Marin Magazine May 2022

She takes care of our family one generation to the next.

Grams is the heart of the family. To honor her, we decided to give our daughter her name. We’d hoped to surprise her with the news when she visited us at the hospital, but the pandemic put a stop to that. We mentioned our disappointment to Lisa and the next thing you know, we’re getting a video call from Grams on her brand new tablet that Lisa set up for her. Our daughter Carolyn met her great grandmother and namesake on her very rst day. And it was all because Lisa takes care of everything with our family, including the little things.

— Julianna, San Diego

Enjoy the best of Monterey on Cannery Row

Natural wonders abound in Monterey, and there simply is no better place to experience it all than with a stay on Cannery Row. Known for its picturesque charm and colorful history, guests to this fabled street can enjoy a unique combination of luxurious waterfront hotels, enticing restaurants and captivating boutiques. Come, slow down and enjoy the best of Monterey on Cannery Row.

FEATURES

34

Pedaling Paradise

Some of the best road, mountain and family bike rides can be found right here in Marin.

40 ¡Salud!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some creative tequila- and mezcal-based cocktail recipes.

46 Leading Ladies

These powerful local women are making a positive impact in our community and beyond.

IN MARIN

19 Currents

This month, we celebrate the Golden Gate Bridge’s 85th birthday, find out what films to see at DocLands, get to know some of the Bay Area chefs participating in the upcoming Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience and more.

25

Conversation: Lightspeed to Marin

Lucasfilm Vice President and Creative Director Doug Chiang reflects on his road to success and more than 25 years in Marin.

28

Shop Local: Gifts for Grads Mark the occasion with these product pics from local stores and brands.

29

Author Talk: Born to Run Ultramarathoner and New York Times best-selling author Dean Karnazes talks about his new book, A Runner’s High

30

FYI: A Bug Collector’s Life

Fairfax scientist Larry Serpa collected more than 200,000 aquatic invertebrate specimens over his lifetime, and now his collection has a new home at the California Academy of Sciences.

32

First Person: Money Matters

Documentary filmmaker Robin Hauser explains why it’s critical for women to become financially literate, and how she set about spreading the word with her film $avvy

Our cover features “Salomé” (2022) by artist Donna Isham, whose work is inspired by the power of the female form. A mother of four who is now an artist with an international following, Isham harbored a passion for art for many years before finaly following her dreams.

FOUNDER & CHIEF VISIONARY OFFICER

MAKE IT BETTER MEDIA GROUP

Susan B. Noyes

Editorial

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lotus Abrams

EDITOR AT LARGE

Mimi Towle

NATIONAL CONTENT DIRECTOR

Brooke Geiger McDonald

REGIONAL CONTENT DIRECTOR

Jessica Gliddon

SPACES EDITOR IN CHIEF Liz Logan

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Christine Nikolich

DIGITAL MARKETING ASSISTANT Jessica Dlugosz

DINING, CALENDAR AND FEATURE WRITER

Christina Mueller

PHILANTHROPY EDITOR

Donna Berry Glass

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bernard Boo, Ben Davidson, Jessica Braun Gervais, Theresa Gonzalez, Robin Hauser, Lorena Masso, Kirsten Jones Neff Art

ART DIRECTOR

Lisa Hilgers

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Alex French

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ben Davidson, Lorena Masso, Mo Saito  Administration

MAKE IT BETTER FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sharon Krone

CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Jennifer Speaker

Volume 18, Issue 5. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine Inc. owned by Make It Better Media LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2021. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine Inc. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County.

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mission is to serve clients as their key thought partner in the design of their financial life plans. From development through ongoing implementation, Steve brings his technical expertise and coaching skills to help clients achieve their financial goals and dreams.

Media

PUBLISHER

Leah Bronson | lbronson@makeitbetter.com

MEDIA DIRECTOR

Lesley Cesare | lcesare@makeitbetter.com

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Sharon Coleman | scoleman@makeitbetter.com

MEDIA CONSULTANT

Jessica Hamilton | jhamilton@makeitbetter.com

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Jennifer Woolford | jwoolford@makeitbetter.com

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Domenica DiVietro | ddivietro@makeitbetter.com

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View From the Team

Celebrating Women Power

Welcome to our annual Wom en’s Power issue. We hope this magazine inspires you to think about the leading ladies of your life and to believe in your own power to achieve your dreams and make a difference.

Have you also noticed that woman power is on the rise? By almost every metric, women are achieving more now than ever before. More women than men are admitted to and graduating from universities and graduate schools. Substantially more women are launching

new businesses. More women occupy C Suites and sit on corporate boards. Disney and Marvel are rolling out more female superheroes than ever beforeFurthermore,too. women now control

60% of our country’s wealth — and demographics imply that this number will grow in the next decade. Women also outperform men as philanthropists — giving a greater share of their wealth, time and connections. (Thanks for the proof, Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott!) Women also dominate every social network but Twitter, making them particularly powerful at growing online connec tions for their favorite causes and brands.

Women do all this, and yet they still hold center place in the hearts of their families. If you need a smile, ask someone to talk about their mother. Love flows — just like the comments from our online audience that you will see on page 14.

If you want to create greater social impact and make the world a better place faster, just ask a woman to help. As Rosie the Riveter taught every one during World War II, women get the job done — whatever the assignment — while still tending to

their homes and the community too.

Naturally, this leads me to our fantastic female team. I’m deeply grateful to Leah Bronson, Lotus Abrams, Lisa Hilgers, Mimi Towle, Alex French, Jessica Gliddon, Maeve Walsh, Lesley Cesare, Sharon Coleman, Jessica Hamilton, Domenica DiVietro, Jessica Dlugosz, Donna Berry Glass and Christina Mueller. Please see and learn more about them by scanning the QR code below. Their great work brought you this print issue and a plethora of fantastic content and opportunities online. Our team, your support and all the amazing people we profile this month inspire me to do my best work; this also creates a lovely and everexpanding virtuous circle.

We’re particularly excited about our Celebrating & Empowering Women on the Rise event on May 19. Please join us for outstanding advice, and to make new powerful, posi tive connections — particularly if you aspire to grow your business, organiza tion or career.

As always, if you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to subscribe to our Better Letter email newsletter and follow our social networks too. These are your most direct line to the best re sources and opportunities in our beloved county and the Bay Area. Please scan the QR code below to learn how we can help your favorite nonprofit raise more money and help you make more lives better.

Most importantly though, we hope that you will send us your comments, ideas and recommendations. Your attention and voice are important. We’re honored when you share them with us.

Gratefully, Susan B. Noyes Founder & Chief Visionary Officer

Susan B. Noyes

May We Celebrate Women Supporting Women This Month

Ona chilly Sunday morning last month, surrounded by 30 women, I rested on a sun-soaked patch of artificial turf in savasana at Equip Sports in Novato. Observing the brilliant blue sky, palm fronds swaying in the breeze, I felt deeply relaxed after a Yin Yoga class topped off by a symphony of tones and frequen cies masterfully created by a woman trained in the art of sound healing. Longtime friend and former colleague Jen Marples was next to me in her signature hot pink puffy, equally blissed out. As we began the reentry into the day, she asked, “What happened to you? The Mimi Towle of two years ago would have been fidgeting, rolling her eyes and sneaking a glance on her phone.”

“I guess the pandemic,” I answered, watching a pair of white-breasted nuthatches flit about the yard. Jen, too, has been transformed by the pandemic. For 12 years, she owned a San Francisco-based public relations firm. She then coached women on life and work, and now has emerged from lockdown with an eponymous podcast (read about it on page 24), and is on a mission to inspire and champion midlife women with the rallying cry: “You’re not too f***ing old to do whatever the F you want!” She continues to coach women, is a motivational speaker, and tells me she’s going to empower more than 1 million women. She was the reason I was there, so I added, “just like you.”

We were at a Yin Yoga retreat created by Ellie Dominguez of Ellie’s Essential Oils. Formerly an elementary school teacher, our hostess started the morning off by saying, “Two years ago, if you were to tell me that I’d be standing here selling essential oils and hosting an event featur ing something called ‘sound healing’ I would have thought you were crazy.” We all laughed, and she explained her own pandemic pivot. A mother of two boys under 11, both with ADHD, and sober, she had to find something to sup port her through the stress of motherhood, and

discovered the power of what she refers to as the original medicine — essential oils. For instance, rose oil helps with opening up your heart chakra, rose geranium is incredibly hormonally balancing and sandalwood is grounding — all found in her High Heart Blend, which we all got in a goodie bag. Ellie orchestrated the day with women in her life, yoga by Nance Leombruno, sound heal ing by Jodi McLean, facials by Katharina Simkins, lunch catered by Dee’s Organics, and dessert by her former 5th grade student Alaina Prichard of Wildhope

AnotherKitchen.funconnection was running into a friend from college, Caroline Nelson, now a real-estate rock star with Compass. I walked in alone, happy to recognize her smiling face, and her gaggle of girlfriends were open, warm and welcoming, sharing stories of what brought them to the event. Another heart-warming connec tion was finally meeting Kelsey Grady in person. I’ve been emailing with Kesley for over a decade because she has a PR firm specializing in local high-tech companies — as in, she introduced me to Nextdoor, and I started the platform in Strawberry (that long). She shared her story

about how an ad about pediatric brain disorder in Marin Magazine helped her family when her 2-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She’ll be sharing her story in the October issue, as she is now volunteering her time to Pediatric Neuro Oncology Consortium (PNOC), and is forever grateful to their services.

This event, the women who rallied to attend, and the women who provided services are just a microcosm of amazing people in our community who either have the courage to start a small business, or the ability to sup port these types of events. And to top off the feel-good vibes, Ellie donated $600 (proceeds from our tickets) to Equip Sports, a Marinbased 501c3 focused on building athletic performance and social impact programs. In this issue, we celebrate women here in Marin and beyond living their best lives. We’d like to hear from you if you’ve made a positive pan demic pivot, so tag us @marinmagazine, when you’re visiting or supporting a women-led business this month.

Mimi Towle, Editor at Large

Yin Yoga retreat at Equip Sports in Novato

Want to know more about impactful women in our community? Scan here to get inspired:

“Locally Grown, Family Owned” by Carrie Ruehlman

“I’ve been an avid reader of Marin Magazine for years, and really like it when you include climate stories. March’s story on environmentally friendly local food purveyors made me a big fan of Straus Family Creamery, who I already like for milk in re turnable glass bottles. According to the Yale Cli mate Opinion Maps (February 23 update), 82% of people in Marin County think climate change is happening and 70% think Congress should do more to address the climate crisis. I want to ask you to amplify the growing concern in our area. If more people knew about public attitudes, we might see more momentum toward civic action. Thank you for your Marin-centered magazine!”

— Shirley Huang

“The latest issue of the Marin Magazine featured Pt. Reyes farmers and ranchers and their sustainability practices. Unfortunately, this article did not mention the contested park service management plan and the impacts these same ranchers have on the environment. The following letter (see editorial note below) explains this situation and certainly represents a very large, serious community concern challenging these ranchers' sustainability claims. It is irresponsible for Marin Magazine to showcase these ranchers’ claimed environmentally friendly practices when there is another viewpoint held by so many of us in the community. Marin Magazine should report on both opinions.”

— Maggie Keilg

Editorial note: Read the full letter sent to Secre tary of the Interior Deb Haaland online: Sign-On-Letter-to-Deb-Haaland_6.30.21_FINAL.pdf.wp-content/uploads/2021/06/RRI_Point-Reyes-rri.org/

“The Sausalito Woman’s Club is honored to have been featured in the March edition of Marin Magazine … even happier our annual Founders' Day tradition goes on next week!”

— Sausalito Woman’s Club, via Facebook

“Tradition Endures at the Sausalito Woman’s Club,” by Lotus Abrams

marinmagazine.com

SOCIAL NETWORKING

SUPERHERO MOMS

In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked our followers on Instagram how their moms have inspired them, and here’s what they had to say.

“She’s always supported my dreams and has been there for me 24/7 — love you mom!”

— @dalyfood

”My mother was the most important person in my life growing up. She raised me and my four siblings mostly by herself. Now with early Alzheimer's, I can see how she is losing some of those abilities that I admired so much in her, but her essence and generous heart remains the same. I miss her very much living so far away from her, and I’m grateful when I get to spend time with her because I know we don’t have much time left.”

— @paulavalenzuelaart

”(My mom has been) a single mother since I was age 5. She worked day and night to keep us in Marin County our whole life.”

— @paymongazzi

“[My mom has] molded me into the human I am today. She’s become my best friend. ” — @thenarrativelenss

“[My mom] died when I was young, but she taught me core values.”

— @rhack528

”[My mom] always finds a way to help me in areas of my life that I didn’t know I needed help with.”

— @alielo

To read more our mothers inspire us, can here:

Celebrating & Empowering Women on Rise

We celebrate powerful women and women on the rise, with a panel of leading ladies who are making a positive impact in their communities and beyond. Learn how they’ve found success and are paying it forward to the next generation of female leaders. We will be joined by this esteemed panel: Kathy Roeser of Morgan Stanley, Monica Gray of Nice Guys, Maureen Sedonaen of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, and Dr. Jordan Carqueville of the Derm Institute Chicago.

Date: May 19, 2022

Register now at

What’s on Replay

Celebrating Women on the Rise 2021

Take a look back at the 2021 Celebrating Women on the Rise virtual event. We were joined by female leaders making an impact in our communities and the world, including Zoe Elton, director of programming for the Mill Valley Film Festival, and Kathy Roeser, managing director and wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley.

WatchVIRTUALCAN’T2022MISSEVENTS!allofourvirtualevents on

A Sound Body and Mind: Finding Your Center BY JESSICA BRAUN GERVAIS

Many Americans struggle with finding their center, but achieving a state of emotional and spiritual equilibrium can help motivate individuals to reach their highest potential. Experts from BIÂN, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, and the San Francisco Zen Center joined a virtual event with Make it Better Media Group Editor at Large Mimi Towle to share their advice and personal practices for finding your center.

Win a $500 Town Center Corte Madera Shopping Spree!

During the month of May, enter to win at marinmagazine.com/town-center-sweeps-2022 for a chance to win one $500 Town Center Corte Madera Shopping Spree with a Town Center retailer of your choice.

Prize rules/restrictions: Winners will be selected on June 1, 2022, and notified by email. Winner will select the Town Center retailer of their choice for their $500 shopping spree. Spree only valid at Town Center Corte Madera.

1. Choose what’s right for you. Part of finding your center is finding balance in your life. BIÂN Partner and Chief Wellness Officer Mar Soraparu suggests focusing on the core practices and fundamentals that positively contribute to your wellbeing. Identify those practices, and incorporate them into your day.

2. Even one minute of intentional practice is enough. “I do my dose of 10 minutes of yoga, or maybe it’s one minute of meditation, but the point is that I choose for that to be enough,” Soraparu explains. “One minute of anything, if it's intentional and you’re choos ing to make this a very focused minute, makes a difference.”

3. Meditate without expectation. A common practice people rely on to find their center is medita tion. However, if people approach meditation with desired outcomes when they’re just beginning, such as relaxation or stress relief, it can be counterproductive, says San Francisco Zen Center President Sozan Miglioli. “Be present in the moment, and don’t invite judgment into meditation," he says. "If you can meditate without expectations, it really changes the way you meditate."

4. Surround yourself with supportive peers. When four-time Olympian Kara Winger got to the NCAA stage in 2008 and 2009 in the javelin, she put so much pressure on herself that she couldn’t perform at her best. She then turned her focus to teammates and peers who helped her find her center and drive her perfor

mance. She won the Olympic trials two weeks later and made the Beijing team. She then went on to win the U.S. National Championship in 2009 and made her first all-championship team. “Honing in on who I represent, who’s on my team, who is absolutely going to have my back no matter what instead of representing the United States has always been what helps me find my center in competition,” Winger says.

5. Remain vulnerable and ask for help. Winger tore her ACL at the Olympic trials in 2012. No one in the United States on the women’s side had the Olympic standard to take her place in London, so Winger had to compete. Terrified, she reached out to her former Bei jing teammate Breaux Greer, who tore his ACL in 2004 in qualifying in Athens and competed in the final two days later, for advice. His encouraging words motivated her to push forward.“

6. Elite athletes rely on the generous support of the public to maintain a sound body and mind. Winger’s story shows the importance of focusing on an elite athlete’s mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The mission of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation is to empower team USA athletes to achieve competitive excellence both on and off the field. “The amount of energy in the space of mindfulness and well ness is critical to athletes when competing,” says U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation President Christine Walshe. To donate, visit support.teamusa.org

Maru Soraparu BIÂN Partner and Chief Wellness Officer

Kara Winger Four-time Olympian athlete

Sozan Miglioli SanPresident,Francisco Zen Center

Christine Walshe OlympicPresident,and Paralympic Foudation

Pastries Galore, Fresh Vinyland Ohhhmms

Mill Valley’s Bootjack Wood Fired welcomes Waldscraft Bakery; new restaurants from brand-name chefs arrive in San Francisco and Oakland; the Stillwater team steps into retail in San Anselmo; and more news from around the bay. BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

WALDSCRAFT BAKERY Native East

Coaster Stacey Waldspurger has been looking forward to introducing a bialy to her robust menu of naturally leav ened breads, such as olive oil and rosemary and her popular Wünderbread, a seed- and nut-packed, wheat-free bread. After a pop-up series there, Waldspurger’s burgeoning cottage bak ery business moved into the former Bootjack Wood Fired space in April, bringing in Caitlin Hubel and Justine Brown, pastry chefs accomplished in Viennoiserie, to add more vegan items and expand the sourdough program. The cafe is back, too, and Waldspurger plans the return of a beer and wine program and an expanded menu of salads, toasts and light sandwiches soon. For now, owner Ged Robertson (Watershed, Shoreline Coffee Shop) is using the back ovens for burger buns, pastries, desserts and pizza dough for Watershed and Shoreline, but will transition that pro gram to another space this spring. “It feels just right after Small Shed, Molina and Bootjack to hand it off as I found it 20 years a go to someone just getting into the business who wants to continue the tradition of a community bakery at 17 Madrona Street,” Roberston says.

EAT & DRINK

Maybeck’s Husband-and-wife duo Jeff Banker and Lori Baker (Baker & Banker) will join chef-owner Aaron Toensing in the kitchen for a citrusstickyhamachidishescollaborationthree-wayfeaturinglikeJapanesecrudowithriceandpreservedorEnglishpea

and ricotta agnolotti. Industry veteran Brian Walker will head up the cocktail curatedbarationalthatofPablolightingCopper-accentedprogram.bylocalartistDesignsispartarefreshedinteriorincludesaddiloungeseating,chef’sbarwithrawandawineshopbyRebecca

Chapa. 3213 Scott Street, San 415.400.8500;Francisco; maybecks.com

Occitania Oakland is abuzz with news of chef Paul Canales’ freshest offer ing. Slated to open in mid-May in the Uptown neighborhood, the res taurant will hone in on

the flavors of southern France with modern riffs on traditional cooking and preservation techniques. Look for Canales’ signature charcuterie alongside raw seafood preparations; escargot; and game birds like duck, squab or quail, in addition to more familiar fare like steak frites and summer seafood dishes.

The thecolorsinteriorsArcsine-designedwillevoketheandenergyofregion.42224thSt,Oakland; occitaniaoakland.com

SouvenirSHOPBottle Shop

“It’s a room full of stuff we like,” jokes David Ruiz, who, along with wife, Margaret, and

Dylan Jones owns a new bottle shop in down town San Anselmo. The owners of Fairfax’s Stillwater designed the retail space to sell fresh beer, canned cocktails and nonalcoholic bever ages but make space for books, fresh flowers, vintage and new vinyl records and other items. A curated wine program

GedWaldspurger,andRobertsonStaceyWaldscraft

focuses on SanAnselmoandtives)acid,addedwinesNaturelintervention,minimumPétillantandzerozero(wineswithnoyeast,nutrients,waterorpreservafromCaliforniaItaly.570SanAve,Anselmo; souvenirbottle.com

Shoppe Amber Interiors

+ Freda Salvador

Discover furniture, kitchen, dining, decor, bedding, art, rugs and vintage finds at Amber Lewis’ shop at Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart, which opened in January. Incorporating a six-month pop-up to celebrate the Shoppe, a wall of shoes from Megan Papay and Cristina ancedSalvadorSausalito-basedNelson’sFredabrandisbal-withpillows,

candles and other everyday essentials. 1201 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur; 415.785.4780; com;shoppeamberinteriors.fredasalvador.com

CloudbreakWELLNESSYoga

After moving to town, Cloudbreak Yoga owner Khoury Ibrahim noticed a gap — an outlet for older and younger populations to overlap and be together naturally.

“Sausalito and I both needed a yoga studio,” Ibrahim says, who opened her studio in the spring of 2021 and is working to proactively bring yoga into more people’s lives. Located downtown, the studio aims to be a community hub. 1621 Bridgeway, Sausalito; cloudbreak-yoga.com

Christina Mueller has been in food media for over 10 years. Her work has appeared in many print and online publications including Sunset magazine, Edible Communities and Eater, among others.

Looking for a new place to eat out or the latest place to shop? Scan here:

Shoppe Amber Interiors + Freda Salvador

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY Marin Oldie

The Golden Gate Bridge opened 85 years ago, and a lot’s changed since then.

BY LOTUS ABRAMS

The Golden Gate Bridge is turning 85 this month, and that got us thinking about everything that’s changed since its early days. Built to address the need for a viable statewide transportation artery, and to serve the growing Bay Area population by linking San Francisco with the neighboring counties to the north, the bridge opened with a pedestrian-only celebration on May 27, 1937, attended by 200,000 people, and then to vehicles on May 28, 1937. Considered an engineering marvel when it was constructed, the 1.7-mile bridge cost $35 million dollars to build (more than $1.6 billion if built today), and it was the longest suspension bridge span in the world at that time. Here’s a look at what’s different these days.

BIRTHDAY BASH

Greenbrae’s Bon Air shopping center is celebrating its 70 th birthday this year, but do you know how this community fixture came to be? In the late 1940s, Niels Schultz dreamed of creating a sustainable community that was respectful of the surrounding natural beauty. Hailing from Millbrae, Schultz found 600 acres of bucolic property in central Marin he named Greenbrae — “brae” is Scottish for hillside. He donated land to create a school, fire department, recreational park and yacht basin and developed the community’s first grocery store.

Bon Air Super Market opened in 1952, and a hardware store, beauty salon, barber shop, dry cleaner and drapery store were added in 1955. A decade later, Petrini’s replaced Bon Air Super Market, which became a pharmacy.

Bon Air is still a family-owned shopping center. During the pandemic, Andrea Schultz (Niels’ granddaughter) worked with each tenant who wanted to stay to keep them in business. Celebrate 70 years of community at its best on May 7 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. with live

Then Now

Toll

On May 28, 1937, it cost 50 cents to cross the bridge, with a 5-cent surcharge for more than three passengers. Pedestrians were charged 5 cents to cross the bridge.

Traffic More than 3.3 million vehicles crossed the bridge in 1938, the first full year it was open to the public.

Paint In the 1930s, the primer used to paint the bridge was two-thirds lead, later discov ered to be harmful to both humans and the environment.

Today, rates begin at $6.05 for carpool and go up to $9.05 for toll invoice, but pedestrians may cross for free. Expedited FastTrack payment was introduced on the bridge in 2000, and cash tolls were no longer accepted after March 27, 2013.

In recent years (save Covid-19 times), about 40 million vehicles cross the bridge each year.

In 1968, a program to replace the toxic primer and top coat with a zinc-based primer and vinyl top coat began, and in 1990, the top coat was changed to an acrylic emulsion to meet air quality requirements; the process was com pleted in 1995.

Labor At the time of construction, the Golden Gate Bridge’s builders made $11 per hour.

The Round House Cafe The iconic Art Deco Round House Cafe at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1938, offering near 360-degree views, including the Marin Headlands, Alcatraz and Angel Island.

Currently, the bridge’s ironworkers, called “pushers,” make about $94,000 per year, before benefits and overtime.

In partnership with the National Parks system, San Anselmo’s Equator Coffees reopened the historic café last year.

Read more about the recent launch of Equator Coffees’ revamped Round House Cafe. Scan here:

music, a corn-hole tournament hosted by Gotts and the Larkspur Chamber of Commerce, treats, trunk shows and more! MIMI TOWLE

Find out about other great local businesses in our community and fun events to participate in. Scan here:

Taking a Deep Dive

While the pandemic stalled many people’s ambitions, it hasn’t stopped 12-yearold Tiburon local Avery Fisher from pursuing her goals. In 2020 when she was 10, Fisher decided to learn how to scuba dive, and has now completed 25 open ocean dives for 10 distinct scuba certifications. She’s about to add one more certifica tion to her list — youngest underwater scuba magician in the world — and will be speaking about her accomplishments at the Innovate for Good conference on April 29 at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Here, talks about her life underwater.

Marin Magazine (MM): You did a challenging dive at Raccoon Straight with a friend and your dad when you were only 10. Were you nervous?

Avery Fisher (AF): Our home is near Raccoon Straight, which is a shipping chan nel not known to many divers. Although diving conditions weren’t ideal, it didn’t prevent me from earning my Boat Diver certification. Although the water was freezing and visibility was near zero, it was a thrilling dive. The best part was swimming back to our house using only a flimsy rope, compass and each other to find our way back.

MM: You’ve swum in the shark exhibit at the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39. What’s that like?

AF: Before my first dive, Chris Grace, the aquarium’s lead dive instructor, mentioned the animals would appear 20% larger inside the tank, and several of the sharks have poor eyesight, so I should be prepared for them to bump into me! I tried to keep it together, but I almost had a meltdown right there in the tunnel. As I left to prepare for my dive, a baby ray swam overhead, and it was smiling. After seeing the smiling ray, I wasn’t scared anymore. And when I got into the tank and began my dive, I was greeted by my entire family, which meant the world to me.

Scan here to read about organizations working to keep the oceans preserved for future generations:

BELINDA JEWELRYWICKWIRE

is a gem of a store located in beautiful historic downtown San Anselmo. Here a finelycurated collection of contemporary, antique and vintage jewels await you. A treasure trouve where every piece of jewelry has a story to tell.

BELINDA WICKWIRE JEWELRY

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Avery Fisher the LOOK

Documenting Our World

DocLands returns with a slew of in-person film screenings on a wide range of engaging topics.

In 2021, DocLands was the first film festival in California to welcome in-theater audiences to a handful of screenings. In 2022, the event returns in full force, with a packed program of in-person screen ings featuring live Q&As with many of the films’ directors and subjects. “The filmmakers miss being with audiences as they watch their films, and we’re looking forward to talking to them in-person,” says DocLands Director of Programming Joni Cooper.

From hybrid films blurring the lines between nar rative and documentary storytelling to fascinating character portraits of unsung heroes, this year’s pro gram offers a little something for everyone. Here are five DocLands films you won’t want to miss.

My Old School

In 1990s Scotland, a 32-year-old man named Brandon Lee returned to his old high school and masqueraded as a student for an entire year. My Old School, directed by one of Lee’s former classmates, is a wildly inventive recounting of what may be one of the strangest Jedi mind tricks of all time. The twist: Lee refused to be filmed for the documentary but offered an audio interview, so renowned actor Alan Cumming sits in as Lee and mouths his words.

Savage Waters (World Premiere)

The festival’s opening night feature, Savage Waters , is

part sports documentary, part high-seas adventure. Inspired by a passage in the journal of a 19 th -century treasure hunter, master skipper Matt Knight and big-wave surfer Andrew Cotton set out on an epic journey to sail to the Savage Islands. Narrated by Game of Thrones ’ Charles Dance, the film’s aweinspiring footage of 60-plus foot waves encapsulates the terror and triumph of the thrillseekers’ grand undertaking.

lives, and how they use the art form to uplift those around them.

Exposing Muybridge

The Sound of Us

The Sound of Us

The DocLands Soirée on Saturday May 7 features food, drinks and a special presentation of The Sound of Us , a poignant rumination on how music connects us as human beings. Musicians of all backgrounds, genres and eras reflect on how music has shaped their

From taking iconic photographs of Yosemite and San Francisco, to inventing one of the earliest forms of motion pictures, to murdering his wife’s secret lover at gunpoint, 19 th -century photographer Eadweard Muybridge is a uniquely perplexing figure in American history, and this film doesn’t shy away from the more unsettling aspects of his life and work.

Fire of Love

Bay Area filmmaker Sara Dosa pays soulful tribute to Katia and Maurice Kraft, trailblazing volcanologists who died together in a volcanic explosion in 1991. Miranda July narrates as the couple, literally framed by glowing explosions of lava and gas, explain in poetic detail why they’ve happily devoted their lives to one of the most dangerous occupations known to man. BERNARD BOO

Gary Oldman in Exposing Muybridge

Doclands is presented by the California Film Institute, which is also behind the Mill Valley Film Festival. To read up on all of their great work promoting film in Marin, scan here:

Top Women Chefs Hit the Stage at the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience

Professional chefs have long skewed male — the U.S. Census Bureau reported just 24 percent of U.S. chefs and head cooks were female in 2019, although culturally, they’re the heart of the kitchen at home. As we’re celebrating powerful women in this issue, we think it’s the perfect opportunity to highlight some of the superstar female chefs headlining the fi rst-ever Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, May 20–22. Here’s a “taste” of what they’re passionate about. LOTUS ABRAMS

Introducing Bolinas Museum’s New Executive Director

Since it was founded in 1983, Bolinas Museum has engaged visitors and locals alike with its many exhibits that shine a spotlight on West Marin’s history and talented artists. After nearly a decade serving as Bolinas Museum’s executive director, Jennifer Gately handed the reigns to longtime Bolinas resident Louisa Gloger this year. The daughter of artists, Gloger worked at galleries in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, as well as owning an art consulting business, before coming to the Bolinas Museum. “What I’m most excited about right now are the many opportunities in front of me — to create original exhibitions and programming that cel ebrate diverse voices, the opportunity to lean into the educational component of our mission, and to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations in the area to further enrich the lives of those who call West Marin home and those who visit this beautiful town.” We can’t wait to see what Gloger has in store. LOTUS

What inspired you to become a chef?

“I fell in love with making people happy through food when I was 5 years old baking my grandfather’s birthday cake in my Easy Bake Oven. I attended Brown University and worked in restaurants along the way. I was heading to law school when I was offered an executive chef position working for Tom Douglas in Seattle and took the job.” — Duskie Estes, coowner, Black Pig Meat Co.; executive director, Farm to Pantry, Healdsburg.

What was your favorite meal growing up?

“My grandma’s pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy.”

When it comes to ingredients, what is one thing you’re passionate about?

“Local, seasonal produce. But if I had to pick one thing, I’d say arugula — it’s even tattooed on me.”

— Crista Leudtke, chef/ owner, Boon Eat + Drink and Brot Modern German, Guernville

What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your job?

“Using my skills and passion to help feed fi rst responders and evacuees during the fi res and floods in our area and beyond is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. The most challenging part of my job has been sta ffi ng. It was that way pre-Covid-19 for certain positions then has stayed the same since then. I’m hopeful that tide is turning though!”

— Domenica Catelli, owner and operator, Catelli’s, Geyserville

Marin has lots of great museums — discover a new one to visit by scanning here:

EstesDuskie

LeudtkeCrista

CatelliDomenica

Podcasts Are Amplifying Women’s Voices

Podcast fans are growing in number, with more than 68 million Americans now listening to them on a weekly basis, according to data reported by podcastinsights.com. However, since the format’s beginnings in the early 2000s, male podcasters and listeners have dominated the medium. But that dynamic is changing. An increasing

number of women are launching and listening to podcasts in recent years on topics covering everything from careers to health and fitness to true crime. In Marin, we’ve got our pick of smart, witty local women podcasters to follow. Here are a few to tune into. LOTUS ABRAMS

THE JEN MARPLES SHOW

Who: Jen Marples is a former public relations executive who is now an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and business and life coach to fellow midlife female entrepreneurs.

What: “The Jen Marples Show,” which airs twice a week, is dedicated to helping and inspiring female entrepreneurs achieve the business and life they desire in their 40s, 50s and beyond. Each week, Marples features inspiring entre preneurial women who share their challenges and accomplishments on the path to success, along with how they balance all of midlife’s other challenges.

Why tune in: “Midlife women should listen to know they’re not too f***ing old — which is the show’s motto — to do whatever they want to in life!” Marples says. Marples interviews midlife female entrepreneurs across the country, but also talks to many women in Marin. Her guests have included Marin Magazine Editor at Large Mimi Towle, Sparkle Foundation founder Samantha Tradelius and Jambar founder (and Power Bar cofounder) Jennifer Maxwell.

Where: Find it on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

ALL THE F WORDS

Who: Cohost Joanne Greene, who is based in Novato, is a podcaster; writer; and former San Francisco radio and television talk show host and personality on KSAN, KFRC, KGO and KPIX-TV. Cohost Gabi Moskowitz, who also lives in Novato, is the creator of the cooking blog BrokeAss Gourmet (brokeassgourmet.com), author of four books, the coproducer of Freeform’s “Young & Hungry.” Her work can also be found in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Jewish Week , The San Francisco Chronicle and Lenny Letter

What: Two writer friends who are 30 years apart — Moskowitz, a later millennial, and Greene, a boomer, offer their respective genera tional perspectives on a wide range of issues that all happen to start with the letter “F.” Their oftenhilarious banter is peppered with personal stories and the latest research and news as they explore topics ranging from flirting, fighting and fatpho bia to femininity, freedom and freshman year. Why tune in: “Listening to ‘All the F Words’ is like sitting in on a great conversation with smart, funny girlfriends,” Greene says. “We promise you’ll always learn something new.”

Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google podcasts and other major podcast platforms.

NIGHTMARE IN CHOWCHILLA

Who: Claudia Cowan, who lives in Sausalito, is a senior correspondent with the San Francisco bureau of Fox News Channel.

What: “Nightmare in Chowchilla” is a sixpart podcast that looks back at one of the most horrific crimes in California and the largest kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history. In 1976, 26 children and their school bus driver were kidnapped at gunpoint by three masked men and eventually buried alive at a rock quarry in Livermore. The crime shocked the nation, and with the phone lines tied up in the small town of Chowchilla, the kidnappers couldn’t phone in their $5 million ransom demand.

Why tune in: Learn about one of the most chilling crimes ever, what happened to the kids and the kidnappers, and a miracle of survival.

Where: The podcast was released on Feb. 26, on bus driver Edward Ray’s birthday, and can be found on Fox News Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major platforms.

Want to hear about more great podcasts?

Scan here to find out about a few we got into during the pandemic:

MarplesJen

GreeneJoanne

CowanClaudiaMoskowitzGabi

Lightspeed to Marin

Over the course of nearly 30 years in Marin County, Lucasfilm Vice President and Executive Creative Director Doug Chiang has been bringing a galaxy far, far away to life from right here at home. BY BROOKE MCDONALD

Fifteen-year-old Taiwan immigrant Doug Chiang was living in Michigan when he watched Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope for the first time in 1977, and set his sights on a career at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in Marin County. Hard work, passionate drive and a fortuitous short-term gig led to an Academy Award-winning career as an artist, author and production designer.

Personally selected by Lucas in 1995 to serve as the head of the Lucasfilm art depart ment on Star Wars: Episodes I and II, Chiang, now Lucasfilm vice president and executive creative director, oversees designs for all new Star Wars franchise developments, from films, games and new media to theme parks — including the immersive two-night Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience that launched at Walt Disney World on March 1. He is also the production designer for the hit Star Wars liveaction series, “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” and the forthcoming “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” premiering May 27 on Disney+. Here, Chiang reflects on his road to success and more than 25 years in Marin.

Marin Magazine (MM): Tell us about your early years and your path to Marin County. Doug Chiang (DC): I was born in Taiwan, and we immigrated to the United States when I was 5 years old. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where I spent hours exploring and drawing what I discovered. In 1977, I saw Star Wars: A New Hope, and it captivated me. The “making of” documentary aired the following year, and I learned about ILM. Seeing the artists behind the craft gave me a glimpse into filmmaking, and I was hooked. I read books on filmmaking and animation and started making short films, and I ended up winning first place and grand prize in the Michigan Student Film Festival.

With a goal of coming to Marin County someday to work for ILM, I enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, to study film. My first film there took first place in the Nissan FOCUS Awards, and I won a Nissan Sentra! I got a job directing computer-gener ated TV commercials, and just as that career was taking off, I got a lead for a three-week gig with ILM. This was the break I was looking for. Even though there was no guarantee of future work, I dropped everything, packed up my Sentra and drove to San Rafael. Those three weeks turned into a 30-year career in Marin County.

MM: Have any Marin County locations found their way into the Star Wars stories you’ve worked on?

DC: Star Wars fans might know that Endor was inspired by the redwoods in Marin. One of my first design assignments for the prequel films was to design the idyllic world of Naboo. I took inspiration from the rolling grass hills of Nicasio. One of my earliest sketches of a Gungan warrior was based on a large rock I saw just off Highway 1 in Marin. The Marin Civic Center also became the Naboo palace’s architectural foundation and inspired the Podrace arena.

Doug Chiang on the set of Mandalorian”“The

MM: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, also at Disney World, have given fans an opportunity to step inside the world of Star Wars. What’s it like to create these reallife spaces, and how has that process differed from building a film set?

DC: Movie designs and sets are carefully orches trated and choreographed. What you see on screen is only a tiny fraction of the world-build ing we do to make Star Wars look authentic. We finally had an opportunity to create and build these worlds as “real” places with Galaxy’s Edge. It was world-building at an unprecedented level for me. Movie sets exist only for weeks or months for filming. We were now tasked with building sets that would last for decades.

MM: And Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser takes immersive storytelling to another level. Tell us more about that.

DC: Galactic Starcruiser was such a bold con cept when we first developed the idea. I thought it would be amazing to have an opportunity to live in Star Wars for a full two days. We were definitely in unknown territory. To keep every thing in story required designs and execution that felt like we were building a “real” function ing spaceship.

MM: A fun fact for Marinites is that Boba Fett was introduced for the first time ever in a local parade in San Anselmo in 1978. Now, more of his story has been brought to life in “The Book of Boba Fett.” What was the pressure like to hit the mark for lifelong fans?

DC: Boba Fett is one of my favorite characters, and I knew there were many fans who felt the same way. To deal with the pressures, we asked ourselves, “What would we like to see?” Of course, we can’t please everyone, but our goal was to remain as faithful as possible to the character that George created and build upon it respectfully. We’re often our harshest critics because we want to make it right, not just for the fans but for ourselves.

MM: As an Asian leader in the industry, how do you feel about the future of diversity and inclusion in entertainment?

DC: I’m optimistic, but we have a long way to go. My career has been filled with doubts and questions about my abilities. George has always been a leader of inclusion, and during the selection process for Star Wars in 1994, artists were asked to submit portfolios blind to avoid influencing the selection process. At that time, I was creative director and head of the ILM art department, but I wanted to get the

job based solely on merit. When I finally got the job after George personally selected me to head up his art department without knowing that I was already working for his company, I still got comments like, “Are you sure you’re the right person?” Instead of validation, I got questions.

I’m a firm believer that one’s work should speak for itself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. However, I see change, and if I can help drive that change, I will.

MM: What do you love about living in Marin County?

DC: I couldn’t think of living anywhere but Marin. I met my wife Liz here! She was born and raised in Novato, and we both started working at Lucasfilm within three weeks of each other but didn’t meet for another two years. She worked as human resource director at Skywalker Ranch in Nicasio while I was based at ILM in San Rafael. We’ve lived in San Rafael for over 25 years, and it’s been a wonderful place to raise our three

Chiang in the Pod Miniature,Hanger1998

Chiang and Steve Gawley in the ILM model shop, 1997

kids. The rolling hills, beaches and redwoods inspire me every day. A perfect day would be a soft breeze and a hike or a sunset stroll at Stinson Beach. My favorite restaurant is Taki’s in Novato.

MM: Are there any local causes you’re passionate about supporting?

DC: Asian American Alliance of Marin (AAAM) is doing a lot of meaningful and important work to promote Asian-American participation in advocacy and civic engage ment. Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM) is another great organization that is breaking barriers to create equitable access to arts edu cation. And the Pacific Coast Marlins Learn to Swim program has free summer swim programs for underprivileged children.

Brooke McDonald is the national content director for Make It Better Media Group. Her work has appeared in Parents, TravelPulse, The Points Guy, Attractions Magazine, and more. Brooke supports Give Kids The World Village, which provides cost-free vacations to critically ill children and their families.

This interview has been edited for length. Scan the code to read the full interview, plus get an in-depth look at our experience aboard the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

Chiang’s early design of a Gungan warrior was inspired by a large rock in Nicasio.

The architecture of the palace in Naboo was inspired by the Marin Civic Center.

GIFTS FOR GRADS

Celebrate success with these product pics from local companies and stores.

BY LOTUS ABRAMS

1 Passport Case; $65

Folio Fine Stationery & Gifts, Larkspur; folioinvites.com Encourage wanderlust with this brightly hued goatskin leather case that holds a passport, customs card and baggage claim ticket and can be personalized with your child’s name.

2 Sweetheart Necklace; from $68

Collective Hearts, Mill Valley; collectivehearts.co A visible token of your love and affection, the delicate, handcrafted Sweetheart Necklace is available in sterling silver or with a 14-karat gold fill.

3 Tocca Voyage Reed Diffuser; $35 Blanc, San Anselmo; blancboutique.com Add an easy, elegant touch to a first apartment with Tocca’s Voyage collection of diffusers, evoking the scents of exotic destinations like Kauai, Capri, Bora Bora and Marrakech.

4 Pocket Hat; $35 Bart Bridge, Vacaville; bartbridge.com Grads can flaunt their hometown pride — and stash cash, an ID or a credit card — in this line of hats featuring hand-sewn patch pockets; there are loads of Marin County locales available to choose from.

5 Victorinox Airox Frequent Flyer Hardside Carry-On; $280

San Rafael Luggage Center, San Rafael; durableluggage.com

If you’re ready to upgrade your kiddo’s luggage, this lightweight, hard-side carry-on with 360-degree rotating wheels and an ergonomic, one-touch mono pole handle is just the ticket.

6 Fresh & Ready Meals; from $10 per serving Sunbasket, San Francisco; sunbasket.com

Give the gift of no cooking or clean up: Locally based Sunbasket’s new single-serving meals inspired by global cuisines are on the table in only four minutes.

*Check with stores for availability and pricing.

Born to Run

In his sixth book, Marin ultramarthoning legend Dean Karnazes revisits a racing challenge with his typical humor and insight.

BY JESSICA GLIDDON

More Great New Reads

In Praise of Good Bookstores by Jeff Deutsch

In this eloquent and charm ing reflection, the director of Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstores pays loving tribute to one of our most important and endangered civic institutions. See Deutsch at Book Passage in Corte Madera on May 7 at 1:00 p.m.

The Coasts of California by Obi Kaufmann

Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. The New York Times best-selling author and ultramarathoner has run everywhere from Death Valley to the South Pole. In A Runner’s High, Karnazes chronicles his extraordinary adventures leading up to his return to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in his mid-50s after first com pleting the race decades ago.

Marin Magazine (MM): When did you realize you weren’t just any ordinary runner?

Dean Karnazes (DK): On the night of my 30th birthday, I was in a bar in the Marina District and decided that I was going to run 30 miles to mark the occasion. Hey, I was drunk. I was wearing silk boxer-short underwear, so I peeled off y pants and started stumbling into the night heading to Half Moon Bay. Somehow, I didn’t die; that night forever changed my life.

MM: How do you feel writing complements your life as a runner?

DK: I like to say that both running and writ ing are 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Good writing, like good running, comes from a place of pain; a place of anguish and struggle; and occasionally, in rarer moments, a place of ecstasy. With my books, I strive to put the reader in my shoes and in my mind.

MM: How has Marin been part of your journey?

DK: We have one of the grandest outdoor playgrounds on the planet right here in our backyard, and I’ve explored the territory exten sively (and still haven’t run out of discoveries).

MM: What are some of the most interesting runs you’ve done?

A: I’ve run on all seven continents, twice over. I once ran 50 marathons, in all 50 states, in 50 consecutive days, so I’ve seen plenty of the U.S., too (and no, that’s not a typo, I really did that). Next, I’m planning is to run from the Dead Sea to the summit of Mount Everest. Wanna be my support crew?

This book offers an epic, gloriously illustrated journey up and down California’s shoreline. Author-illustrator Obi Kaufmann turns his attention to the 1,200 miles of the Golden State where the land meets the ocean. See Kaufman at Book Passage in Corte Madera on May 21 at 1:00 p.m.

The Sunken City by Emma Noyes

First-time author Emma Noyes writes an engaging, whimsical fantasy novel centering on the story of Amare Bellamy, a pirate who finds herself in an underwater kingdom, where she discovers she is the princess who must battle the evil brewing at the bottom of the ocean.

Reviews by Paula Farmer

To read more about Dean, and to get inspired with more books about achieving dreams, scan here:

A Bug Collector’s Life

Fairfax scientist Larry Serpa, who passed away last year, spent 46 years collecting aquatic invertebrate specimens throughout the state of California; now his life’s work has a new home at the California Academy of Sciences.

BY KIRSTEN JONES NEFF

America Aquatic Invertebrate collection in the Department of Entomology, the largest private aquatic invertebrate collection the Academy of Sciences has ever received: 52 drawers of pinned insects, 5 drawers of on-insect inver tebrate specimens, 80 drawers of insects in ethanol vials, and 30 bulk crates of specimens in vials. Along with the insect specimens, Lozier donated Serpa’s notebooks, filled with detailed collecting notes and field codes, as well as an electronic database of the collecting events and inventory of the collection. “This is very much a unique collection,” says Chris Grintner, collection manager of entomology at the academy, who spent two days with a van and a flatbed truck transporting the collection from Serpa’s “lab” — his garage in Fairfax. “Larry was able to go places that were very remote. It’s the most important snapshot of California aquatic biology that anyone in the world has.”

Larry Serpa at Sage Hen Creek

Even in the wake of losing her hus band, scientist Lynn Lozier of Fairfax recognizes her great for tune. For 44 years, Lozier was able to work alongside her husband, Larry Serpa, at environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy (TNC), she as a program director, he as an aquatic ecologist. As Lozier reflects on her life with Serpa, who passed away last May, she is especially grateful that she was also able to help with his personal life’s work: discovery and documentation of aquatic invertebrates across California. While Lozier knows other scientists who spend their days in dark caves or out on a freezing tundra pursuing their passion, Serpa’s project entailed spend ing vacations on an ecological scavenger hunt,

searching for insects in the remote waterways of California. “Because Larry always wanted to know what was where, we spent years play ing in mountain meadows, the most gorgeous places in the world,” Lozier says.

According to Lozier, in 46 years, Serpa amassed more than 3,000 collections of aquatic insects in 54 California counties, from the coast to 11,000 feet in elevation, finding some insects that were thought to be extinct. He gathered, analyzed and documented more than 200,000 specimens representing 1,500 differ ent

Inspecies.January, Lozier donated her late husband’s entire private collection to the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), cre ating the Larry E. Serpa Western North

Serpa’s fascination with creeks and streams began in Marin County during his youth. He spent much of his childhood in San Rafael where, according to Lozier, he explored the hills and wildlands of Marin. “Larry and his brother would climb all over Mt. Tam, always looking for snakes and lizards and bugs,” Lozier says. He attended San Rafael High School and met Lozier during a school field trip to the desert. With a shared a ffinity for the natural world, they both studied biology in college, graduat ing with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Sonoma State University. As they pursued their advanced degrees, the couple managed a prop erty the university leased called the Fair field Osborn Preserve, located on Sonoma Mountain near Santa Rosa, designing and building 5 miles of trails, surveying animals and plants, main taining weather records and creating displays. In 1976, The Nature Conservancy, which owned the land, asked the couple to establish an envi ronmental education program for Sonoma

County children on the preserve. The program Serpa and Lozier created was the first of its kind in the county, and it continues today.

The geology of Fair field Osborn preserve is such that Copeland Creek, which Lozier describes as “quite a dramatic small stream,” tumbles down the western side of Sonoma Mountain. Serpa became interested in iden tifying and characterizing the insects in the waters of Copeland Creek, which he recog nized as foundational species contributing to biodiversity of the region, and found it was a difficult task. His master’s thesis at Sonoma State was entitled “The Rearing Imperative,” a name derived from the complexity involved with identification of these aquatic insects as they go through “gradual metamorphosis,” with nymphs shedding their skin as they grow in stages to their adult form. It’s not until their last molt when they are adults that they become

identifiable by their genitalia. Recognizing the critical role these invertebrates play in the food chain, and also how little is known about them, Serpa began his personal study. “In order to match the larva to the adult it becomes, Larry reared 90 different species from juvenile nymphs to identifiable adult insects and wrote a key to assist future researchers in identifying the immature stages,” Lozier says.

Serpa’s decades-long passion for collecting aquatic insects ran in parallel with his career at The Nature Conservancy. There, his duties included management of natural spaces, con ducting distribution surveys and leading field studies. His position meant that he regularly had access to private property to conduct stud ies. “He carried an insect net and, you know, a butter fly net is the universal symbol of a harmless person,” Lozier says. “He was an idio syncratic guy with a great sense of humor. He

was never threatening to property owners.”

Serpa especially enjoyed finding species people didn’t think were present in a given region, believing that if they existed in an area, it should be documented so that their presence was considered in conservation and manage ment actions. “He always wanted to know who lives where,” Lozier says. Beyond the aquatic invertebrates, he documented many other rare species over the course of his career, includ ing the California freshwater shrimp, Tomales isopod, a suite of fairy shrimp, the Delta green ground beetle, Rickseker’s water scavenger beetle and tailed frogs. Serpa was beloved by his colleagues and appreciated by his employer, The Nature Conservancy, which awarded a $30,000 grant to help fund the initial curation of the collection at CAS, and also established a fund to supplement this gift with the resources needed to steward the collection and make it accessible to scientists.

“We’re able to maintain this collection, make it available to researchers and have this window into populations of insects that is a really unique data set,” says Grintner of CAS. “Larry was able to go to places that were very inaccessible, to collect specimens that may not be collected again for another 100 years or so. It’s probably one of the best California collec tions of anything we’ve received.” Grintner points out that scientific material relating to Californian ecologies is especially important because the state faces ongoing environmental devastation in the form of pollution, develop ment and climate change. “When you consider the amount of work Larry put in, traveling to every corner of the state, from sea level to the peaks of the Sierras, collecting all of these insects, it was really an impressive task, a life time of work that will now be shared with the research community.”

Kristen Jones Neff is a Northern California journalist whose has appeared in Edible Marin, Wine Country, Modern Farmer, Stanford Magazine, Ms. Magazine and Believer Magazine, among others.

Larry Serpa sweeping shrubs for adult insects

Read about other influential people working in science and the environment. Scan here:

Money Matters

I thought I was financially literate, until I got divorced. Then I realized a shocking number of other women were not, either, and I embarked on a mission to tell their stories in the documentary film $avvy.

BY ROBIN HAUSER

I’ve always considered myself finan cially savvy. After all, my father was an investment counselor, and supplyside economics was a frequent topic of conversation at the family dinner table. I earned an MBA, and my first jobs out of B-school were in international banking and the stock market. As a young woman working in finance in the late 1980s, I was disrupting the stereotype about women and money. Fast forward 40 years: I’m now a documentar y filmmaker and my business background proves useful when it comes to working with budgets and accounting. And yet, a recent divorce taught me that my relationship with persona l finance was anything but unique. Like so many married women, I relinquished finan cial matters to him. Once single again, I quickly learned why taking an active role in managing persona l finances is so crucial for women.

Being solely responsible for my financial wellbeing for the first time since my late 20s was extremely stressful. I didn’t know how to find a financial advisor I could trust, or if I was even qualified to have one. My scarcity mindset made me reluctant to pay for financial advice. I reached out to my girlfriends for help and started asking questions: “How much money have you saved for retirement?” “What are you investing in?” “Who manages your money?” It’s probably not a surprise to you that very few of my gal pals were comfortable with this conver sation. One actually recoiled when I broached the subject of savings, and another told me she thought my questions were “inappropriate.” True, I was breaking the taboo of talking about money, but what’s a woman to do?

Following my inquisitive nature as a

documentar y filmmaker, I turned to the internet and dove deep. I set a Google Alert that forwarded articles about “women, finance and money.” What surfaced were articles that ranged from “How to Prevent Your Divorce From Ruining Your Credit” and “Why Many Retired Women Live in Poverty” to “Will Women Fuel the Next Revolution in Investing?” Fascinated and a little obsessed, I read stories from women who were strapped with six-figure student loan debt and confes sions from 20-somethings who owed tens of thousands on their credit cards. And then I read something in “Own Your Worth,” a 2018 study by UBS, which truly shocked me: “Fifty-six percent of married women still leave investment decisions to their husbands. Surprisingly, 61% of millennial women do so,

more than any other generation. What’s more, most women are quite content with their backseat role when it comes to investing and fiancial planning.”

Wait. What?

And that’s not all: Eight out of 10 women in the U.S. will be solely responsible for manag ing their finances at some point in their lives. Women 65 and older are 80% more likely to be impoverished than men of the same age. And more than half of women in same-sex relation ships sluff heir money matters as well.

Ladies, this is serious.

Shocking as the facts were to read, I knew what I needed to do. My next documentary film would focus on women and money.

Producer Tierney Henderson and I began our research. We scoured the web for stories,

listened to podcasts, and read what books we could find about women and money (thanks, Suze Orman). What we discovered was that the consequences of women’s disengagement from their money are worse than I’d imagined. Though we live in a time of #MeToo and female empowerment, too many women are su ffering from money issues: financial abuse, financial fragility, poverty in retirement and expensive debt, to name a few.

I’m sure some of you’re thinking, “Not me; I’ve always handled the money in my relation ship.” If that’s true, good for you. You’re the minority. But ask yourself this: “If my partner suddenly disappeared from my life, could I manage?” Of course, you’d likely be emotion ally distraught, but logistically, would you be able to cope? Do you know how much debt you have? Who manages your SEP, IRA or 401K? What are your monthly expenses?

In my work on $avvy, I was determined to discover why women often take a back seat when managing their money. Is it because we’re busy raising kids, working, volunteering and taking care of the home? From a young age, our culture permeates an implicit bias that girls shouldn’t be good at math. So do we acquiesce to the stereotype that money is male territory?

I decided it would be important to incorpo rate real stories into the documentary to make a lasting impact on our audience. The trick was finding women who were willing to open up and tell all. We needed compelling and relat able stories about women who experienced and overcame economic hardship. Our research yielded thousands of stories — far too many to incorporate into an 80-minute film.

Each interview I conducted fascinated and terrifid

Chanelme:Reynolds had a 5-year-old son when her husband was killed in a bike accident. Despite being smart and capable, she was blindsided by not just the emotional grief of los ing José, but also by the overwhelming burden of having to suddenly learn and manage the family finances, which he had handled.

Tanya Rapley was earning her college degree when she caught her boyfriend stealing

money from her checking account. She learned the hard way about being vulnerable to finan cialCaitlinabuse. Boston amassed $222,000 in stu dent loan debt because her well-intended parents fell for high-interest, predatory loans. Yanely Espinal, while on a full-ride scholar ship at Brown University, accepted credit card

communities and workplaces, which will educate, inspire and empower women to take control of their financial futures.

As for me, within months of finalizing my divorce, I found a private banker who made me feel comfortable asking questions about money, investing and saving for retirement. I met with an estate planner and got my a ffairs in order. I’ve gained con fidence in my financial savvi ness, and I absolutely love being in control of my finances.

I believe that women will not be on truly equal footing with men until we address the pervasively unequal control of resources in families and relationships, in addition to workplaces and public spaces. Though money is personal and there’s no one-size-fits-all way to manage finances, transparent access to information and open dialogue about personal finances will help us move toward parity.

invitations without understanding the devas tating consequences of compounding interest.

And Christel Turkiewicz left tons of money on the table when she got divorced, despite her years of experience a s a financial advisor.

Reeling from these life lessons, each of these women took the reins of their financial lives and became strong, empowered, savvy women. My hope is that their stories will inspire conversations in relationships, families,

A s financial blogger Farnoosh Torabi says, “When women become financially indepen dent, the world becomes a better place. This is not just a victory for women, this is a victory for everybody.” Word!

“ Fifty-six percent of married women still leave investment decisions to their husbands. Surprisingly, 60% of millennial women do so, more than any other generation. ”

Robin Hauser is an award-winning director of documentary films at Finish Line Features based in Belvedere. She is a diplomat for the American Film Showcase and speaks about unconscious bias, women’s rights and the importance of diversity at U.S. embassies and conferences worldwide.

Robin documentaryHauser’sfilm

$avvy explores the topic of women and financial literacy.

Find expert advice on managing your finances, from impact investing to hiring a wealth management advisor, by scanning here:

Pedaling

There’s arguably no place on earth more passionate about the sport of bicycling than right here in Marin.

Bolinas Ridge

Paradise

Here are some of the county’s best road, mountain biking and family bike trails to try.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY BEN DAVIDSON

The sport of bicycling starts early for many Marinites. Legions of Marin kids ride daily to school, and some join high school mountain bike teams to race locally and statewide. (Kent field’s own Kate Courtney was crowned world champion in 2018 and competed in Tokyo Games in 2020.) Commuters ride weekdays to the county's ferry landings or across the bridge to jobs in San Francisco and beyond. And road and mountain cyclists congregate in downtown San Anselmo, Fairfax, Sausalito and Mill Valley’s Lytton Square area on weekends before heading out for daylong adventures on Marin’s roads or trails.

It’s no wonder biking is so popular in Marin County. We have an abundance of gorgeous country roads, familyfriendly paths and off-road routes that make it a bona fide pedaling paradise. Every weekend, especially in spring, bicyclists stream here from all over the Bay Area to enjoy epic rides through our grassy headlands, backcountry ridges, redwood forests, oak woodlands and cli ff-hugging coast.

Ready to go riding? We’ve profiled some of our favorite mountain, road and family bike rides in Marin County here. But before you head out into Marin’s nature wonderland, check out the Marin County Bicycle Coalition's (marinbike.org) detailed bike trail map (walkbikemarin.org/documents/marinbicycle-map.pdf ) that is available in laminated form with a membership or at many local bike shops and bookstores. Make sure you're well prepared by packing plenty of water, your cell phone, spare tubes, tools and pumps. Happy trails!

Road Biking

PARADISE LOOP

Difficulty: Beginner/intermediate Length/elevation gain: 9.2 miles/ 315 feet

Amenities: Restrooms and water near Blackie’s Pasture, and waterfront cafes in downtown Tiburon Highlights: Views of Richardson and San Pablo bays, Sausalito and Angel Island

Watch for: Car traffic on narrow, winding Paradise Drive

This ride can be made long or short, but either way, it’s a Marin County classic. The heart of the ride is the part that’s in the middle and southern end of the Tiburon Peninsula. Park in the large, free lot at Blackie’s Pasture and follow the Tiburon Historical Trail mul tiuse path along Richardson Bay to Tiburon Boulevard and downtown Tiburon (a good spot for a cup of coffee and a snack). Continue on Paradise Drive, a lightly tra fficked road that follows the scenic east side of the Tiburon Peninsula. Stop at Paradise Park for a picnic and to soak in the serene views of San Francisco Bay and the East Bay hills. Then, at Trestle Glen, turn left and head back to Blackie’s Pasture.Alonger, more challenging version of the Paradise Loop (26 miles, 1,174 feet elevation gain) starts in Sausalito, heads on the multiuse bike path to Mill Valley, over Highway 101 to Blackie’s Pasture, Tiburon Boulevard and then Paradise Drive to Greenbrae and Corte Madera. Follow Camino Alto or the path along the base of Horse Hill and Highway 101 to the multiuse path back to Sausalito. This route is very popular, so it’s best to ride on weekdays or early mornings.

WEST MARIN LOOP

Difficulty: Intermediate Length/elevation gain: 37 miles/ 1,520 feet

Amenities: Cafes in Point Reyes Station

Highlights: Sheer pastoral beauty of West Marin Watch for: Automobile traffic on many roadways

Start in downtown Fairfax and ride northwest on Sir Francis Drake into the Olema Valley and redwood forest of West Marin. Follow Sir Francis Drake northwest until it connects with Nicasio Valley Road. Take a right and head northwest on Nicasio Valley Road to Nicasio Reservoir. At Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road, head west to Pt. Reyes Station. Head south on Highway 1 into Pt. Reyes National Seashore. At Olema, you’ll meet back up with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, which leads back to Fairfax.

MT. TAMALPAIS LOOP

Difficulty: Advanced Length/elevation gain: 31.5 miles/ 3,700 feet

Amenities: Numerous cafes and brewpubs near the route’s finish Highlights: Killer climbs, stunning Pacific views Watch for: Car traffic along the entire route

Not for the faint of heart, this epic road ride features a whop ping 3,700 feet of climbing through some of Marin’s most beautiful terrain. Start from downtown Fairfax and head up the narrow, winding BolinasFairfax Road, a steady climb into the pristine, forested watershed lands on the mountain’s north side. Passing the immaculate fairways and greens of the Meadow Club Golf Course and Azalea Hill, you descend to the sparkling waters of Alpine Lake, a watershed reservoir. Crossing Alpine Dam and passing the trailhead to the waterfall-laced Cataract Trail, you begin a

major ascent through dense redwood forest to the Ridgecrest Boulevard, the picture-perfect roadway (often featured in car commercials) that winds through grassy hills overlooking Bolinas Lagoon, Seadrift and the Paci fic Ocean. At Rock Spring, you intersect Pantoll road and descend to meet the Panoramic Highway and the start of a thrill ing roller-coaster route back to Mill Valley. Turn east (left) at Four Corners and descend to Mill Valley’s Miller Avenue, where you can ride to Camino Alto up and over Corte Madera Ridge back to Fairfax via Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfild, Ross and San Anselmo.

For more on planning and tracking your ride, as well as post-ride dining and libation suggestions, scan here:

Bolinas Ridge

Family Biking

TIBURON BIKE PATH AND ANGEL ISLAND

Difficulty: Easy/intermediate Length/elevation gain: 2.6 miles, plus an optional 5.4- or 3.7-mile extension/level elevation, or 407 or 315 feet

Amenities: Restrooms and water at Blackie’s Pasture Highlights: Views of Richardson Bay, Sausalito, birdlife, playing field and children’s playground Watch for: Off-leash dogs, pedestrians, runners and other cyclists

Nearly level and breathtak ingly scenic, the Tiburon Historical Trail multiuse path runs along the shallow waters of Richardson Bay and is an ideal route for families with young children. Park at the parking lot at Blackie’s Pasture and ride past the restrooms, playing field and playground located along the path. Divert onto San Rafael Avenue to visit another excel lent children’s playground, the Tiburon/Belvedere playground near downtown Tiburon. For a longer day, time your ride with the Angel Island ferry, which brings you to Angel Island State Park. A paved 5.4-mile perimeter road with a 407-foot elevation gain offers an easy circum navigation on the island, with numerous spots to stop for a bayview or beachside picnic. For a more challenging dirt road ride around the island, ascend 0.7 miles on the steep access road near the Immigration Station to the island’s Fire Road Loop (3.7 miles, 315 feet elevation gain).

SAMUEL P. TAYLOR PARK BIKE PATH

Difficulty: Easy Length/elevation gain: 5.3 miles/ 164 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, water, picnic areas in Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Highlights: Dense redwood groves and pristine riparian habitat along Lagunitas Creek

Watch for: Black-tailed deer, rac coons, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes and river otters

Known as the Cross Marin Trail, this out-and-back, family-friendly trail follows the right-of-way of the historic North Paci fic Coast Railroad along Lagunitas Creek, through Samuel P. Taylor State Park and beyond into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

lands. You ride through a diverse forest of redwoods, oak, madrone, live oak, bay laurel and Douglas fi r. In spring you see abundant native wild flowers such as milkmaids, buttercups and Indian paintbrush. The ride starts at Shafter Bridge outside the park (limited street parking available), follows an easy-going, out-andback route on a gravel and paved path to the Platform Bridge Road at Tocaloma (street parking also available here for rides in the opposite direction).

PHOENIX LAKE TO DEER PARK

Difficulty: Easy/intermediate Length/elevation gain: 8.1 miles/ 464 feet

Amenities: Portable toilets at Natalie Coffin Green Park and

water on Phoenix Lake Road

Highlights: Lake views, redwood forest and wildflowers in spring Watch for: Red-tailed hawks, great blue heron, great egret, coyotes and bobcats

This dirt and paved street loop is perfect for younger mountain bikers seeking to improve their skills. Start in Ross and ascend the Phoenix Lake Fire Road to Shaver Grade for a gradual climb to Five Corners. Descend to Deer Park in the bike-friendly town of Fairfax for a wa ffle cone of organic ice cream at the Scoop before heading back on city streets to Ross.

Angel Island

Mountain Biking

Marin is the birthplace of mountain biking for a good reason: The off-road riding is simply epic. In the 1970s, a few local bike racers like Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey, Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly experimented with custom-built bikes , fi rst modifying old, heavy cruiser bikes with sturdier drum brakes and "knobby" balloon tires that could handle the rigors of trail and dirt road riding and racing. They soon built lighter and stronger custom-welded frames equipped with cantilever brakes and clusters of multiple gears, and the modern mountain bike was born. Fast forwar d fi ve decades and today, Marin is a premier destination for mountain bikers from all over Northern California and the world, drawing legions of riders each weekend.

Camp Tamarancho

CAMP TAMARANCHO

Difficulty: Advanced Length/elevation gain: 10.8 miles/1,407 feet

Amenities: Restrooms

Highlights: Marin’s most extensive and challenging single-track trail system

Watch for: Poison oak, deer, red-tailed hawks, ticks and rattlesnakes

This private (annual or day pass required) mountain bike trail system on Boy Scout-owned land in the hills above Fairfax features challenging rock gardens and wide Mt. Tam views on the Wagon Wheel Trail and sublime forested turns down the Endor Flow Trail. Starting in Fairfax, ride a couple of miles up Iron Springs Road to access the clockwise-direction trail system. Longer rides outside Tamarancho are accessible via the loop trail. Note: Tamarancho trails are closed during rainstorms. Day, annual and family passes are avail able online at boyscouts-marin.org.

OLD RAILROAD GRADE

Difficulty: Intermediate Length/elevation gain: 6.8 miles/ 2,123 feet

Amenities: Water and restrooms at East Peak

Highlights: Outstanding views

Watch for: Red-tailed hawks, tur key vultures, ticks, rattlesnakes and coyotes

A classic dirt-road ride up Mt. Tam’s south side starts in Mill Valley’s West Blithedale canyon, following the former route of the popular Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway that whisked tour ists up the mountain from 1896 to 1929. Winding up the grade, which never exceeds 6% in steepness, the route brings you through dense redwood forest and narrow can yons to wide views of Mill Valley from the brushy southern slopes of chaparral and manzanita.

Climbing higher past the famous “double bowknot” turns, the route continues to the West Point Inn. This is wonderful spot to take a break, rest on a picnic table and take in the views of southern Marin, San Francisco Bay, Muir Woods and the Pacific Ocean. Continue on to Mt. Tamalpais’ 2,571-foot high East Peak (Marin’s highest peak) and you’ve achieved one of most memorable and scenic rides in the Bay Area. Descend the way you came using only gravity power. (Note: For a longer loop, at the West Point Inn turn right on the Old Stage Road and descend to Pantoll Ranger Station. Connect with the Deer Park and Coast View trails, which lead to Dias Ridge Trail near Muir Beach and the climb up the ridge to Mill Valley’s Panoramic Highway. City streets lead you back to town.)

CHINA CAMP STATE PARK LOOP

Difficulty: Beginner/intermediate Length/elevation gain: 8.7 miles/ 792 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, picnic grounds, historic shrimp fishing vil lage and camping

Highlights: Well-maintained sin gle-track trail, views, wildflowers Watch for: Ticks, rattlesnakes, deer and red-tailed hawks

Start at one of three parking pull outs on North San Pedro Road. Follow the mellow Shoreline Trail to the Bay View Trail, which ascends gradually into oak wood lands to the Oak Ridge Trail. An easy-going descent brings you back to the shores of San Pablo Bay. The park has numerous pic nic areas and a historic Chinese shrimp fishing village to explore. A China Camp State Park day-use trail pass is required and available from ticket kiosks located at main trailheads. Some parking areas also require a day-use pass.

MARIN HEADLANDS LOOP

Difficulty: Intermediate Length/elevation gain: 7.8 miles/ 1,279 feet

Amenities: Restrooms in Tennessee Valley parking area

Highlights: Open, brushy terrain, Pacific Ocean views

Watch for: Ticks, rattlesnakes, bobcats, red-tailed hawks, coyote, deer and an abundance of wildflowers in spring

Park along Rodeo Lagoon on Bunker Road in the Marin Headlands and follow the Rodeo Valley Trail to the Miwok Trail.

A moderately steep ascent brings you to the scenic Old Springs single-track trail, which descends to Tennessee Valley’s Miwok Stables (local courtesy requires bikers to walk bikes past the horses). Loop back on the dirt Marincello Road to the Bobcat Trail for the return to Bunker Road to complete the loop.

MARIN WATERSHED LOOP

Difficulty: Intermediate Leng th/elevation gain: 14.3 miles/1,445 feet

Amenities: Portable toilets at Phoenix Lake and Sky Oaks Ranger Station, and restrooms and water at Lake Lagunitas

Highlights: Stunning scenery on Mt. Tamalpais’ north side

Watch for: Deer, red-tailed hawks, merganser, great egrets, acorn woodpeckers, bald eagles, coyotes and bobcats

Park in the town of Ross or, if space is available, at the small, free parking lot for Natalie Coffin Greene Park, located at the end of Lagunitas Road. (The park is one of several gateways to the huge expanse of watershed lands and lakes of the Marin Municipal Water District.) Ascend the Phoenix Lake Fire Road (1 mile, 207 feet elevation gain) past small and scenic Phoenix Lake, the

district’s oldest reservoir, circa 1905. To take on the popular Three Lakes Loop, continue up Shaver Grade to the paved Sky Oaks Road via Five Corners. Ride the broad, lightly tra fficked road past Bon Tempe Lake and beautiful views of Mt. Tam’s north side to Lake Lagunitas’ parking and picnic area (restrooms and water available.) Ascend the short access road along the dam’s wooden spill ramp to an easy-going trail along the lake’s southern shore. About halfway around the lake, turn right (east) on the Lakeview Fire Road. A steep but short ascent and then descent brings you to Eldridge Grade, which offers a fun, winding drop through the redwood forest and back to Phoenix Lake.

LOMA ALTA TO 680 TRAIL

Difficulty: Advanced Length/elevation gain: 1.9 miles/ 848 feet

Amenities: None Highlights: Wide views of the

BenWatershedMarinDavidson

upper Ross Valley and Olema Valley, Mt. Tamalpais, San Francisco Bay and bayside cities in the distance Watch for: Red-tailed hawks, bob cats, ticks and rattlesnakes

Lofty Loma Alta (1,592-feet in elevation) is one of Marin’s hid den treasures. Start on Glen Drive near White Hill School in Fairfax and climb the Smith Ridge Fire Road up to the peak. A few short, steep sections may require some walking. Less than a mile before the summit, the 680 Trail (2.6 miles) heads east (downhill), but before you turn to connect to the trail, don’t miss the amazing 360-degree views just a few hundred yards ahead. A cattle gate allows access to the steep fi re road ascent to the sum mit for even more stellar views.

Ben Davidson is a Bay Area native and spent his early years in Mill Valley. He is a former Sunset staff travel writer and also contributes to Diablo, Westways, The Mercury News and 7x7.com. He has lived in Fairfax since 1997.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LORENA MASSO

On Cinco de Mayo, raise a glass to toast the Battle of Puebla with four creative tequila- and mezcal-based cocktail recipes — plus, learn how these magical spirits are made.

Infusing this smoky, mezcal-based cocktail with subtle avors of roasted, caramelized corn, Licor de Elote a corn liqueur from maize grown in the foothills of the Nevado de Toluca volcano Mexico a cocktail Elote Leavenworth

Mention Cinco de Mayo, the annual holiday celebrated on May 5 in Mexico, and also increasingly in the U.S., and the fi rst thing that may come to mind is tequila and margaritas. There’s a reason for that: In the mid-20 th century, Mexican immigrants in the U.S. began celebrating Cinco de Mayo as a way to show pride in their heritage. Mexico's spirits producers capitalized upon it and began promoting Cinco de Mayo, along with their products, to a broader audience until it grew into the holiday we know it as today.

But fi rst, let’s back up: Many people in United States don’t know the history behind this celebratory day. It all goes back to 1862, when La Batalla de Puebla (the Battle of Puebla) between the French Republic and the Mexican Republic took place in the city of Puebla. It’s one of the proudest battles in Mexican history, and the outcome held historical signi ficance for the United States, as well.

In 1861, Mexico was coming out of its War of Reformation (also known as the Three Years War) between the Conservatives and the Liberals, which left the country deeply in debt. The president at that time, Benito Juarez (president of Mexico from 1858–1872 and the first indigenous Zapotec president), consequently decided to suspend all payment of foreign debt. His decision, of course, upset the govern ments of France, Spain and England, as they held a large share of Mexico’s debt. The three governments in turn formed the Convention of London, which traveled to Mexico to secure payment in full. The alliance arrived at the Port of Veracruz in 1862, and shortly there after reached a deal with the Mexican government, after which the Spanish and English quickly left upon learning that their French allies intended to stay and invade Mexico.

Napoleon III (nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) had amassed an army in Mexico, which he then directed to attack the city of Puebla. After Puebla, the French army planned to make their way to Mexico City and realize the conquest of Mexico. The French army, however, underestimated the small and ill-equipped Mexican army. The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, lasted only one day. By dusk, the French army had lost about 1,000 of their troops and was beating a hasty retreat. While it took Mexico five more years to completely drive the French out of their country, their victory at the Battle of Puebla came to symbolize the Mexican people’s resistance to foreign domination — celebrated every year on Cinco de Mayo, especially in Puebla.

But what many in the United States don’t know is that when the French attacked Mexico back in 1862, they actually had two goals: to takeover Mexico and curb U.S. power in North America, which was in the midst of the Civil War at the time. So, people in the U.S. also have their own historical reason to celebrate Mexico’s victory over the French on the Cinco de Mayo. Ready to raise a glass and toast this historic victory? Here are four creative cocktail recipes starring two of Mexico’s most ubiquitous spirits — tequila and mezcal.

Tequila and Mezcal, What’s the Difference?

They say all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas! There are around 200 di fferent types of agave plants in Mexico, but only a few varieties can be made into mezcal, and only one type can be made into Tequila,tequila.which comes from the indigenous Náhuatl word that means “the place from which it’s cut,” is a distilled spirit from Agave tequilana (common name Weber Blue Agave ). To be called tequila, the beverage must be entirely produced — grown, harvested, distilled, bottled and labeled — only in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit or EverythingTamaulipas.beginsin the fields, from planting the agave and growing it from 5 to 7 years until mature, to harvesting it by hand and fi nally transferring it to the tequilera (tequila distillery). Each tequilera has their own way of making tequila, but all of them share some common steps. First, the piñas (the core of the agave) are cooked in an oven, after which all of their juices are extracted for fermentation, distilled (normally twice, but this depends on each tequilera) and then aged in oak barrels. There are five classi fications of tequila: silver (blanco); young, or gold (joven); aged (reposado); extra aged (reposado añejo) and ultra aged (ultra añejo).

The process for producing mezcal is similar to tequila, but there are a few distinct steps that give this magical spirit a di fferent personality. The word “mezcal,” also from the Náhuatl language, means “the house of the moon.” There are between 20 and 30 varieties of agave plants that can be used to produce mezcal, depending upon the region and the type of mezcal. Mezcal also has an appellation requirement: It must be produced only in the states of Oaxaca, Durango, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, Michoacan, Tamaulipas or Zacatecas.

There are three categories of mezcal: artisanal mezcal, ancestral mezcal and mezcal. To make mezcal, the piñas are roasted in an earthen pit fi lled with wood, charcoal and rocks — this is the process that adds the smoky notes Mezcal is known for. Then, the roasted piñas are crushed to extract all of their sweet juice. The juice is then transferred to open wood barrels or other types of vessels, and left in the open air to allow ambient yeast to develop and provide the catalyst for fermentation. This process can last anywhere from three days to a week, depending on the region and the weather. After all of the complex flavors and notes are developed, this unique spirit is bottled.

Lorena Masso is a Mexican food photographer and stylist based in San Rafael. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Masso discovered her passion for food that led her to study culinary arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and later to discover food photography.

paloma mezcal with chinicuil salt

Serves 2 The umami-flavored chinicuil salt, or “worm salt,” used to rim the glasses in this cocktail recipe is made from the toasted, ground-up moth larvae that inhabit the agave plants used to make mezcal, combined with

chilies and rock salt. Commonly served sprinkled on a slice of orange alongside a glass of mezcal at bars throughout Mexico City, chinicuil salt is gaining a cult following with foodies stateside as well.

3 ounces mezcal 3 ounces grapefruit juice 2 ounces simple syrup Splash of sparkling water

Run a wedge of lime around the rims of ma rgarita or old fashioned glasses, then dip the rims into a plate fi lled with chinicuil salt.* In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the mezcal, grapefruit juice, simple syrup and a splash of

Wedge of lime Chinicuil salt*

sparkling water and shake until well chilled. Strain into the glasses and serve.

* Chinicuil salt can be purchased at many gourmet grocery stores in the Bay Area, including Tahona Mercado and Village Market at the San Francisco Ferry Building, or online at donbugito.com .

spicy ServesMargaritasparkling3

Providing a spicy twist on the classic Mexican cocktail, this margarita derives its heat from the addition of a simple syrup made with jalapeño.

3 ounces tequila

3 ounces spicy simple syrup*

3 ounces lime juice

Splash of Topo Chico sparkling water

Tajín chile seasoning

Run a wedge of lime around the rims of margarit a or old fashioned glasses, and then dip the rims into a plate fi lled with Tajín chile seasoning.

In a shaker with ice, combine the tequila, spicy simple syrup, lime juice and the splash of Topo Ch ico; shake until well chilled.

Strain the margaritas into the glasses, and ga rnish with lime wedges and jalapeño slices.

* To make the spicy simple syrup, combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 whole jalapeño cut into slices (including the seeds) and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate or set aside until it reaches room temperature before use.

Cazuela

BY DONNA BERRY GLASS

Tree-shakers. Changemakers. Barrier-breakers. These influential and powerful women in Marin County and the Bay Area have shattered molds, overcome adversity, overcome gender and racial bias, taken on intense challenges, and set in motion courses of action not imagined a decade ago.

1FELECIA GASTON Executive Director, Performing Stars of Marin

As a young girl in Georgia, Felecia Gaston wanted to take ballet, but segregation laws wouldn’t allow her. As an adult, she dreamed the youth around her would have the opportunities she didn’t. So, in 1990, with no budget but a sense of determination, she founded Performing Stars of Marin to offer arts and enrichment programs to underserved youth.

Today, Performing Stars has served more than 3,000 youth from diverse backgrounds, mostly low-income, with scholarships enabling them to participate in a variety of music, theater and dance programs, as well as sports, recreation, camps and more. The organization has a deep emphasis on building children’s pride, character, discipline and self-esteem, and in setting them on a path to success.

Along with leading Performing Stars, Gaston has planned events for celebrities such as the late Bishop Desmond Tutu, Spike Lee and Danny Glover. She produced the Marin City Blues and Soul Festival for 15 years. She is the author of several books and has penned guest articles for local media — the list of awards and public accolades bestowed on Gaston is a lengthy one.

Gaston’s latest passion project is #MarinCity80 — a yearlong celebration of Marin City’s 80 th birthday, the community in which she lives and adores. The #MarinCity80 celebration largely centers around sharing many untold stories of the Marin shipyard builders from World War II, many of whom were Black families who relocated to Marin City and often worked seven days a week building ships needed during wartime. The celebration includes several art installations showcasing stories of key characters from the shipyard era, theater performances with actors from Performing Stars and a music festival. “I always want our community to be seen as a place of pride and strength, to showcase the pioneers who left the Jim Crow south to start a new life for themselves and their families and work in the Marinship yards, and their patriotism t o fight in World War II,” she says.

We celebrate powerful local women who are making a positive impact and pushing boundaries in our community and beyond.

In 2012, Birgit Cameron and Patagonia retail founder Yvon Chouinard created Sausalito-based Patagonia Provisions with the purpose of extending Patagonia’s environmental mission by teaming up with forward-thinking farmers, ranchers and fi shermen who produce their goods with the ecosystem fi rst and foremost in mind.

“We started by identifying environmental problems related to the food industry, explored the solutions by working with scientists and industry folk, then created food (and beer!) that helped solve the problems, all the while showcasing solutions,” Cameron says. “All products and initiatives ladder up to our mission statement that we are in business to save our home planet.”

It’s a concept that’s proven to be highly successful. Patagonia Provisions can now be found at 3,000 upscale grocery stores, co-ops, specialty food stores and more across the UnitedCameronStates.says that it’s a great moment in time for entrepreneurs to start new solutions-based businesses, and for big business to recalibrate and move toward a “solutions mindset.” “There are so many solutions amongst the brightest scienti fic minds and entities around the world,” she says. “Contrary to much of the mood out in the world right now, this is a moment of hope. It’s our job to tease that science out and give it life.”

MAUREEN SEDONAEN

Getting anyone with decision-making power in Marin County to unanimously agree on anything, without public opposition, is quite a feat. But for Maureen Sedonaen, who leads Habitat for Humanity serving families in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, it was a real feather in her cap when, earlier this year, the Novato City Council greenlighted her organization’s plan to build 80 a ffordable homes, plus a one-story office building, on Redwood Boulevard.

Calling it “her best career moment,” she quickly adds, “I’m so proud of my team and all of our partners for getting approval for one of the largest-ever 100% a ffordable homeownership projects in Marin. I love working to change policies that bring equity and justice (social and environmental) to those most

marginalized in our communities.”

Along with having served as a mentor, advisor and strategist to numerous start-ups, philanthropic foundations, municipalities, school districts and business groups across the United States and abroad, Sedonaen is a member of the Habitat for Humanity International U.S. Council, serves on the board of trustees of the Marin Community Foundation’s Housing Action Coalition and is currently the board chair of Habitat California.“I’mextremely passionate about young people and their success,” says Sedonaen, who advises up-and-coming women to “be clear, be unapologetic and be a lifelong learner. Dedicate your work to double and triple bottom lines, keep your bar high and have fun while doing it.”

SedonaenMaureen

BIRGIT CAMERON Cofounder and Head of Patagonia Provisions

CEO, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco

Birgit Cameron

The #MeToo movement shone a spotlight on the problems not only in Hollywood and corporate America, but also within news media organizations reporting on those stories of power abuse. #MeToo served as the catalyst for Carolyn McGourty Supple, a former journalist with ABC News, to create the Center for Ethical Leadership — a nonprofit centered on advo cating for humane and healthy work environments within the media industry, including teaching ethical leadership and management at the collegiate level for future journalists.

Supple, who lives in Mill Valley, has centered her work around creating a safe, fair and sustainable news media indus try through education, research and leadership. Eliminating harassment and discrimination in the workplace is a big part of

“Everyone deserves fairness, safety and dignity at work — regardless of industry,” she says. SUPPLE Director, Center for Ethical

her mission, because she believes those issues are at the heart of ethical leadership and are not just a women’s issue.

“Every industry at every level has been rocked by revela tions of leaders who abused their power,” McGourty Supple says. “Working with scholars, we uncovered that while it was critical to let go of perpetrators, it’s even more important to address the individuals and systems that enabled such abuse.”

Supple, who has gained national recognition as an expert on media, technology and leadership, and is a visiting profes sor at the University of Texas at Austin, examines how power is gained, how to manage it ethically and how to prevent its abuse.

MARY DALY, and of

SANDRA TONG, Deputy Chief, Francisco Department SUSIE WOODALL, Commissioner, County Athletic League Hall of Fame

INSPIRING ADVICE FROM INSPIRING WOMEN

At Make It Better Media, Marin Magazine’s parent company, we’ve been celebrating powerful women for over a decade — in the articles we publish in this print magazine and on our website, as well as in our virtual events, like the upcoming Celebrating & Empowering Women on Rise webinar on May 19 (Register at marinmagazine.com/virtual-events). These articles and

events are filled with inspiring advice and words of wisdom from powerful, successful women working in many different industries on everything from igniting your passion to giving back to supporting fellow women. Here are just a few of their inspiring quotes that resonate with us.

Following Your Passion

“Be your authentic self. Being different is a strength. And I’d share that one way I’ve advanced my own career has been to follow the rule of thirds: Always seek a position that is one-third comfortable, one-third a stretch, and one-third pure whiteknuckle terror.” — Nandita Bakhshi, President and CEO, Bank of the West

“Believe in yourself. If you don’t, then surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support you.” — Jeanine Nicholson, Fire Chief, San Francisco

“Find your differentiator, whether it’s within your own business or just for yourself. Find that one thing that really sets you apart, and tell the world your story.” — Cheryl Berman, Chief Creative and CEO of unbundled Creative

“As you’re embarking on your careers, please do dream big and do not place limits on your dreams or aspirations based on others’ or society’s expectations of you. Be your whole, authentic self, and bring both your head and your heart to your decisions in your work to achieve your dreams.” — Rosalind Brewer, CEO and member of the board of directors of Walgreens Boots Alliance

Giving Back

“As soon as you are able, consider helping others through philanthropy. The more you can give away, the more you get back in return.” — Helen Abe, Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor, RBC Wealth Management

“All of us can play a role because all of us have a voice. We can vote. We can demonstrate our values through who we put in office. But becoming educated about the issues in our region, and figuring out where you sit, is how you can make a difference." — Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of Chicago Community

Women Helping Women

— Julie Castro Abrams, CEO of How Women Lead and GP of How Women Invest

“One of the things that I have learned in the 40 years of being a film festival director is that you have to be a door opener. Seeing and recognizing the potential of others, including women in movies and storytelling, is very exciting.” — Zoe Elton, Director of Programming, Mill Valley Film Festival

“I’ve had a female mentor throughout my entire life, and there’s nothing better than having a woman behind you.”

— Nurit Raphael, cannabis entrepreneur, OnaLife

“Seeking happiness? Women are happier when we do things together and make an impact!”

CASEY ARNDT Center Director for Richardson Bay CenterAudubon&Sanctuary

Casey Arndt grew up in a small Athabascan village in rural Alaska, where she learned to fi sh for salmon, mush sled dog teams and drive snow machines. As a self-described “wild child,” she credits her unique upbringing and solace she fi nds in wild places for shaping her into a hard-working and stubborn woman who isn’t afraid of getting dirty.

That’s a good thing, as getting dirty is decidedly part of Arndt's job leading the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary in Tiburon, where she and her year-round team offer a slew of community, youth and volunteer programs, as well as partake in ongoing restoration of the 900-acre subtidal sanctuary that serves as a critical stop for tens of thousands of wintering water birds. In the summer, her staff wells to include interns, fellows and camp employees for the center’s summer camp and youth activities.Thecenter's summer camp is a highlight for Arndt, because “it’s fully inclusive of children of all abilities,” she says. “I’ve seen campers thrive in our program. We also intentionally recruit teens from the area who need a second a chance, or a nudge in a di fferent direction. I’m very proud to say that everyone is truly welcome at ourAscenter.”forthose

more challenging, get-dirty days, Arndt says, “I remember why I do the work. Because my work is also my passion; it makes those di fficult days easier.”

Learn more from powerful women in our community with expert tips and insights from inspiring women. Scan here to view our guide:

Casey Arndt

AIR DirectorGALLEGOSofEducationand Career, Canal Alliance

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, San Rafael’s Canal District was hit disproportion ately harder than other areas in the county. At the center was Canal Alliance, a nonprofit organization based in the neighborhood that empowers immigrants to break the genera tional cycle of poverty in Marin.

As a key member of Canal Alliance’s leader ship team, Air Gallegos held fast to her biracial Chicana background t o fi nd the strength and resolve to help Canal’s mostly LatinX commu nity members who, on average, live 200% below the poverty line, through pandemic hardships. “Prior to the pandemic, our community faced educational inequities; lack of access to infra structure, such as digital connectivity, housing instability and basic needs instability; and layers of trauma from experiences of racism, poverty and migration," Gallegos says. "Yet the pandemic pulled back the veil of deep systemic inequities (even further), and while we were balancing the pain that was happening, we also found places of opportunity to create last ingDuringchange.”the pandemic, Canal Alliance distributed more than $3 million dollars in fi nancial support to families in dire need, plus offered rental assistance, online educational support, and an entire mesh internet network for local families to access vital health and resource information. It also engaged in criti cal policy and advocacy work to change the systems that have been causing inequities in the fi rst Gallegosplace.attests that being a leader during the pandemic was both the biggest challenge and accomplishment of her career. “The pan demic has forever changed my leadership; it has pulled out what has always existed within me but was quieter: integrity, justice, advocacy and adaptability,” she says. “The last two years have been an incredible practice in change, and have pushed me to stay true to myself and the community I work in partnership with while holding the dream of a more just future.”

Donna Berry Glass is a freelance lifestyle writer who lives in Marin with her family and avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world-class science museum.

WOMEN OF IMPACT

Our community is filled with successful, inspiring business women. From interior designers and real estate agents to financial advisors and medical professionals, these individuals excel at what they do and the services they provide. On the following pages, get to know these purpose-driven women who ensure that our needs are met from home to health and

Debbie Duering, owner of Architectural Design Carpets, and her team of creative, dedicated flooring experts, have been leaders in the Bay Area flooring industry since 1990. Kate Googins has been Debbie’s right hand for over 20 years; Nicole Kerr has been with ADC for 10 years; Lisa Almquist joined the team just last year.

They have a passion for exquisite design and vivid colors and their customer service is personalized to your lifestyle while taking into account your project’s future design style.

Using ingenuity, these women constantly think outside the box. Their attention to detail is not only a level of standard at ADC but part of their creative nature. These ladies excel in the top flooring trends ranging from carpet, hardwood, custom area rugs to commercial flooring. ADC Carpets works with the Bay Area’s top interior designers, architects, and realtors on both residential and commercial properties.

To look good is to feel great! Dr. Karen Horton is proud to announce the opening of her new state-of-the-art AAAASF accredited Plastic Surgery Center in Pacific Heights, San Francisco. “I am thrilled about our beautiful brand-new office! It’s so light, bright, modern, professional, and features the most advanced medical equipment,” says Dr. Horton. Safety and the highest quality services are paramount to Dr. Horton’s practice, and this new space allows her team to offer care at a premier level. It’s also conveniently located in Suite 520 of the Pacific Professional building (just across the hall from her former office!). With easy parking and access from Marin—or anywhere in the Bay Area—it’s easy to get the results you want, from women who understand your needs.

Integrity, aesthetic artistry and commitment to patients have made Dr. Horton one of the Bay Area’s most sought-after Plastic Surgeons. She specializes in natural looking cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for women with lasting results; all outpatient procedures are performed with meticulous attention to detail by her all-woman operating room team. A Plastic Surgery patient herself, Dr. Horton is uniquely equipped to counsel and advise on the latest in treatments. “My role as a Plastic Surgeon is to educate, inform, and empower women,” says Dr. Horton. She shares her own experiences within her website blog series, where clients can also learn about the latest developments in various restorative and reconstruction treatments.

Innovation and creativity are the driving forces in Marika Sakellariou’s life and the thread which integrates her rich professional career. From dance and exercise, to property remodeling and real estate, Ms. Sakellariou has the ability to distill to the “essence” the uniqueness embedded in each of these fields.

Ms. Sakellariou was born in Athens, Greece and has lived in Marin for more than 30 years. She became a distinguished dancer and choreographer throughout the U.S.nada and Europe. Her skill as a teacher led to faculty positions at Dominican College, College of Marin, UC Berkeley and Colorado Mountain College in Aspen. The pinnacle of her dance career came with her appointment as director and resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera Ballet for which she choreographed over 40 ballets.

Always a seeker, Ms. Sakellariou segued her innovative focus into several successful companies and products for the fitness industry. Because of her love for architecture and her passion for modern design, Marika was drawn to real estate. It is in this arena that her discipline, using light and architectural form blossomed in an award winning Eichler remodel that brought her international recognition.

Marika is a luxury home specialist with Coldwell Banker Realty. “Your home is more than just a home, it’s Center Stage!”

Anative of France, Sarah holds a master’s from Sorbonne in Paris, and speaks eight languages. With a background in art curation, and a collection of fine French antique furniture, Sarah’s homes have always been known for that certain ‘je ne sais quoi,’ and for being meticulously clean. So, when family and friends in Paris heard that she acquired the premier housekeeping company in the Bay Area, no one was surprised. “When I told them what I did they all said that it made perfect sense, and I guess it does. Now I do for the most beautiful homes in Marin County and the East Bay, what I have always done for mine.”

CCC delivers exceptional housekeeping service using Certified Green products. We rank among the top housekeeping companies in the Bay Area according to a well-known consumer service rating agency and benefit from a loyal customer base of over 220 clients, some of whom have been with us since we opened in 1987. Just as important, we are a living wage employer, offering our W2 employees compensation well in excess of minimum wage, Platinum level Kaiser, Delta Dental and VSP health benefits, paid holidays, paid vacations, and new for 2022, a 401K plan. Neil, CEO, The CompanyCleaningCooperative(CCC) YEARS OF METICULOUS HOUSEKEEPING

Eva Claiborne

MASTER AESTHETICIAN

Master Aesthetician, Eva of Eva Claiborne Beauty and Wellness in Tiburon, has been providing the highest level of skin care, spa therapies and perioperative aesthetic services for over 35+ years. She is passionate about skin care and is consistently recognized as the premier provider of facials in Marin County.

CHAMBERS + CHAMBERS

ARCHITECTS

Chambers + Chambers Architects is a boutique firm focused on custom residential architecture and interior design services. Located in Mill Valley, Chambers + Chambers has become a recognized brand in Marin. Known for elaborate detail and symmetry, Barbara’s award-winning designs are inspired by her passion for classical chambersandchambers.comarchitecture.

HELLO Modern Massage

KARI IVERSON, CMT, RYT

Massage is a unique way to “move” your body, with all of the same health benefits as exercise. Known for her finely detailed deep tissue work, Kari helps clients overcome chronic neck, shoulder and back pain, returning to the activities they love. Thoroughly results-driven, and with very firm pressure, she has helped many of her clients avoid costly surgeries.

90 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley 415.823.2155 • hellomodernmassage.com

Gray-FongMonica

CO-OWNER: NICE GUYS DELIVERY

Two weeks after the birth of their first son, Nice Guys Delivery was incorporated in 2016 by Monica Gray-Fong and her husband Adam Fong. The couple, Marin County residents, saw firsthand how cannabis brings relief to people with illness as both of their fathers had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease that same year but they struggled to obtain quality cannabis and service in the area. Hence, Adam and Monica started Nice Guys Delivery, a knowledgeable, high-level enterprise that offers the highest-grade flowers, edibles, lotions, teas, tinctures and more.

Monica grew up in Mill Valley CA and attended Old Mill, Mill Valley Middle School and Tamalpais High School. After graduating from Tamalpais High School, Monica attended UCLA where she obtained her BA in World Arts and Cultures. Directly after graduating, she flew out to New York City and spent 7 years working in product development in Footwear and Apparel where she worked at Calvin Klein and Jcrew. She then moved to Los Angeles and worked at Skechers before moving back to Marin to work at a startup footwear company located in San Rafael called Vionic Shoes.

While continuing to navigate the complexities of the cannabis industry, Monica also volunteers on the Board of Directors at the Center for Domestic Peace, which leads a comprehensive community effort to end domestic violence in Marin info@niceguysdelivery.com415.855.5914County.niceguysdelivery.com

North Coast Tile & Stone has been helping people navigate the challenges of wildfires and COVID-19 for the past three years.

NCTS continues to be a company that strives to provide the best service to their clients, no matter the challenge or hardship. We work to make sure every detail is correct, and are mindful of all requests. We have a dedicated team that is ready to work for you, and we look forward to helping turn your project into reality.

Martha leads the showroom team in working with architects, contractors, designers and homeowners with a confident, thoughtful and professional attitude.

We are a one stop shop that offers – design and installation services, as well as a wide variety of stone and tile. One client said, “Being in Martha’s showroom is like being in her own home. The care and time that was taken with my project made us feel like family.”

Please call with any questions, or how to make appointments with us during this time. Santa Rosa Santa

Helen Abe

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Helen Abe was born and raised in San Francisco. Her immigrant parents worked hard and sacrificed to raise a large family. They taught their children the importance of living within your means.

“My mother literally saved pennies and proved that it’s not what you earn, but what you save that matters”. Helen said.

With strong values, Helen set out to achieve her financial objectives while helping others to achieve their financial dreams. She makes it a point to listen and to acknowledge each person’s concerns and circumstances. Her approach is to keep it simple, understandable and tailored to each individual.

Some people are comfortable working with a woman; although less than 20% of financial advisors are women. Many widows, needing help understanding their own finances; have engaged Helen for help after their husbands had passed away.

Helen believes in helping others to live a life that makes them happy. She believes that we should focus on what we want out of life instead of being fearful.

RBC Wealth Management Drakes Landing 155 • Greenbrae

A division of RBC Capital Markets,

Nadia Tarlow

FITNESS REIMAGINED AT GET FIT MARIN

Nadia Tarlow has been in the fitness business for over ten years. Her passion for fitness began a few years before that when she started exercising regularly herself and quickly recognized the benefits. She had more energy and was physically stronger. But it was the mental strength she gained that most surprised her. She founded GET FIT MARIN - FITNESS REIMAGINED to help others change their lives through exercise.

Nadia knows that even people with the same goals need a unique exercise approach. Young, old, new to exercise or a pro, GFM is a place where clients are welcomed and individualized. Using state-of-the-art equipment, including an infrared sauna and the only bioDensity device (a proven method to reduce osteoporosis) in Marin, she works with clients to customize their workout program to help ensure their goals are met. Power Plate sessions are also offered, affording whole body vibration to keep muscles and joints strong for better performance and faster recovery.

To Nadia, GET FIT MARIN is more than a name, it’s a mission.5768

Paradise Drive, Suite K, Corte Madera 415.945.9778 • getfitmarin.com

California Girl Jewelry

THERE’S ONLY ONE

Mother/daughter owners of the contemporary jewelry boutique in Mill Valley that specializes in rare, colored gemstone and custom jewelry, and repair. They source the finest, rare jewels from all over the world adorned by their strikingly beautiful settings creating sparkling perfection. “Our feminine designs sets us apart from the highly traditional, male-dominated world of fine jewelry.” Shop local.

Strawberry Village Shopping Center, Mill Valley californiagirljewelry.com • 650.504.0646

Mountain ConstructionTop

BRINGING A FEMININE LOOK TO CONSTRUCTION

While construction is a male-dominated career, there is a notable increase of women entering this area, in various roles, adding value and bringing a more pleasant approach to the field. Karla Salgado, Olimpia Moreno (pictured) and Nofar Ifrah are three of those women who broke through the glass ceiling and are making a difference in the sector.

As Project Managers at Mountain Top Construction, a locally operated and owned company, they are responsible for keeping construction projects synchronized from beginning to end, always focusing on the client’s satisfaction. A key asset to Mountain Top Construction is that we are consistent in providing quality service throughout the dynamic construction process. Our Project Managers effectively communicate and create rapport with our clients. With years of experience in the sector, Karla Salgado mentions, “The best part of working in construction is that it is an ever-changing workplace that provides me with new learning opportunities every day. I am always exchanging ideas with my clients and expanding my knowledge”.

Mountain Top Construction is a full-service General Contracting company in the San Francisco Bay area and Marin County. We specialize in residential and commercial building San Rafael

HOT OFF THE

MARIN OPEN STUDIOS

MARIN OPEN STUDIOS

Charlotte Bernstrom

SWEDISH AMERICAN ARTIST

Charlotte is a Marin resident, from a long line of Swedish painters, all of whom had a strong connection with Nature. Her contemporary canvases express poetic explorations of the deeprooted relationship we have with the natural world, embodying the emotional realm. Through feeling, she takes us on a journey to what we inherently know; We are irrevocably linked to Nature.

Robert Green Fine Arts • 415.381.8776

154 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley • charlottebernstrom.com

Sofia Jewelry

CUSTOM CREATIONS AND BESPOKE DESIGNS

Sophie’s love of business came from her parents who started Sofia Jewelry in 1994. It was there that she learned how important small businesses are to communities. As the owner of Sofia Jewelry and Johann Paul Fine Jewelry, Sophie is honored to share her passions with the Marin community. All while adding extra sparkle to your everyday celebrations!

80 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley 415.388-8776 • sofiajewelry.com

Sutton Suzuki Architects

30 YEARS OF COMMITMENT

Elizabeth Suzuki expresses leadership and commitment through both her architectural firm and community involvement. Leading the team at Sutton Suzuki Architects or supporting several community organizations, she brings that unstoppable quality of dedication. Ranging from Mill Valley Rotary and Chamber to SF Marin Food Bank and 10,000 Degrees, she brings passion, enthusiasm and 30 years of commitment.

BakhtiariLeigh DREAMS FROM

Few women in the Bay Area hold the credentials that Leigh Bakhtiari has earned in her 29-year career in the flooring business. Her leadership has helped shape a variety of flooring advisory councils with recommendations for best flooring practices, installation techniques and product development. As a business owner, she is proud of her sales & design team who has been working with her for over 20 years and her expert installers who have been with her since the doors opened in 1993. While the success of City Carpets highlights her business acumen, it is her service to the community which makes her a true woman of impact.

Having raised 5 children in Marin, Leigh remains committed to supporting local schools and youth programs such as Youth in Arts and Italian Street Painting Marin. With her professional focus on the importance of a beautiful, safe and healthy home, her personal focus is to support programs that help find solutions for people experiencing homelessness in Marin and Sonoma County; including Homeward Bound of Marin, Grateful Gatherings, The Living Room, and Adopt a Family of Marin. She is also an avid supporter of the Milo Foundation where she rescued her beloved dogsper.

Penna Omega

OWNER, RIMS & GOGGLES OPTICAL BOUTIQUE

“The eye exam experience has always felt a little bland, so we jumped at the chance to put our spin on the traditional Dr’s visit–turning it into a chic experience!” Rims & Goggles will soon offer vision exams in their new tele-optometry atelier! The opticians you know & trust + handmade eyewear + the ease of tele-medicine is a win-win for our clientele!

606 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley rimsandgoggles.com • 415.383.9480

EB Academics

HELPING TEACHERS THRIVE AGAIN!

Co-Founders of EB Academics and authors of The Empowered ELA Teacher , Caitlin Mitchell and Jessica Cannata, provide thousands of teachers across the world with reliable and engaging resources. Together they also offer numerous inspirational trainings and a supportive community to empower educators. Their mission is to help each teacher on a personal level, not just within the classroom setting.

Eco-Terric

ROWENA FINEGAN, FOUNDER OF ECO-TERRIC

If you’re highly allergic and sensitive to environmental toxins, Rowena Finegan has beautiful news for you. You’ll find sustainable, non-toxic, chemical-free home furnishings in her store and on her website. Rowena is uncompromising in her selections of furniturerpeting, window coverings, and accents. And she is also happy to help you design your healthy interior spaces with elegance and style.

323 Pine Street, Sausalito eco-terric.com • For Appt: rowena@eco-terric.com

We believe in relationships, quality of service, and the delivery of a real estate experience that is nothing short of exceptional. It’s a mouthful, we know, but it’s true and is what drives our—and your—success. Having lived and raised our children in Marin for a combined 37 years, we are deeply engrained in our community and are familiar with Marin’s best schools, neighborhoods, and unique microclimates. Our successful backgrounds in Corporate America have laid the foundation, so to speak, for our expertise in the art of negotiation, business ethics, and communication, all serving as the pillars for our clients’ satisfaction.

This extensive knowledge allows us to market not only your home, but the one-of-a-kind lifestyle it represents. We recently focused our efforts to sell the highest price-per-squarefoot home in Belvedere in 2020 in the $5M to $7M price range, and also had the highest sale in the Via Los Altos neighborhood in 2021. Currently, we have seven listings hitting the market. Intrigued? We’d love to connect with you.

We are stewards of our communities, consummate professionals, mothers, and women who are dedicated to what we believe in—the power of our partnership. Whether maximizing the value of your home, or finding the home of your dreams, we invite you to discover the difference with us. IS A LIFESTYLE

Dr. Faye Jamali, founder of state-of-the-art medical spa Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine in Mill Valley, sees aesthetic medicine as an art. That’s why you may feel enchanted upon entering this effortlessly chic aesthetic boutique in Northern California.

Belle Marin aims to help women age gracefully and joyfully at every stage of life. “Women are the glue, we hold everything together,” says Dr. Jamali. “We work hard, and we deserve to look and feel our absolute best while doing it. We also deserve to enjoy our pursuit of selfcare, which is exactly what I believe aesthetic medicine to be.”

Dr. Jamali’s service menu features the most advanced self-care services, and she continues to add more. “It’s not about trends,” cautions Dr. Jamali, “it’s about providing the absolute best results with comfort and convenience.” This informs her recent additions: truSculpt® iD non-invasive fat reduction, truSculpt® flex+ non-invasive muscle toning and Secret® RF microneedling for tightening, lifting and smoothing skin on the face and body with ease.

Photo credit: Steven J. Magner Photography E. Blithedale B

To learn more about Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine, please call 415.887.8718 today!

Lamperti Contracting & Design is celebrating its team of professional women who shine in the design-build industry. The all-female design group continues to break biases and is paving the way for the next generation of female professionals to become leaders and innovators in the design/build world.

Jenny Meyers, Residential Designer, brings more than 20 years’ experience to the design team, focusing on creative and innovative kitchen and bath remodels. Kylie Rankin, Designer, graduated from Sacramento State, Interior Architecture, and excels at space planningbinet design, product procurement, and project management. Casey Mazzoni chose a career as a Designer because she enjoys the creative process of making a home renovation project a beautiful reality. Kelsey Shoemaker, Executive Assistant and collaborator is highly organized, determined, and willing to take on any task. As owners, Jennifer, and Sean Kelly value these brilliant females that make Lamperti Contracting & Design the best design/build firm in the industry. Our all-female design team is eager to create the kitchen, bathroom, and home of your dreams – with luxury finishes, quality and custom cabinetry. We’ll guide you on styles, trends and educate you on our in-house appliances.

Visit us! The showroom is experiential, from custom cabinetry to luxury appliances Lamperti Contracting & Design has it all! Andersen San

Destinations

THE BEST PLUS JOURNEYS AROUND THE

Chic Sleeps for Girls' Getaways

Dr.

Work deadlines, school lunches, grocery shop ping, laundry: It’s time for a break in the routine, so why not plan a weekend trip with your girlfriends to reset and recharge? Whether you’re looking to sip cocktails on the roof of an urban-chic boutique hotel, tuck into a hip hideaway at the beach, or soak in a thera peutic mud bath at a midcentury gem in wine country, these design-centric properties prom ise to check all the boxes for a fun girls’ getaway.

DR. WILKINSON’S BACKYARD RESORT & MINERAL SPRINGS

Calistoga, drwilkinson.com; from $289

Retro vibes meet California cool at Calistoga’s iconic midcentury wellness resort Dr. Wilkinson’s, which opened in 1952 and received a total design refresh by SB Architects and EDG Interior Architecture + Design last year. The 50 fully renovated rooms, which boast locally made artwork and apothecary medicine cabinets stocked with beauty essentials, include double-doubles, bunk rooms, a bungalow and even a Victorian house that sleeps 15, so there are plenty of options to accommodate your squad.

Play: Nearby, hike the challenging Oat Hill Mine Trail. Then, toast your accomplish ment at any number of Napa wineries: House

recommendations include midcentury oasis Ashes & Diamonds, natural-wine focused Usual Wines and Tamber Bey Vineyards (also a horse ranch). Recuperate with a mud bath and mineral pool soak at Dr. Wilkinson’s onsite spa.

Dine and drink: Sample healthy Southwestern-inspired fare at the resort’s open-air restaurant and bar, House of Better. Detox with kombucha on tap, wellness tonics or adaptogen teas, or re-tox with more local vino and beer.

SAN FRANCISCO PROPER HOTEL

San Francisco; properhotel.com/san-francisco; from $350

Sometimes, the best getaway is an overnight with your BFF right in your own backyard

or, in this case, just over the bridge. No two rooms are identical at the San Francisco Proper Hotel, where interior designer by Kelly Wearstler has evoked San Francisco’s past, present and future with era-blending furniture, original artwork and bespoke fi xtures.

Play: We think you might already have a good idea of what to do in the city with your girlfriends when you don't have the kids in tow, but here are a few ideas: Hit the shops at Union Square or Hayes Valley; nosh your way through the Ferry Building; go to a show; peruse the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (at your own pace, for once). The hotel’s complimentary car service will whisk guests to anywhere in the city within a 3-mile radius.

Dine and drink: Hit up Villon for seasonally driven, California-centric cuisine and classic cocktails with a twist (and afternoon tea on weekends); pair aperitifs with tapas at La Bande; or savor cocktails and elevated bar bites with skyline views at Charmaine’s Rooftop Bar & Lounge — all at the Proper.

WHITE WATER Cambria, whitewatercambria.com; from $329

Set atop a bluff gainst a picturesque back drop of Moonstone Beach on the Central Coast, White Water, which opened in 2020, is the fi rst luxury boutique hotel on this milelong stretch of rocky, windswept coastline — and an ideal destination for a relaxing, low-key girls’ getaway. Merging a 1970s Scandinavian aesthetic with a California bohemian vibe, the interior design of the

Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs Surfhouse

25-room seaside lodge is the vision of Los Angeles-based Nina Freudenberger. Many of White Water’s modern, cabin-inspired rooms boast ocean views and fi replaces, and all fea ture custom California-made furniture.

Play: Surf the sandy-bottom break at Moonstone Beach; hit the hiking trails at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve or Harmony Headlands; taste wine in nearby Paso Robles (try Booker, Daou or Hope Family Wines) — or, simply take one of White Water’s fleet of Linus bikes out for a spin on Cambria’s bike path.

Dine and drink: Hit the town for inspired global fare in the outdoor garden at Robin’s; slurp oysters (natch) at Sea Chest Oyster Bar; sample craft beers at nano-brewery 927 Beer Company. Head back to White Water for happy hour: local wines and beers and a signature cocktail program, plus shareable plates.

SURFHOUSE Encinitas, sur fhouseadventures.com; from $215

When Encinitas locals — and brothers — Nikki and Sander Harth opened Sur fhouse in 2017, they envisioned a surf-inspired bou tique hotel that would celebrate all of their favorite things: the beach, surf lifestyle, good vibes, traveling and stewardship of the local Leucadia community where the property is situated. The modern and chic renovated motel is just a block away from the beach, and each room is inspired by a di fferent Encinitas surf break — the downstairs “Pipe” bunk room sleeps four, perfect for your girl gang.

Play: It’s all about the beach here: Sign up for one of Sur fhouse’s private yoga classes or surf lessons on nearby Beacon’s Beach. Later, book a massage at nearby Four Moons Spa and zip around town on the hotel’s compli mentary beach cruisers.

Dine and drink: Grab breakfast at organic, gluten-free bakery Nectarine Grove; nosh on Baja fi sh tacos for lunch at Fish 101; head to Herb and Sea for raw bar classics and housemade pizza for dinner, or sample wine and Mediterranean bites at Solterra right around the corner from the hotel.

For more getaways, whether for the girls or the whole family, find all the travel advice you need by scanning here:

White Water

Time to SLO Down

Escape the hustle-bustle with a visit to San Luis Obispo, and sample wine on the San Luis Obispo Coast, the newest AVA in the country.

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

On March 9, 2022, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau named its new est American Viticultural Area (AVA): San Luis Obispo Coast. Also known as the SLO Coast, the AVA stretches roughly 60 miles, from just south of Big Sur to just north of Santa Maria. Some 15 miles wide, the newborn AVA encompasses a swath of land impacted by its proximity to the Paci fic Ocean and scoops up the town of San Luis Obispo as well as two “nested” AVAs, Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley. For wine drinkers, experiencing San Luis Obispo and the new AVA is akin to a visit to Sonoma, where cooler regions, ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, abut warmer areas, where Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon are more comfortable.

An escape to San Luis Obispo provides the opportunity to experience, shall we say, a SLO-er pace of life, with its a walkable downtown and expansive wine country mere minutes from town.

Begin your exploration of the SLO Coast AVA with a stop at Wolff ineyards. Owners Jean-Pierre and Elke Wolff r their son Clint, who manages the tasting room, are likely to greet you personally at the petite winery. Settle into an umbrella-shaded table and begin your exploration of the region with its premiere grape, Chardonnay. More than 50 acres were among the fi rst planted in the Edna Valley in 1976, and the small yields and deep root systems of the sustain ably farmed vineyard express concentrated fl avors. The 2020 Old Vines Chardonnay

took silver in the 2021 Sunset International Wine Competition. Wolff lso has a cool climate Petite Syrah and experiments with Teroldego, an Italian variety rarely grown in the United States.

Itching for some vroom in your tasting experience? New venture Sidecar Tours will shift your perspective on fun among the vineyards. While you and a friend sit in the open-air sidecar, a motorcycle (usually a British Triumph) driven by a professionally trained chau ffeur zips you through the vines. Feel the rush of the AVA’s breezes across your cheeks and chat about local wines and clas sic motorbikes before you stop and sip wines from local wineries.

On your way back to town, wine and whiskey await. Stop in at Tolosa Winery for a 17 72 fl ight. Named for the year the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded, the wines, ranging from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Petite Verdot and Grenache, express the cool-climat e fl avors and the long history of the region. Choose the Perinet tasting experience to sample the wines of Tolosa’s sister winery in the Priorat region of Spain alongside Spanish cheeses and charcuterie to amplify the old world meets new world vibe. Nearby is Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills, SLO’s one-two punch of brewery and whiskey still under a single roof. The open-air space boasts an expansive patio; menu fi lled with salads, nibbles and pizza; and, if you time it right, live music.

Back in downtown SLO, walk over to The Creamery on the southwest side of town. A former dairy is now an open-air marketplace

Hotel Cerro

chock-a-block with stores and restaurants. Taste artisanal mezcals on the patio at La Esquina before enjoying a modern Peruvian dinner at Mistura — we're partial to the tiraditos, Peru’s Nikkei-style sashimi with ají chile and leche de tigre. For dessert, Nite Creamery’s updated fl avors (Pineapple Picante With Chimoy Sauce or Thicc Mint With Rice Krispy) enchant adults and kids.

The town of SLO has experienced some thing of a renaissance in recent years, with new hotels and restaurants opening to serve the nearby college, as well as tourists to the area. Opened amidst ou r fi rst Covid-19 sum mer, Hotel Cerro is the new kid on the block,

with a rooftop pool and rooms and suites that face the property’s edible gardens. Brasserie SLO boasts an open-air courtyard shaded by fig trees and a classic menu that include s a fi ne bouillabaisse, herb-roasted chicken and a not-to-be-missed Hammer cocktail. Across town, Hotel San Luis Obispo’s pool is at lobby level next to the S.Low bar. It makes for fi ne people watching before dinner at Ox & Anchor, a classic steak house where an “Oscar-style” option loads a Kob e fl at iron with Dungeness crab, aspara gus and bernaise.

A visit to the town almost requires a stop at the mission for which the town is

named and around which SLO grew. A small museum and lovely gardens can be visited after walking through (or taking mass in) the sanctuary. San Luis Museum of Art sits on the west side of Mission Plaza and focuses on exhibiting works by Central Coast artists. After wandering the galleries, stop for lunch at Park 1039. A hub for international wines, the gourmet food shop is also a restaurant with a heated patio and a farm-to-table menu that changes daily.

The compact downtown is studded with coffee shops of all kinds and enough bohe mian clothing stores to sate local demand for beachwear (Avila Beach and Pismo Beach’s

Sidecar Tours

Monarch Butter fl y Grove are a short drive away), and Luis General Store stands out for its unique building (and creaky woo d floors) and fun array of gifts and novelty items. After the shopping spree, the time is right to rest your feet and savor a quirky cocktail (Science, Midnight in the Garden) and a sau sage plate with pineapple relish at Sidecar Cocktail Co. Vocalize your disgust after peeking at Bubble Gum Alley — it really is yucky — then head over to Lokum for an after-dinner Turkish coffee andThere’sbaklava.always more to the SLO story — Edna Valley wineries, micro-brews at SLO Brew Rock, a farmers’ market with a range of Asian-inspired pop-ups and food trucks — but spending some time in California’s newly minted AVA invites wishes for return visits.

HALLDUANE

For more on other amazing AVAs to check out in California, scan here:

Tolosa Winery

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Out &

A OF THE LOCAL EVENTS, GATHERINGS AND TO EAT

SanRadhaus,Francisco

Eat & Drink

Eins, G’suffZwei,

We’re not advocates for heavy drinking, but the famous Bavarian song that encourages beer drinkers to pause for two beats before knocking back a stein of local brew feels apropos considering the energetic shift in the air of late. Here are a few local beer halls and gardens to try.

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS AND GOOD FOOD IN THE BAY AREA EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

What’s Hot

State Room Brewery

A perennial favorite for brunch (like chicken and waffles), the kitche also turns out dishes infused with Asian flvors like a spicy ahi poke bowl, handmade dumplings and fircracker green beans. Sip a Patriot pilsner, Inglorious pale ale or even a Glutenberg (it’s glutenfree) at a small table out front or inside the brew pub. 1132 Fourth St, San Rafael; 415.295.7929; stateroombrewery.com

Fieldwork Brewing

The see-and-be-seen patio enlivens the outdoor eating scene at Corte Madera Town Center, one of seven NorCal locations for this brewery. The draft list includes everything from Belgian dubbel-style to lighter Czech-style lagers and hoppier double IPAs. The pizzas have a dedicated following and roasted Brussels sprouts and a chopped kale salad round out the menu. 107 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera; 415.891.8273; fieldorkbrewing.com

Moylan’s

The big tanks out front are a sign of the beer to come at this long-run ning brewery in Novato. Grab a seat one of the pic nic tables in the backyard patio before sinking into a bowl of beef and bean chili or the restaurant’s famous corned beef and cabbage. The beer menu is similarly Irish-Amer ican in flvor with Irish stouts and NorCal IPAs

available in equal mea sure. 15 Rowland Way, Novato; 415.898.4677; moylans.com

HopMonk Tavern

The tables shaded by umbrellas and live mu sic pumping from the stage set a lively scene for this beer garden at Novato’s Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. While many come to savor a Pliny the Younger (when it’s in season), the restaurant is known for its killer Reuben and fish and chip served with Caribbean slaw. 224 Vintage Way, Novato; 415.892.6200; hopmonk.com

Radhaus

A legit beer hall, com plete with gnomes hid ing amidst the barrels and soaring ceilings, Radhaus exalts in its Bavarian heritage. Beer here skews Ger man, from draft König pilsner and a hopfen weisser from Schneider Brewery to bottles of Curator Doppelbock brewed by Klosterbrau erei Ettal. Or, you can opt for a German whiskey or schnapps instead. All can be paired with döner ke bab, a chicken schnitzel sandwich, or a brunch of spätzle and eggs. Singing of “Eins, Zwei, G’suffa” is entirel

2optional.Marina Blvd, Fort Mason; 415.445.4556; radhaussf.com

To learn more about the latest restaurants and where to dine, scan here:

SAUSALITO

Angelino Restaurant Italian Multiple gen erations of the Arcona family create an authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti that has showcased the cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. The newer Angelino Pastry Bar features classic croissants, focaccia and a raspberry-polenta pop tart, among other treats. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225

Dine

MARIN'S COMMUNITIES ARE AS UNIQUE AS THEIR INHABITANTS. MONTH, FOCUS ON SAUSALITO AND ITS POPULAR DINING SCENE. MARIN EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

Arawan Thai Thai Sure, this downtown favorite serves up popular dishes like pad Thai and vegetarian Siamese rolls, but the menu runs deeper into regional Thai flavors with offerings like a fermented tea leaf salad and soft shell crab curry. 47 Caledonia St, 415.729.9395

Avatar’s Indian If you’re on the hunt for innovative, multi-culti Indian fare, head to Avatar’s. Sip masala chai sweet ened with brown sugar

before digging into Cajun-spiced shrimp on the heated and shaded patio. A curried sweet potato enchilada in the casual one-room restaurant makes a quick vegetarian lunch or dinner on the new patio. 2656 415.332.8083Bridgeway,

Bar Bocce American Food just tastes better on a bayside patio with fire pits and a bocce ball court. Order one of the sourdough bread pizzas, a shredded kale

salad and a glass of wine and you’ll see why this casual, beachy eatery, overseen by Robert Price of Mill Valley's Buckeye and Bungalow 44, has become a local favorite. 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555

Barrel House Tavern Californian Stop by Barrel House for a feel ing of rising above it all (it's on the second floor) where the soaring ceiling work reflects the restaurant's name. The barrel-aged cocktails are worth a visit (try the Negroni) but dishes like maitake mushroom flat bread and tartare tacos reflect a locally focused ethos. 660 415.729.9593Bridgeway,

Copita Mexican Co-owner Joanne Weir and chef Daniel Tellez present fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The ever-changing menu is 100 percent glutenfree, masa is prepared and pressed in house for each and every tortilla, and the in-house tequila bar serves more than 100 varieties, ideal for crafting your own margarita. Dine at the bar (when it is permitted again) or on the outdoor patio for great people watching. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400

Dario’s Restaurant Italian Dario’s, a 40-year-old pizza joint, updated the menu with Mediterranean flair. In addition to the thin-crust

pizzas, you can spice up an order of pepperoni 'za with items like lamb meatballs, chicken shawarma and falafel wraps. 2829 415.332.6636Bridgeway,

Davey Jones Deli American Stationed in the New Bait Shop Market, Davey Jones Deli offers houseroasted sandwich meats, healthy condiments and local, organic vegetables; the deli serves sandwiches, veggiewiches, wraps and salads with vegetarian, vegan and meat-lover options. Because the sandwiches are so generous, this easy stop is a must during a day of boating, biking, hiking and general adventuring around Marin. It stays open late, too, for those nights when you need a sandwich and a soda around midnight. Gate 6 Rd, 415.331.2282

Feng Nian Chinese

This spacious popular hangout has served up wonton soup, potstick ers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat, order the Szechwan crispy calamari, honey-glazed walnut prawn or lemon chicken. At lunch, the spicy green bean chicken is a favorite of one of our staffers. A gluten-free menu is available. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300

Fish Seafood It has been said that this restaurant and fish market launched the sustainable

seafood movement, making it the ultimate place for freshly caught, unobjectionable fare. Order any of the day's offerings — the menu changes daily but usually has a variation of fish tacos, ceviche and grilled fish of the day — then take in the bay views on the open-air deck. Though cash is still king, credit cards are now accepted.

350 Harbor 415.331.3474Drive,

Fred's Place American Famous for its breakfasts and its new outdoor patio, Fred’s is a Sausalito institution. Locals rave about dishes like the millionaire’s bacon, a sweet and sticky delight. It is perhaps best known for a dish called the Italian Swedish. That's wheat toast topped with a lean patty, cheese, poached eggs, tomatoes, mush rooms and peppers. Get it? 1917 415.332.4575Bridgeway,

Joinery American This large waterfront restaurant’s broad patio, big salads and shareable plates make it a destination for families and other groups. Order at the front, and then grab a seat to enjoy the craft beer, Joinery or Impossible burger, rotisserie chicken and other hearty, seasonal fare. 300 Turney St, 415.766.8999

Kitti’s Place Thai This home-style family-run

restaurant has been in town for over 20 years. It features Californiainspired favorites like lettuce cups stuffed with chicken and almonds, soft spring rolls and a curried turkey burger. A patio out front gets midday sun, even in winter. 3 001 415.331.0390Bridgeway,

Le Garage French

Escape the tourist crush for an indulgent meal right on the water in a spacious room that was once, well, you know. The atmosphere is animated with light French music (à la Amélie) and plenty of natural light from the often-open garage door. A Niçoise salad is gussied up with white anchovies and the croque monsieur oozes with Gruyere and mustard-infused bechamel sauce. Escargot, tucked into puff pastry, is easily reheated at home. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625

Murray Circle American Cavallo

includes frittatas and English muffin sandwiches. Live music on Friday and Saturday evenings lifts everyone’s spirits. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355

Poggio Italian Vitello sliced excruciatingly thin and topped with lemon and tonnato sauce is a singular dish in the hands of executive chef Benjamin Balesteri, who creates Northern Italian fare using local and Italian ingredients. The bar may be the most hopping in town and is recognized for its killer Negroni. Private dining rooms above the restaurant can accommodate larger parties (10 to 150 guests). 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771

Salito’s Crab House & Prime Rib Seafood The large stations layered with oysters and other creatures of the sea alert you to the fact that this is a place for seafood. And, indeed, a whole crab with garlic sauce is a classic order. The large seafood menu is buttressed with fare for landlubbers (prime rib, sandwiches) but you didn't come here for that, now did you? Either way, large decks overlooking the water, an all-day menu and onsite parking, make this a popular spot for groups of all sizes. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226

more than 200 varieties of tequilas that are even better when enjoyed in the private Cabo Wabo room, named for (and approved by) Mill Valley's own tequila master, Sammy Hagar. Sip and savor on the heated Agave Terrace out back where the vibe is as festive as inside. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512

Scoma’s of Sausalito Italian Sausalito’s old est seafood house has its own boat, berthed at Pier 47, which fishes seasonally and is approved for salmon and Dungeness crab, resulting in fresh catches year-round. The menus at both the Sausalito and Fisherman's Wharf loca tions were revamped by chef Gordon Drysdale in accordance with the andwholeregularlyWatchBayresponsibleenvironmentallyMontereyAquariumSeafoodprogramandfeaturecrabs,chowdersgrilledfish. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551

The Trident Seafood Set in a

Cucina sa is open for lunch and dinner 6 days a week! Tuesday through Sunday, lunch is 11:30am-3:00pm, with dinner going from 5:00pm-9:00pm. Outside dining, weather permitting, on our bridge and parklet. Hope that you can join us soon! Please call for larger parties or special requests.

CUCINA SA

510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.2942 cucina-sa.com

601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750

Osteria Divino Italian

Authentic Florentine cooking with an eye on local and seasonal means fresh fare all year long. The extensive artisan pasta selec tion includes vegan and vegetarian options and a breakfast menu

Saylor’s Restaurant and Bar Mexican Chef/ owner Sean Saylor uses fresh local ingredients and seafood to create a distinctively Cabo combination of Californian and Mexican cuisine. That means polenta with green chili and mozzarella or a Caesar salad with ancho chili croutons and queso fresco. Choose from

chips.beer-batteredwithcioppinofromducersandlocalknown1970srestaurant,inrestaurantClub,thebuildingturn-of-the-centuryconstructedforSanFranciscoYachtthiswaterfrontisashoo-fordatenight.Theafamoushangout,isnowforsupportingfarmers,fishersorganicfoodpro-ineverythingitswell-regardedtoaLouiesaladcraborprawnsandfishand 558 415.331.3232Bridgeway,

Discover your new favorite restaurant. Scan here for our full dining listings:

Come join us for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch! From stuffed, pecancrusted french toast to delicious scrambles, juicy burgers and fantastic salads, our menus change to reflet the seasons. With graduation season upon us, let Comforts provide all your grad’s favorites, for an easy and delicious celebration party! View our catering menu on our website for more information.

COMFORTS

335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.9840 comfortscafe.com

Calendar

ARTS LECTURES&

MAY 6–JUNE 5 The Government Inspector

Not unlike a Marx Brothers mistakencomedy,identity and local corruption drive this 19 th-century clas sic comedy of errors by

Nikolai Gogol. rossvalleyplayers.com

MAY 12–22 Talking Circle An evening-length work with a multigen erational cast, including two members of The Elders Project, explores the relationship between individual and collective and asks: “What will we

risk for freedom?” risajaroslowdance.org

MAY 26–JUNE 19 The Sound Inside The West Coast premiere of Adam Rapp’s yetawritingofthrillerTony-nominatedlooksatthelivesabrilliantIvyLeagueprofessorwithdarksecret,atalentedmysteriousstudent

and an unthinkable favor. marintheatre.org

MUSIC

MAY 15 Young Artists’ Concert Up-andcoming classical music performers, a part of Marin Music Chest that provides financial

support and perfor mance opportunities to talented, young Marin County students of classical music, is the grand finale for The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society’s season. millvalley.orgchambermusic

COMEDY

MAY 6–8 Russell Peters

Recently named one of Rolling Stone ’s 50 Best Comics of All Time, the Canadian native is perhaps best known for his stand-up spe cial, “Russell Peters Deported” on Amazon Prime. cobbscomedy.com

FILM

MAY 15 La Traviata

Richard Eyre’s production for The Royal Opera of Verdi’s scene of tragic love in 19 th century Paris is rife with famous arias and plenty of drama. rafaelfilm.cafilm.org

MUSEUMS

THROUGH MAY 15

Nature x Humanity

Bringing change.inontoArchitectsthisengineeringarchitecture,andknowledge,togetherprinciplestoolsfromart,design,andscience,reviewofOxmanfrom2007thepresentfocusestheroleofarchitectstheageofclimate

sfmoma.org

THROUGH JUNE 5 Ice Show New work by Marin-based artist Bill Russell uses the iceberg as a visual metaphor to communicate the brutal changes wrought by climate change in an educational series of works.multidisciplinarymarinmoca.org

EVENTS

MAY 22, 29 Hello, Dolly! The Mountain Play storms back into live theater with high-energy dancing and songs that tell the tale of the romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallaher-Levi, a matchmaker.turn-of-the-century mountainplay.org

MAY 5–11 DocLands

The California Film Institute returns to San Rafael with a slate of documentar y fi lms (in theater and virtual) in three broad Impact.OutdoorsWonderlands,categories:theGreatandtheArtof doclands.com

MAY 7 Bon Air 70 th Birthday Bash The community is invited to share in a landmark birthday of Greenbrae’s signature shopping cen ter, with live music from Bread & Roses Presents and hands-on activities for community members of all ages. bonair.com

MAY 12 Dr. Wynn-GrantRae

The Large Carnivore Ecologist

THEATER / COMEDY / MUSIC / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM / TALKS EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

SFMOMA Nature x Humanity

MAY 7 Mill Valley Music Festival

Hosted by the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce (with Noise Pop Industries), the inaugural one-day, all-ages art and culture festival is headlined by blues-folk-reggaerock singer and multiple Grammy Award winner Ben Harper with his band, The Innocent Criminals. The full day’s line-up also includes Liz Cooper, La Doña (aka San Francisco-born Cecilia Cassandra PeñaGovea), Lettuce and Los Amigos Invisibles. Food, drink, art and merch will be avail able at pop-up stands around the field. “We can’t wait to celebrate the resilience of Mill Valley, Marin County and the entire Bay Area,” says Mill Valley Chamber Director Jim Welte. millvalleymusicfest.com and

Outside,speakerScientistConservationisthekeynoteatAnEveningthe50thanniversarycelebrationofNatureBridgethatincludesacocktailhour,shorthike,farm-to-tabledinnerandcozycamp fi re. naturebirdge.org

MAY Healdsburg20–22 Wine & Food Experience The Matheson restaurant will act as a community hub for a welter of chefs (Nyesha Arrington, Viet Pham, Stephanie Izard, Tim Love) cooking up a storm at culinary experiences, parties and semi nars — all to support Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation and FarmersHighHealdsburg.School’sFutureofAmerica

program. wineandfood.comhealdsburg

MAY 22 Sunday in the Park Spend an after noon in Marin Art & Garden Center, sipping wine, nibbling hors d’oeuvres, and taking in a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows Concert, with a live auction to benefit the artists and performances of Merola Opera Program. merola.org

MAY 27–30 Carnival

After a two-year hiatus, the Ferris wheel will rise above Mill Valley’s Friends Field and the family-friendly rides and games, sponsored by Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Foundation,Communityareback for Memorial Day weekend. kiddo.org

Scan here to find out all the latest happenings on our online calender:

HarperBen

Bay Area’s Better Makers

OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER IN 2022 EDITED BY DONNA BERRY GLASS

On March 18, 225 smartly attired women gathered at the Meadow Club for St. Vincent de Paul’s Sip & Socialize fundraising event, hosted by Vinnies’ Auxiliary Board . The fi rst-ever, sold-out soiree was a combination sit-down luncheon, shopping boutique and spring fashion show. Event goers perused the onsite shopping boutique fi lled with wares from Kathy Kamei Designs, UB Chic, Cleo and Mathilde, Kiki Beans and more. All participating vendors

IMPACT: Ending hunger, poverty and homelessness in Marin County; providing the county’s only help desk for immediate housing assistance

committed 25% of their event sales back to St. Vincent’s. Later, guests enjoyed lunch prepared by the Meadow Club, and received a fi rst glance at Trina Turk’s new colorful spring line during a live fashion show. Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly and supervisor aide Mary Sackett led the fund-a-need drive, which secured a matching grant from Built for Zero to end veteran homelessness. Marin County District Attorney Lori Frigoli also attended.

SPONSORS: International Orange, Isobel Wiener of Sotheby’s Real Estate, CPA Valet, A Girl and Her Board, Oakmont of San Rafael, Jardesca and Nancy Travers Lucas

Terri Gecht, Marie Cavanaugh, Suzanne Swift, Christine Paquette, Michelle Cavanaugh, Jean Gallagher and Kathleen Woodcock

St. Vincent de Paul Fashion Show and Boutique Ushers in New Crop of Supporters

Culinary Royalty Brings Magic to Sprouts Chef Training’s Benefit Gala at Mister Jiu’s

Some of the Bay Area’s most notable culinary luminaries lent their star power to help nonprofit Sprouts Chef Training’s reach its fundraising goals at its March 13 gala at Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco, including best-selling author Michael Pollan, three-time Michelin Star Chef Dominique Crenn and Edible Schoolyard Project founder Alice Waters. The event was both a celebration of San Francisco’s vibrant culinary scene as well as the inspir ing graduates of the Sprouts Chef Training Program, which was launched in 2012 by Kate Rogers and helps at-risk youth achieve stability and financial autonomy through life skills coaching and restaurant internships.

Guests enjoyed appetizers and a four-course dinner, all prepared by Michelin-star chefs including Brandon Jew and Richard Lee, and bid on a number of food-themed luxury packages during the evening’s live auction. The evening also featured a panel discussion with Pollan, Crenn and Waters on “the healing power of food,” and remarks by two Sprouts Chef Training graduates, Katelyn Neroza and Chris Hey.

By the end of the evening, the event had raised $330,000 — surpassing the nonprofit’s goals and providing enough funds to support job training for 66 local youth.

IMPACT: Pairing youth with chef mentors and case managers to develop the skills they need to secure and maintain jobs in the culinary industry

SPONSORS: JP Morgan Chase & Co., Whole Foods, Red Boat Fish Sauce, Zungleboo, Clover Sonoma, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Mary’s Organic Chicken and Sysco Natural

Support deserving nonprofits like the ones above. Find out opportunities to participate in matching grants, read inspiring stories and more. Scan here:

Featured Guests Michael Pollan, Alice Waters and Dominique Crenn with Sprouts founder Kate Rogers

Auctioneer Liam Mayclem, Sprouts board member Michael Bauer, Rogers,and Michael Bauer’s partner Michael Murphy Steel

BY THERESA PHOTOGRAPHYGONZALEZBYMOSAITO

ABay Area couple in search of a home for their retirement were thrilled to discover a traditional craftsman surrounded by tow ering redwoods in west Mill Valley. The couple was drawn in by the pristine landscaping surrounding the four-bedroom, 3,700-square-foot home, which was built in 1920. The inside, however, was a different story. The home had been remodeled several times, resulting in a scattershot floor plan.

“There was a feeling of not knowing the real focus of the house,” says designer Laura Martin Bovard, whose firm, LMB Interiors, is based in Oakland. The homeowners brought her in to make sense of things, along with Novato-based architect Debbi Peterson.

Peterson reworked the floor plan, remov ing or relocating interior walls to create an

open-plan living space, in which the kitchen, living room and dining room flow together. Bovard selected new finishes, furnishings and lighting. She balanced the couple’s preferences: The wife wanted light, serene spaces, while the husband was looking for a “wow” factor.

One thing they could agree on was that they loved to entertain. So, the once-tiny kitchen became an expansive space for gathering. “They really wanted the kitchen to be welcoming,” Bovard says. Peterson added an island, center ing it below existing skylights, for a bright, airy feeling that extended by white cabinetry and white stone countertops with light gray veining. Dark glass pendants Studio Bel Vetro and blackand-gray barstools by Thomas Hayes Studio provide just the right amount of contrast.

In the dining room, Bovard designed a striking wet bar that delivered the wow factor

that the husband was hoping for. With dark cabinetry, ironwork shelves by Bella Ironworks and glossy, jet-black backsplash tile from Waterworks, it evokes a sophisticated night club ambiance. This dramatically juxtaposes the rest of the furnishings in the room, which are light in color, including a Sloan Miyasato dining table. The shining centerpiece of the dining room is a chandelier by Studio Bella Vetro that’s made up of an array of clear glass lights that hang down like raindrops.

The rest of the house reflects the wife’s pref erence for subtlety. The living room has a soft, organic feel, with a white sectional arrayed with pillows patterned with light blue and gray hues. Gray swivel chairs are inviting for read ing beside the fireplace or enjoying a cocktail withInfriends.thenew primary suite upstairs, a Holly

spacesmag.com/subscribe

Previous page: Architect Debbie Peterson designed a openplan remodel, so the kitchen, living room and dining room all flow together, making it easy for the couple to entertain.

This page: The bedroom is a balance of masculine and feminine touches, such as iron-finish mirrors from Arteriors and a painting by Karine Leger from Simon Breitbard Gallery in Menlo Park.

The once-tiny kitchen became a larger space, and the island was added. The pendants are by Studio Bel Vetro and the bar stools are by Thomas Hayes Studio.

Below: A dark wet bar in the dining room, with a glossy, jet-black backsplash by Waterworks delivered the “wow” factor that the husband had hoped for. The dining table is by Sloan Miyasato and the chandelier is by Studio Bel Vetro.

Hunt wallcovering serves as a neutral backdrop for iron-finish Arteriors mirrors, which flank the bed. A Karine Leger painting from Simon Breitbard Gallery in Menlo Park adds a gentle dash of color. “The room is a balance of light and ethereal tones and masculine darker grays and rich greens,” Bovard says.

The couple wanted to fill their home with handcrafted pieces that tell a story. That meant venturing to local studios like Studio Bel Vetro to meet the artists and learn more about their process. “The wife really enjoyed that part, getting to meet the artisans,” Bovard observes. Those artisans included the master woodworkers who installed the new oa k floors throughout the house.

Bovard made sure to incorporate the couple’s art collection, including pieces they acquired before they married a decade ago. A scenic painting in the dining room, for instance, was a favorite piece of the husband’s late first wife. A complementary piece, hung on the other side of a doorway, is a painting of a dress, by Laura Schiff ean, which the couple acquired together from Simon Breitbard Gallery.

Bovard observes, “That says a lot about their warmth and good vibes, and how inclusive they are of each other’s lives before they met.”

Theresa Gonzalez is a Bay Area-based writer specializing in interior design and architecture. She is the author of Sunday Sews (Chronicle Books) and has contributed to San Francisco Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Visit California and more. For unique and beautiful homes from across Marin and the Bay Area, plus design ideas for your home, scan here:

Enjoy spectacular Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and City views from this stunning Point Tiburon Bayside luxury 3br/2.5ba townhome condominium! in flats of one of Marin’s most beloved towns.

Located in the exclusive Ross enclave, grandeur is on full display throughout this one-of-a-kind Europeaninspired estate that presents an opportunity to live in unrivaled luxury. From the moment the ornate iron gates open to introduce the grounds, this property exudes the promise of the finest Marin lifestyle. A resplendent residence boasting 11,400 sensational sq.ft. that includes 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, & a French limestone guest house with a gym on 2.84+ rarely available acreage. Panoramic scenery of Mt. Tam & surrounding hilltops are on view from almost every room. Stunning outdoor settings offer seamless indoor/outdoor living. Built to the highest standards of craftmanship evident in every detail of this magnificent offering.

An unparalleled waterfront lifestyle awaits in this captivating residence featuring sweeping views of Angel Island, the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and across to the East Bay. The interiors flow seamlessly to the expansive deck with a glass railing, ideal for entertaining, relaxing, or dining; direct access to the Bay ideal for launching kayaks and paddleboards. This spectacular residence underwent a complete renovation in 2021 featuring Fleetwood floor-to-ceiling glass doors, high end finishes, superb quality, and light-filled open spaces all oriented to the panoramic views. The sleek, open concept kitchen offers everything for the culinary enthusiast featuring European contemporary high gloss cabinetry, oversized center island with counter seating, and high end appliances. The stunning living room allows for grand scale entertaining featuring dramatic water and Golden Gate Bridge views and opens to the expansive view deck. This sought after, exclusive Tiburon location embodies the essence of tranquil waterfront living on the edge of the bay; located in Old Town Tiburon only a few blocks to downtown Tiburon's boutique shops and waterfront restaurants.

This one-of-a-kind residence offers a seamless blend of contemporary architecture showcasing soaring ceilings, gallery walls, natural light, and the finest materials throughout. Beautiful outdoor spaces blend natural and modern landscape elements to create a striking design and captivating aesthetic; this resort-like oasis features a multitude of entertaining areas, a stunning pool, IPE wood decks, BBQ with dining area, expansive terraces, and lush level lawn. The dramatic foyer leads to the main living areas with cathedral ceilings, maple hardwood floors, and walls of windows looking out to the open space and rolling hills. The sleek, open-concept chef's kitchen offers custom cabinetry, a massive center island with beautiful granite countertops, high-end appliances, and folding doors opening to the sunny backyard. Hotel-like primary suite located off the main level features an inviting terrace with picturesque views. The circular detached office features hardwood floors, built-in shelving, and a built-in desk. This location is truly an outdoor lover's dream with the finest mountain trails in Marin County outside your back door with the coastline and beaches only 30 minutes away.

Located on the most coveted street in Ross, 196 Lagunitas Road fondly known as Serendipity, is a truly iconic property that offers a rare combination of timeless charm and a sense of history steeped in tradition. Sited on sunny, park-like grounds adjacent to miles of open space trails and a few easy blocks to award-winning Ross School, this classic shingle-style enclave exudes elegance and grandeur at every turn. This gracious compound features three striking buildings including the main residence, a private cottage, and carriage house with studio. An additional detached garage and a charming gazebo are sited on the north side of the property. The period architecture, extraordinary grounds, and multiple living spaces provide optionality and imagination for this truly once-in-a-generation opportunity. 196LagunitasRd.com Iconic Estate in Treasured Flats of Ross

Tammy Wilks Kornfeld 415.279.9362 ggsir.com MarinGreatHomes.com Lic.# 01459526

“The of a JOY from start to and and the and were also kind, and were

A Kenwood Village Lifestyle with Wine Country Vistas

Features: BEDS4 BATHS3 1/21BA ±4,389SQFT Contact Agent for Price Info

Just blocks to the iconic wineries and restaurants of charming Kenwood village, this stately one-level Mediterranean is a rare Sonoma Valley gem that embraces peaceful southwest-facing vistas. Soaring 15-foot ceilings and vast indoor-outdoor living spaces are an entertainer’s delight. The great room opens onto a large patio with outdoor kitchen and pizza oven. Create your dream pool just beyond the patio! A bocce ball court and pergola-covered swim spa are between this property and a separate parcel of ±1.03 acres that is included in the sale. Add a guest home, plant a vineyard, or build a separate residence altogether—these are all possibilities. At the end of a quiet country lane, you’ll enjoy vineyard vistas in one direction and a Sonoma Mountain view in the other. This light-filled Valley of the Moon property will steal your heart!

• ± 1.16 acre main residence

• ± 1.03 acre separate parcel included

• Attached 3-car garage

What My Clients Are Saying

“You made searching for a house an approachable thing. I was scared to do it, I felt alone and outmatched because I didn’t know much about how it worked. But luckily I found you.

A perfect existence awaits at 710 Butterfield Road: a stately, Mediterranean architectural gem located in San Anselmo’s most desired enclave, Sleepy Hollow. The gated, sprawling residence features ±4,115 sq. ft. of luxury living space situated on a level ±0.75-acre park-like setting adjacent to Sleepy Hollow creek. Recently renovated with a classic U-shaped design centered around an interior cobblestone courtyard with raised upper terrace. Main level has a large family room, French oak plank flooring, 3 stone fireplaces, an open-plan chef’s kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a primary suite with its own office & spa-like bathroom. Additional ensuite bedroom is on the upper level. The grounds are ideal for entertaining and the avid gardener, featuring an established organic garden, an expansive lawn, pool and spa & a fenced sports court. A ±440 sq. ft. legal guest house with its own terrace and patio is perfect for guest stays, home studio/gym, or an au pair suite. Don’t miss this iconic Californian dream home.

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Sausalito With houses nestled high in the hills overlooking the bay dotted with sailboats, the picturesque town of Sausalito, which means “small willow grove” in Spanish, evokes an unmis takable Mediterranean vibe. Marin County’s southernmost town has a long history of boating as well as boatbuilding, starting with Marinship, where ships were built during World War II. (After it closed, many of the shipyard’s Black workers, who had migrated from the South, settled Marin City.) Indeed, spending time on, and near, the water is an inherent part of living in Sausalito, es pecially for residents of the town’s floating home community, made up of about 400 houseboats. Home to Health Ceramics, founded in 1948, Sausalito is also known for its thriving arts commu nity, celebrated at events like the Sausalito Art Festival (typically held Labor Day Weekend, save a Covid-19 hiatus) and Marin Open Studios (April 30–May 1 and May 7–8). This year, Marin Open Studios will include a new venue, the new Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCFTA). This former Bank of America building in downtown Sausalito will serve as a multipurpose venue for fine art, musical, theatrical and other events. LOTUS ABRAMS

Want to know more about the history of Sausalito? Scan here:

THE STATS

POPULATION: About 7,000

MAYOR: Janelle Kellman

NOTABLE RESIDENTS: Dave Eggers, Amy Tan and Janis Joplin

FUN FACTS:

Otis Redding wrote “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” in 1967 while sitting on a rented houseboat docked at Commodore Center Seaplane Base in Sausalito.

Heath

Harbor in Sausalito

Sausalito houseboats

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The modern alternative to a private foundation. With O ces in Marin and San Francisco. www.marincf.org | 415.464.2507