, our verbally expressed “group think” plans—hike at Mendocino, jet to Hawaii, or soak in the mud baths of Calistoga—proved even more successful than the carefully scripted personal resolutions. Now, instead of close friends, our kids, ages 3 and 7, will participate in our New Year’s Eve “group think” process. With past successes emboldening us, Theresa and I envision completing most of the ideas we’ll spontaneously discuss during a family-oriented celebration.

MARIN JANUARY 2006

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M IC ROCL I M ATE

FAIRFAX=FUN The town is relaxed to the max BY JIM WOOD PHOTOS BEN DAVIDSON

FAIRFAX’S QUIRKY CHARACTER and progressive politics make it tempting to call it the Berkeley of Marin. But that would be overlooking some differences. Namely, Fairfax has fewer people (only 7,300), much more parking, and its own, homegrown brand of fun. MARIN JANUARY 2006

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“This place is wonderful,” says a father of two who moved his family here from the Haight-Ashbury two years ago. “The schools, parks, and open space are what brought us. Now it’s the neighbors and convenient shopping we really enjoy.” And where was this family man standing while so effusively extolling Fairfax’s Leave It to Beaver traits? At the noisy, crowded bar of 19 Broadway—named by readers of the North Bay Bohemian as Marin’s ”Hottest Club”—to buy five tickets to see the ska band English Beat. Come to think of it, there is a bit of Berkeley in Fairfax. The town is an eclectic mix of businesses old and new, globally minded restaurants, iconoclastic storefronts, and a few million-dollar homes. On Bolinas Road (the town’s Main Street), for example, S & N Automotive, a gritty garage and auto parts store that likely once repaired Studebakers and Packards, sits next door to Dance Theater Seven, a conservatory whose graduates have gone on to perform with the San Francisco, Boston, and English National ballets. Kitty-corner from the Fairfax Baseball Park (“1991 Little League District 3 All Star Champions”) is Marin Alliance, the county’s only medical marijuana outlet and possibly “the longest-standing pot club in America,” says owner Lynnette Shaw. The club has been in business for nine years and belongs to the local Chamber of Commerce. Indeed, downtown Fairfax is a crazy quilt of catchy store names. Among them (you name the service provided Above: Rick Dillon standing in front of his Fatkat Surf Shop. At right: Toys displayed in Fairfax Variety storefront window. Below: Interior of Coffee Roasters with jazz band playing in background. Opposite page: Panorama of downtown Fairfax

or product sold): Objects of Pleasure, Culture Shock, Purple Haze, Scoop, Frogs, Hogwash, Silver Bush, the Cottage, and Dreamland. Three things Fairfax doesn’t have are weapons of mass destruction (it is a “nuclear-free” zone), parking meters (nary a one), and a Starbucks (local politics are anti-chain). But there is ample caffeine. Marin Coffee Roasters dominates a key downtown corner. A few doors away, the Book Beat is a Beat-like coffeehouse and, across the street, the Koffee Klatch is famous for its homemade breakfasts. Local video producer Gordy Hall touts Fairfax on his website (www.gordyo.com) as “the Town at the Center of the Universe,” known best, perhaps, to the rest of the galaxy as the birthplace of the mountain bike. It’s also home to writer Anne Lamott, and is considered the last outpost before Sir Francis Drake Boulevard heads into the wilds of West Marin.

118-129_MicroClimate.indd 122

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MARK SCHWARTZ

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Fairfax is named for “Lord” Charles Snowden Fairfax, a descendant

private estate with great views from the top of Oak Manor sold for $2.6

of Scottish barons who was lured from his Virgina home to California by

million,” says Grubb. And those newer, Craftsman-style homes visible

the Gold Rush of 1849. He became a state assemblyman and eventually

from Sir Francis Drake? “They rarely come on the market, but when

named his home Bird’s Nest Glen, which later became the Marin Town

they do, they’re in the millions.”

and Country Club. (It is now a 24-acre collection of ramshackle rental cottages.)

However, visiting Fairfax doesn’t cost a dime. Hike to Bon Tempe Lake off Sky Oaks Road or to White’s Hill (elevation 1,430 feet) off Sir

Those who wish to follow in Fairfax’s footsteps and settle in the

Francis Drake. Bike the nearly sacred Repack Road, site of the world’s

town that bears his name should prepare for housing prices that reflect

first mountain bike races. If money is burning a hole in your pocket, do

Marin’s hefty cost of living. The good news being it’s possible to find

a night on the town with Italian food (Fradelizio’s) or Thai (Siam Lotus)

homes for less than the county’s median price of about $925,000.

or Mexican (Pancho Villa and Casa Mañana) or family fare (Iron Springs

“Fairfax is past ‘the fives,’” says Mark Grubbs of Melissa Bradley Real

Brewery). And then take in a movie at the four-screen Fairfax Theater

Estate, meaning even a two-bedroom, one-bath older property runs at

before heading out for a night of music and dance at 19 Broadway, Café

least $600,000. “Around $750,000 will get you a three-bedroom, two-

Amsterdam, or Peri’s, which feature bands nearly every night.

bath in a nice neighborhood, say like Cascade Canyon,” says Prudential Realty agent Ryan Murphy. Of course, you can spend more. “Recently a

Don’t expect chichi, though. Fairfax is funky, with the emphasis being on the first three letters of that word.

Magical Setting Build Your Dream

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Specializing in selling your home

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Would like to thank you for a tremendous first year! We look forward to serving your real estate needs in the new year and beyond.

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D I A LO GUE

Author Cyra McFadden is probably still best known for her 1977 comic novel The Serial, which skewered the stereotypical self-indulgent 1970s Marin lifestyle and was made into a movie starring Martin Mull and Tuesday Weld. The book earned her high praise and literary fame, but it also made her some enemies. “My house was egged. There was one merchant who kicked me out of his store and told me never to come back. The book was a joke, people. A joke,” she says, throwing up her hands at the memory. In 1986 she published her memoir Rain or Shine to the kind of reviews people would pay for if they could. Now, after a long sojourn in San Francisco and a very public life as a columnist for the Examiner, Ms. McFadden is back in Marin, living a quiet life on a Sausalito houseboat. She does some freelance writing and editing. She has been at work on a new novel “for the last three hundred years.” When she is not writing, a process she finds excruciating, she hangs out with her daughter and son-in-law and her partner, jazz musician Don Bennett. Last fall McFadden received a Milley Award for Literary Arts from the Mill Valley Arts Commission. “I was so touched and pleased,” she says. “There’s nothing like being recognized by your hometown.” Especially one where some residents once thought she had ruined Marin’s reputation forever. 130

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BY SAMANTHA SCHOECH

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? My whole adult history is here. My daughter and my guy are here. When I decided I couldn’t stand the city anymore I figured the statute of limitations had run out on The Serial and I could come back. What makes you happy in Marin? I really love the houseboat community. It’s a pocket of relative serenity in an urban environment. What gets on your nerves here? SUVs. They’re aesthetic disasters and strike me as unbelievably selfish. What’s your personal idea of luxury? A whole day with nothing to do but read. What do you value every day? My relationships with friends. My relationship with my daughter, who is my best friend. My great good luck in making a connection with my partner later in life. That was a surprise. What person has influenced you the most? I’m old; lots of people have influenced me! If I had to pick one person it would be my fifth-grade teacher in Missoula, Montana, Pearl Felker. She was incredibly demanding. She had fifth-graders reading The Iliad and she was strict about things like spelling and grammar—she’s probably the reason I became a writer. What’s been the most fulfilling moment in your work? My second book, Rain or Shine, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. No one ever hears about the finalists, but it was very gratifying. What’s a Marin stereotype that fits? Small blond in giant SUV. What stereotype doesn’t fit? The notion that everyone here is wealthy. There are a lot of people who struggle and sacrifice to stay here. What makes your skin crawl? Karl Rove. What’s your desert island book or album? I couldn’t possibly pick just one. I’m not going to that desert island unless Amazon delivers. What’s your favorite place to unwind? My own quiet little houseboat. Do you have a favorite Marin view? The city skyline from the road to Tiburon. What do you like about yourself? Believe it or not, I like being my present age of 68. I like being independent and I’m more confident than I was when I was younger. It’s a good time in my life. How do you want to be remembered? I guess as a moderately decent human being.

P H OTO: BAR BARA RIES

Cyra McFadden

MARIN JANUARY 2006

11/27/05 11:00:12 AM

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