Point Bonita Lighthouse

This past Saturday we spent the day in Sausalito, to spend time with my good ol' dad as an early birthday celebration for him. We started the day off with lunch at Fish, a casual, seafood restaurant that I found on trusty Yelp. Not only was the food delicious, but they are eco-conscious and make an effort to only buy and serve sustainable seafood - extra brownie points!

Mason jars for water. Oh, and my chardonnay.

Brentwood corn with sweet chili lime butter - SO good!

I ordered the crab sandwich which is like the West Coast's answer to the East Coast lobster roll. It was to die for! Nothing but crab meat, fresh herbs, the lightest coating of dressing, piled into a soft torpedo roll, accompanied by a pile of shoestring fries. There is not much else you need in life.

Heaven on a plate

After lunch, we made our way over to the Point Bonita Lighthouse. We had never visited before, but recommendations from friends and great pictures online had peaked our interest. You drive through a portion of the Marin Headlands and enjoy spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Even though I've lived here my whole life, and have seen this view from different angles, hundreds of times, it never ceases to take my breath away. I tried to get some good photos with my camera phone, but it was a hazy day and the pictures didn't do it justice.

At the trailhead

My big boy

The cousins

The trail is only about 0.5 miles long (one way) and is an easy walk except for one very steep portion, but the views make it totally worth it.

Not pictured here: lots of harbor seals spotted along the way

A cool feature on the trail is a tunnel carved through a mountain, which you walk through. The kids loved this part!

When you emerge on the other side, you walk a little bit further and then you can see the lighthouse with a suspension bridge leading up to it. The lighthouse is still in active use by the Coast Guard, and for a few hours a day, you can go inside and read all about it's history in the SF Bay.

The strong winds made the bridge sway - exciting!

My baby boy

Sister sister

The girls

Heading back through the tunnel

After exploring the lighthouse, taking lots of pictures and enjoying the gorgeous 360 degree views, we made the return trip back on the trail. Then we spent a couple of hours strolling through downtown Sausalito, browsing in shops and enjoying the warm summer weather. Another great family day well spent!

Kauai pie on a hot summer day - YES!