Marin County heart is home to fun exploration

By Karen Aiello
kaiello@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

SAN ANSELMO -- Located in the heart of Marin County -- offering beautiful views of Mount Tamalpais, a main street dotted with shops and a community park complete with a castle and dinosaur -- San Anselmo is an inviting stop on a journey from inland to the sea.

This quaint town -- once inhabited by coastal Mewuks and once home to a depot of the North Pacific Coast Railroad carrying passengers from San Rafael and Sausalito -- is now centered around the "Hub," a major five-way intersection that took the place of a three-way railroad interchange.

Visitors to the charming community can stop in at the San Anselmo Historical Museum, where they may enjoy the history of the area, pick up a walking-tour guide and stroll about taking in the highlights. Among them is the San Francisco Theological Seminary campus with its hilltop location, beautiful grounds, labyrinths and the Montgomery Chapel, built in 1892 and offering architectural design, stained-glass masterpieces and ornate stonework. Heading downtown to San Anselmo Avenue, visitors may stop in at Ross Valley Winery for refreshment and enjoy the antiques shops, various gift shops and boutiques.

To delight the children, stop in at Doodlebug, which is also located on San Anselmo Avenue. This downtown art studio is a great place to get creative by painting a pottery item or a wooden treasure box, creating a mosaic, trying your hand at decoupage, knitting for a bit or doing any one of a number of various projects.

If being outdoors is your preferred option, head across Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to San Francisco Boulevard and Veterans Place, where Memorial Park provides picnicking opportunities and the Millennium playground, which features a climbing castle and a dinosaur poking out of the ground. This park also offers a tot-friendly play area.

During the last weekend of June, downtown San Anselmo welcomes thousands of visitors to enjoy the delights of art and wine. "Surf's Up" is the theme of the 26th annual Art and Wine Festival, which will showcase 200 artists, gourmet food, wine tasting, entertainment and activities for kids.

Bee assistant librarian Karen Aiello can be reached at kaiello@modbee.com or 578-2392.