View of the Golden Gate from Fort Baker and the lodge at Cavallo Point.

Hiking in the Headlands. Fort Barry, Marin County.

Surf's up: Hiking in the Headlands. Fort Barry, Marin County. — Surf's up: Hiking in the Headlands. Fort Barry, Marin County.

View of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge from Sausalito.

That's Sausalito - I know you know this, I just love saying the name of this cute little town with a Mexican accent, hence the title of this post. :) If you are in San Francisco for more than a few days make sure take a trip over to this cute little tourist town in Marin County. The benefit of staying overnight here was being able to get up early before any of the tourists rolled in and enjoy the feeling of being a local. The Gables Inn was a perfect location for the one night we were there. Leave your car parked and take advantage of the Inn's ideal location. After rubbing shoulders with the locals and their Retrievers on the beach in the early am head over to the Marin Headlands (ten minute drive) and go for a hike at Fort Barry in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. An absolutely stunning area to take in the sun, hike, bike, or surf. The views of the coastline are exquisite. Take it all in. :)

Stay:

The Gables Inn 62 Princess Street, Sausalito, CA 1.415.289.1100

Superb location, a variety of rooms, and friendly staff make this inn a joy to stay at. The evening wine and cheese reception was a nice touch and a good opportunity to gather tips for our stay. Great hospitality, would definitely return. $$

Cavallo Point 601 Murray Circle, Fort Baker, Sausalito, CA 1.888.651.2003

Deemed top five luxury resorts in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure magazine, this former army base sits just below the iconic Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Baker, only a few minutes down the road from Sausalito. I would love to stay here, if only just to attend their cooking school! $$$

Inn Above the Tide 30 El Portal, Sausalito, CA 1.800.332.9535

Situated right at the water's edge this 31 room inn offers sweeping views of the bay and private balconies to soak it all in. The only reason we didn't stay here was because it was sold out. Will have to try again next time as this place is highly rated. $$

Eat/Shop:

Although we didn't get a chance to explore the local dining scene too much we did make it to a fairly touristy but kinda fun San Francisco style fish house by the harbour;

The Seafood Peddler of Sausalito 303 Johnson Street, Sausalito, CA 1.415.332.1492

Wasn't my ideal place to dine but the fish was very fresh and the service very good. Traditional seafood menu with all the classics, not to mention key lime pie... Anything to remind me of my days as a Floridian... :) $$

Marin County Mart at Larkspur Landing. 2257 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur, CA 1.415.461.5700

If you have a car and are looking for some chic shopping and excellent dining, make a point of getting back on the interstate and driving the ten minutes it takes to get to Marin County Mart. I was even pleased to find a Soul Cycle location here! WOOT! After you're done getting sweaty on the bike head on over to re-hydrate at Pressed Juicery, then browse the boutiques in the very pleasing outdoor shopping mall. When you need to refuel head to Rustic Bakery or Farmshop. Alternatively, if you're feeling feisty, head to El Huarache Loco for some authentic Mexican food and margs. Olé! :)

There are ferry services between Larkspur, Sausalito, and San Francisco, just in case you don't have a car.

Ciao for now! Happy Travels!

XO