Wanted to relate one of our favorite hikes. For us its about a 6 hour total trip, but one can break this down into smaller segments especially if you start in down town Mill Valley. In the end there is beer! We started from home walking down along the water to Miller Avenue which took us past Joe's Taco Lounge & Salsaria - its a cute place for a breakfast burrito, but as long as you are not looking for more than "quaffable" its totally do-able. As usual Maria was disappointed with the Mexican cuisine. I personally found the decor amazing - never seen that many plastic saints lined up in a row.
We then made our way up past Miller St. We were in luck as the cherry trees along the way were in bloom. You need to make your way up past the Depot Bookstore and Cafe - which is a great place for coffee and checking out the latest newspapers before turning left on Throckmorton Ave. and making our way up past Old Mill Park to Cascade St. Here you take another left and cross a small bridge before making it up to the beginning of the Dipsea Stairs.
We then made our way up past Miller St. We were in luck as the cherry trees along the way were in bloom. You need to make your way up past the Depot Bookstore and Cafe - which is a great place for coffee and checking out the latest newspapers before turning left on Throckmorton Ave. and making our way up past Old Mill Park to Cascade St. Here you take another left and cross a small bridge before making it up to the beginning of the Dipsea Stairs.
All together there are about 675 steps to get to the top. You meander your way past people's homes. Do your best to avert your eyes from stalking into someone's kitchen. By the time you get to the top you will be a bit winded. We actually saw some die hard enthusiasts go up and down multiple times. At the top you need to continue along the road and then go up Walsh drive to the very back of a posh sub-division. Again avoid the feeling of trespassing. And try to suppress the urge to steal someone's mailbox. Eventually you will make your way to the crest of the mountain range - Panoramic Highway.
From here you will need to cross the road and continue along to get to the beginning of Dipsea Trail. The view from here is outstanding. On a good day you can see to the ocean. The trail immediately divides into the Sun Trail. Take the Sun Trail to the right and continue along the winding small dirt road. It hugs the hills and traces its way back and forth over small wooden bridges. I'd recommend having a hat and shades, as the name implies - there is a lot of sun.
From here it is a simple 20-30 minute walk - depending on how stellar of a hiker you are to get to the Tourist Club.
From out of nowhere you come across this beautiful multi-story house that has various large porches and looks like a doll house from Bavaria. BRING CASH! - Or resign yourself to drooling as others around you down German beer from the spigot. Pack a lunch and blanket to sit on as most tables are taken. They have a policy that only groups of 7 or less are allowed unless you are a club member (open 1-5PM except the weekend of the 2nd Sunday of each month). Otherwise enjoy yourself and let me know what you think.
This place is a great place to relax and have a cold beer after a good hike. They also have a variety of board games that you can borrow for a friendly game with friends on their sunny deck!
ReplyDeletelooks awsome =)
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