About Tiburon
Tiburon has a tagline – Easy to find. Hard to leave. It seems so true. Tiburon is a place to relax on the water and watch the boats go by. Time has slowed down in this town – except, of course, if you are racing out of the Corinthian Yacht Club. Or if you were here before the 1930s, when it was a high-spirited railroad town. During the Prohibition era Sam’s Anchor Café was known to have been serving Whiskey as if running a bar was nothing out of the ordinary then, with deliveries by boat underneath their building. Sam’s is still serving drinks today on their wonderful waterside deck. Rumor has it that the infamous gangster Al Capone had drinks at Sam’s before a barge took him over to Alcatraz in 1934.
The railroad is now a historic walking trail for 2.5 miles to Blackie’s Pasture where you’ll find a statue honoring Blackie, the old Calvary horse, who was put out to pasture. The trail starts in town and dogs are welcome. You can immerse yourself in more of Tiburon’s history at the Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum originally built in 1885, just down from the very true Main Street.
Main Street is filled with restaurants, shops and a hotel on the water. If you arrive by boat, there are ample guest slips along the docks. Main Street curves into Historic Ark Row with lots of boutique shops full of treasures, wine tasting and the Tiburon Playhouse Theater – known for its popcorn, comfy seats and the option of beer and wine at the concession stand.
Staying for a while? The water has many modes of transportation. Ferries can take you to Angel Island for a hike or picnic or to San Francisco for a day of shopping and dining. You can charter a sailboat for a day on the Bay or use the water taxi service offering trips around Marin, to the East Bay and many stops in San Francisco, including AT&T Park for the Giants’ games.
Besides all the water connections here, another unknown fact is that “…Tiburon is a dog-friendly town,” according to Lisa Giffin of Waters Edge Hotel, which welcomes your dog up to 74 lbs. Also this town is bike friendly.
So, Tiburon is dog friendly, bike friendly and hard to leave. Be ready when you land here! Destination: Tiburon.
Vallejo’s waterfront at the northern tip of San Pablo Bay played an important role in its history and continues into its future. In 1854 the Mare Island Naval Shipyard was built servicing our country through two world wars, so the harbor was important for the military. At the same time it played a strong role in the flourishing of the economy in Vallejo for commercial shipping, industry, oil companies and ferry transportation, which used to move thousands of people to and from San Francisco along with freight trains across the bay.
At the Vallejo Ferry Building you can obtain a Walking Map of historic Vallejo’s Old Town and start your self-guided tour.
Vallejo’s history continues to unfold all around the city, telling a colorful story- at Mare Island, in the downtown area’s arts district and historic districts in central Vallejo and near the Vallejo waterfront.
The Vallejo Heritage District showcases Vallejo’s rich architectural history of refined and decorative houses and structures built between 1860-1890, now known as the “Working Man’s Victorian.” The majority of the houses are located in the “Old Town” section of Vallejo, starting at Georgia Street and moving outward from there. The St. Vincent’s Hill Historic District was a workingman’s neighborhood for shipbuilders at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard and had interesting architecture, including Greek Revival cottages of the mid 1800s.
For the history buffs, you won’t want to miss Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum at 734 Marin Street in downtown Vallejo.
The Vallejo Arts & Entertainment District is downtown and includes the renovated Empress Theatre. 906-930 Marin St. is full of art studios and galleries are found in the 300 and 400 blocks on Georgia St. The Vallejo Art Windows Project embellishes the downtown district by filling up empty storefronts with dynamic artworks by Bay Area artists. Check the website to discover their locations.
Speaking of kids, you can’t forget to visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom close by for some thrills. They boast the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country.
Vallejo’s farmers market is at Georgia and Marin St. on Saturdays, from 9am to 2pm year-round. Vallejo has a large dog park – Wardlaw Dog Park – with sections for both small and large dogs, along with plenty chairs and benches. Down at the waterfront on the fourth Wednesday of the month from June through Oct., the city hosts a Food Truck Mania event with music, truckloads of gourmet food and games for kids.
And when you have had enough history and roller coaster rides, you can always take a fun ferry ride over to San Francisco across the Bay from Vallejo.
