marin living december 2022

Home, where memories are made.

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MARIN MATTERS Providing Marin families more of what they want

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“The time and energy they took to get to know us helped codify our desires and allowed Jenn and Elliott to provide meaningful targets on our hunt for a new home. They showed us every town in which we were interested and educated us about the communities. Plus, they’re super fun, quality people, who showered us with tequila and chocolate – our favorites – and now we’re also fortunate enough to call them friends.”

Lori B and John G New owners in Muir Beach

The value of our business is measured in the quality of the relationships we build.

Introducing Kalae

Ward Village presents its newest residential offering. Between the vivid green of the Ko‘olau mountains and the luminescent blues of the Pacific, Kalae embraces O‘ahu’s southern shore, setting the stage for a dramatic interpretation of contemporary island living.

INQUIRE welcometokalaewv.com | 808 376 1890 Offered by Ward Village Properties, LLC RB-21701

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN OFFERING OR SOLICITATION OF SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE PROJECT IS NOT REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW OR WHERE SUCH OFFERING OR SOLICITATION WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROHIBITED BY LAW. WARD VILLAGE, A MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN HONOLULU, HAWAII, IS STILL BEING CONSTRUCTED. ANY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF WARD VILLAGE OR THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS THEREIN, INCLUDING THEIR LOCATION, UNITS, COMMON ELEMENTS AND AMENITIES, MAY NOT ACCURATELY PORTRAY THE MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR ITS CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS. ALL VISUAL DEPICTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THE DEVELOPER MAKES NO GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS, FACILITIES OR IMPROVEMENTS OR FURNISHINGS AND APPLIANCES DEPICTED WILL ULTIMATELY APPEAR AS SHOWN OR EVEN BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF WARD VILLAGE OR ANY CONDOMINIUM PROJECT THEREIN. WARD VILLAGE PROPERTIES, LLC, RB-21701. COPYRIGHT ©2022. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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EDITORIAL

Associate Editor Caitlin Hamer

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table of contents.

marin. 20 news. The lowdown on the can’t-miss holiday festivities in Marin, San Francisco and Wine Country. 30 local splurges. Holiday goodies to stuff everyone’s stockings this year. 32 eat & drink. Meet the man behind the newest tequila in town.

12 december 2022 marin living.

december 2022 36 local getaways. Your guide to an idyllic weekend away in the Santa Clara Valley. 38 take note. A local author discovered the power of a true story. 40 game changers. Berkeley-based Flourish Fi is changing the financial “game.”

going places.

78 land & sea. A closer look at Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center. 80 voyager. A road trip on the Cannabis Trail offers history and luxe experiences. 84 about last night. Lifehouse honored staff and community members at its annual awards banquet. 88 drawn together. Big Skills Tiny Homes is changing lives all over the Bay Area. from the team. 16 from the ceo. 18 from the creative director.

Clockwise from top left: Dorit Thies; courtesy of CordeValle; courtesy of Little Bigfoot

The perfect place to live.

Where native beauty and thoughtful design merge to create a naturally elegant lifestyle. We invite you to enjoy.

thornburghresort.com Bend, Oregon

features.

42

A Winter Wonderland

A glimpse of Marin’s wondrous and wild wintertime transformation.

48

Out of Africa

Photographer Elyse Omernick’s stunning images from her African journey.

56 Thirst for Adventure

Where would you like to travel in 2023? From France to Kyoto, we’ve got the goods on five can’t-miss destinations.

On the Cover

Photo by Jeff Lewis. “My partner and I spent the night at the quaint West Point Inn on the side of Mount Tamalpais and woke up to this view. It is part of my ‘Awaken Marin’ project: innovative, expressive images that inspire us to explore and love our backyard.” For more visit www.landescapevisuals.com/awakenmarin

Courtesy of the National Park Service

How to Take the Leap to Love

What should I tell my friends and family about my dating life when they ask?

When family and friends give you the old, “So, how’s your love life going?” it’s really a personal decision about how much or little you want to say. If you’re not looking to be in the hot seat around the holiday table, say something that will end the conversation politely, such as, “I promise to tell you as soon as I have something to tell.”

My ex and I are both in town, but should we connect?

Ahhh, it’s so tempting. The lights, the mistletoe, the holiday cooking. But my answer is generally the same: leave exes where they belong — in the past. Even if you’re interested in seeing where things lead, tread carefully. Unless your ex has given you concrete evidence to think the reasons why your relationship ended no longer apply, you shouldn’t believe anything is different.

How do I introduce my new relationship during the holidays?

My advice is that unless you plan on being with this person for the foreseeable future and they’ve indicated the same to you, I would refrain from bringing them home to meet your mom, dad, children and dear aunt Sally or meeting theirs.

How

can my partner and I decide whose family to visit for the holidays?

Deciding whose family to spend the holidays with can cause tension in a relationship, especially if you have to choose one or the other. If possible, and if distance and schedules allow, split the day. Dinner in one place, dessert in another. Or have two celebrations but on different days. The point is to listen to your partner and be as fair with them as you expect them to be with you.

Innovative Match founder Cassie Zampa-Keim can help you experience the mental and physical benefits of healthy relationships.

Season of Gratitude

IT’S MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR. The weather, quality time with family and friends, the wonderment of all the twinkling lights — all of it. Marin is an extremely special place this time of year and I’m happy to be able to enjoy it. One of my favorite things to do is to drive to Tiburon and watch the lights dance across the bay. It’s a simple moment, but one that comforts me when days become shorter and the temperature drops.

It’s also a time of reflection. Here at Marin Living I’m thrilled to say that we’ve made it! What our team has accomplished is something I’ll always be proud of. We started the company when the odds were stacked against us and our hearts were full of ambition. We crafted our brand, toiled with stories and cultivated prized relationships that have sustained us through the highs and lows of business ownership. It’s an impossible task without a highly talented group pulling together. My thanks lives with each of them.

This year we ramped up our five19 brand studio and it’s been a true highlight. Helping businesses tell their stories, creating the visuals and then launching the fresh concept into the busi ness world is deeply gratifying for me. Opulence Medical Spa is a great example. We helped Dr. Anne Cummings rebrand with a new logo and quite a few other marketing materials, but my favorite moment was walking into her new studio in San

Francisco and seeing the logo we created on her products. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I choked back a few tears of pride. With 2023 on the horizon we are in full planning mode. We are amping up our events and giving the community what it’s craving, in-person get-togethers, more meaningful connections paired with a really good time. Stay tuned for a full schedule and post-event highlights in the pages of Marin Living

As we bring 2022 to a close, I offer my gratitude and my heart is full with the gifts of the year and all the merriment of the holiday season. I’ll see you in 2023.

Warmly,

Cline, CEO and Co-Founder

16 december 2022 marin living.

Portrait by Becca Teal Batista; www.stock.adobe.com/OPDAS STUDIO (below)

Jessica

from the ceo.

Hapuna Beach Residences where legacy meets ultra-luxe

Experience the timeless Mauna Kea Resort while staying at the Island of Hawai’i’s newest ocean-front luxury residences. Upgrade your vacation to a spectacular escape like no other.

maunakearesidences.com

Always Take the Scenic Road

WELCOME TO DECEMBER! I can’t tell you how much fun we had putting this issue together — the holidays are certainly back in full swing with all the local festivities revving up again. And of course, it is this time of year when we start planning the next 12 months of travel and boy oh boy do we have some ideas for you. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Starting at home: Marin transforms into a magical place in wintertime. I adore being in Marin over the holidays when life slows down and it feels like it really belongs to those of us who stay local while everyone else is traveling to see family and friends for the festive season.

As soon as the first rain comes, wild mushrooms appear, banana slugs come out of hiding and the shorelines teem with all sorts of sea life that we don’t see in the warmer months. If you are as obsessed with Marin’s outdoors as much as we are then you are going to love “A Winter Wonderland,” our tribute to our beloved county in the colder months.

If you like a bit of history while also keeping your finger on the pulse of trends, then you won’t want to miss our in-depth exploration of California’s cannabis trail. Starting in San Francisco and heading north with points of interest in Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt, the trail winds through bucolic countryside where you’ll meet female farmers, experience luxury stays and feast on the best the area has to offer. Cannabis tourism is here — and we are giving you a first glimpse.

If you are looking ahead to the upcoming year and eagerly anticipating where 2023 will take you, you’ll enjoy reading this month’s features on far-flung travel ideas. In “Out of Africa” Larkspur-based photographer Elyse Omernick shares her intimate encounters with wildlife as she traveled through Africa earlier this year and the images are nothing short of mesmer izing. And once again we give you our recommendations for the hottest international destinations you’ll want to consider in 2023. So many places to see, so little time!

I hope that you get some time for yourself this holiday — time to reflect on what this year has brought and time to set inten tions for 2023. I don’t know about you, but readjusting to life in the fast lane this year was challenging, to say the least. It felt like 2022 went from zero to 100 mph in 0.2 seconds. But with all that behind us, I am eagerly awaiting to see what the new year has in store and I hope you are, too. Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year!

18 december 2022 marin living.

Portrait by Becca Teal Batista; Justin Scott/National Park Service (above)

from the creative director.

Steep Ravine Trail, M t Tamalpais

Casey Gillespie Creative Director and Co-Founder

spotlight marin.

Teddy Bear Tea at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco 20 december 2022 marin living.

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco

San Francisco Holiday Happenings

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco’s Teddy Bear Tea (www.ritzcarlton.com) is open for reservations on select days in December. An indulgent menu will be enjoyed alongside teddy bear dining companions and festive entertainment, with funds being raised for both Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. The Westin St. Francis (www.marriott.com) is celebrating the season with its 12-foot-tall Sugar Castle, the Sweet Boutique, the champagne POP! Lounge and Breakfast with Santa on December 10 as well as two different tea events to choose from.

Gifting Local Goods

Larkspur’s Farmhouse Lab (www.farmhouselab.com) is bringing back the Local Holidays gift box collaboration between local, women-owned, eco-conscious businesses, makers and crafters. This year’s theme is once again “Culinary Joy and Beauty for your Home,” offering 10 different boxes to choose from. The boxes are available for online purchase until December 31 and will also be available at local pop-ups throughout the month.

Courtesy of The Westin San Francisco (top); Courtesy of Farmhouse Lab (bottom)

Westin St. Francis in Union Square

News by Caitlin Hamer

championing the cannabis revolution

Merry Marin

Women’s vocal ensemble Kitka (www.kitka.org) is embarking on its annual Wintersongs Tour around the Bay Area this month, starting on December 9 at St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere. The students of ELM is hosting their winter concert (www.elmprogram.org) on December 11 at the Showcase Theater in San Rafael. On December 17, North Marin Community Services (www. northmarincs.org) is hosting its 50th annual Holiday Share and Toy Drive, serving more than 400 children from low-income families.

Making Moves

A special, limited-edition Napa Valley version of Monopoly (www.toptrumps. us) has been launched just in time for holiday gifting and get-togethers. The official board, which features local landmarks and historic wineries, was unveiled by Mr. Monopoly himself at Frank Family Vineyards.

december 2022 marin living.

ELM

Tim Porter (top); courtesy of Top Trumps (bottom)

Timeless Romance

Arts Season in Sausalito

Kick off December with ICB’s 2022 Winter Open Studios at the ICB Building (www.icbbuilding.com) in Sausalito. Back for its 53rd year, the show starts with a preview night on December 2 and opens to the public December 3 and 4. This highly anticipated event features the work of more than 80 sculptors, painters, fiber artists and more.

december 2022 marin living.

Festive Fun

Start your holiday shopping at the Muir Beach Holiday Arts Fair (www. muirbeachartsfair. com), where on December 3 and 4 40 local artists will sell their handmade artwork and crafts. Also on December 4, Mill Valley is celebrating the 28th annual Winterfest (www.enjoymillvalley. com). Live music, an appearance from Santa and a holiday tree lighting will make for a spirited afternoon.

“Love” series, 24-by-24-inch, mixed-media, by Katie Korotzer

Winterfest

Courtesy of Katie Korotzer and ICB (top); Gary Ferber (bottom)

Winter in Wine Country

Transcendence Theatre Company (www.transcendencetheatre.org) is closing its 2022 season with its annual Holiday Spectacular. The family-friendly show is taking place December 2 to 4 at Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma. Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection (www.aubergeresorts.com) is debuting a caviar, champagne and Jenni Kayne pop-up dining experience in December. You can visit anytime throughout the month, but holiday gifts sold from Jenni Kayne’s silver 1957 Airstream will only be available December 1 to 7. In Healdsburg, Jordan Winery (www. jordanwinery.com) is offering a Holiday Tour and Tasting on select days from December 1 to 16. Expect walking tours, wine sampling, paired hors d’oeuvres, homemade holiday cookies and hot cocoa. Meritage Resort and Spa (www.meritageresort.com) is hosting the Merry Meritage holiday village in December, including the annual holiday ice rink. Tinsel Tea with a Princess is also available there each Saturday from December 10 to 24. The Napa Valley Wine Train (www.winetrain.com) is running its popular Santa Train from December 1 to 23, offering three festive experiences to choose from. Ram’s Gate Winery (www.rams gatewinery.com) is once again hosting its Holiday Gala on December 10, celebrating “A Night in Monte Carlo,” while also collecting nonperishable food items to donate to the Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Meritage Resort and Spa’s holiday rink

Courtesy of Meritage Resort and Spa (top); Rob Martel (bottom)

Transcendence Theatre Company

Joyous Jams

It’s time to celebrate a “Walk This Way Christmas” with the 25th annual Narada Michael Walden Foundation Holiday Jam (www.narada michaelwaldenfoundation.org). Held at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on December 17, this uplifting evening will raise awareness and support music education and features the Holiday Jam Band, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels from Run-DMC, the Foundation Singers and several other special guests.

local splurges.

Stuff Their Stockings

Looking for last-minute gift ideas? We have you covered.

By Casey Gillespie

1. Trucker hats never go out of style and this one made locally by Tommy Breeze is a classic. The hats are available in a plethora of colors with a variety of patches (shown here in black and white with serenity patch) so mix and match to your heart’s (and head’s) content. Available at www.tommybreeze.com, $38

2. This Stripey Felt Pen Set is perfect for everyone from school-age kids to thank you–note-writing adults. Pair it with one of Sugar Paper’s Mindful Jour nals for the ultimate in thoughtful gifts. Available at Sugar Paper (Marin Country Mart) and www. sugarpaper.com, $14

3. A locally made, hand-poured candle is the ideal stocking stuffer for anyone on your list and we adore this one by North Bay Candleworks. Inspired by iconic spots all around Marin, these are a great reminder of why we love living here. Available at Citrine (489 D Magnolia Avenue, Lark spur) and www.northbay candleworks.com, $24

4. For the cocktail enthusiast in your life look no further than King Floyd’s Bar Provisions’ Classic Sampler Gift Set. Ask any bartender — these bitters are the best of the best. Available at Jolt! (910 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, San Anselmo) and www.kingfloyds. com, $34.99

5. We’ve added these Dusen Dusen for MoMA Subu slippers to this lineup because let’s be honest, you can never have too many pairs of fabulous house shoes. Available at MoMA Design Store (151 Third Street, San Francisco) and www.store.moma.org, $75

images courtesy of the brands

Crazy Good

Sausalito-based Loco Tequila is bringing the soul of tequila making to the U.S.

By Tanya Henry

PERHAPS IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE to name a tequila

Loco; however, that is exactly what founders Gabriel Roqueni and Pedro Padilla christened their ultra-premium tequilas from Jalisco, Mexico. Yes, drunken college frat boys might come to mind, but shift the lens to amplify the double-entendre — “that’s a crazy genius idea” — and it makes sense.

After a successful career in high tech and artificial intelligence, managing partner and Sausalito resident Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla, who is from Mexico City and was educated in France and the U.S., has now turned his full attention to his longtime passions: wine and fine tequila.

december 2022 marin living.

Along with overseeing his acquisition of Sullivan Rutherford Estate in Napa Valley, he has recently launched Loco Tequila (www.loco-tequila.com) and hopes to share his favorite spirit with American consumers.

“We want to make tequila like it was made 200 years ago,” says Torres-Padilla. “It is our mission to showcase Mexico’s history and innovative spirit with an exceptional tequila that honors the original essence of the blue agave.”

In keeping with Torres-Padilla’s commitment to honoring the art of traditional tequila making, Loco Tequila’s home is in the Hacienda La Providencia (one of the first exporters of

Courtesy of Loco Tequila

Agave fields at La Providencia

tequila dating back to the 1940s) in Jalisco’s Valle del Arenal. The Loco team is in the process of refurbishing the onetime tequila producer and transforming it into a state-of-the-art distillery, while continuing to honor its rich legacy. For the uninitiated, with very few exceptions Jalisco is the only state where tequila can be produced.

The team’s agave expert, Jose Antonio Sanchez Lopez, is responsible for the agave planting to be used in Loco’s three distinct tequilas: Loco Blanco, Loco Ambar Reposado and Loco Puro Corazon. The small-batch process includes handpicking seven- to nine-year-old agaves averaging 88 pounds each and a shaving process; then the agaves are placed in ovens for up to 64 hours. Grinding and maceration follow and finally multiple fermentations take place in a variety of containers consisting of either stainless steel, cement basins or wooden containers. Because of the special techniques and use of varying materials for the fermentation process, the three different tequilas each boast unique profiles.

For tequila aficionados, there is much to like about this collection — starting with the handsome bottles and pack aging designed by Mexican-Dutch born artist Jan Hendrix. The circular shape of the agave plant was the inspiration for the uniquely shaped bottles and the crimson red of the logo represents the richness of Mexico’s history. And as

expected, all three present different characteristics, but they all share a smooth, silky mouthfeel that bears little resemblance to the spirit many of us closed our eyes to and took shots of during our college days.

It seems a tall order to attempt to capture an entire coun try’s history, legacy, innovative spirit and art — all in a 750 ml bottle. Some might even call it loco. But the founders remain committed to their passionate mission to both celebrate and honor an age-old tradition of producing high-quality tequila in the state where it originated. And now, we too can enjoy the true essence of Mexico’s blue agave here in the U.S.

34 december 2022 marin living.

Courtesy of Loco Tequila (top); Michelle Pattee (bottom)

Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla

THANK YOU 2022

The San Rafael Chamber Leaders Circle is a group of businesses fully committed to securing our community's economic vitality.

Our Leaders Circle investors are crucial to the overall success of the Chamber. Our work in the community is made possible because of their investment. They understand a healthy local economy is the foundation for building a resilient community where we all thrive and prosper.

The Leaders Circle allow us to:

•Advocate for more workforce housing

•Create jobs

•Train our next generation of leaders

•Support local businesses

DIAMOND

•Marin Independent Journal

PLATINUM

•Bank of Marin

GOLD

•BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc.

•Embassy Suites Hotel

•IndiGO Auto Group

•Kaiser Permanente

SILVER

•Bank of America

•California Film Institute

•College of Marin

•Comcast

•MarinHealth

BRONZE

•MGO Group LLC

•Ghilotti Bros., Inc.

COPPER

•City Carpets

•Marin Magazine

•MCE

EMERALD

•Hanson Bridgett LLP

•Marin Sanitar y Ser vice

•CPi Developers

•Monahan Pacific

•MarinLiving

•Redwood Credit Union

•Seagate Properties/ Montecito Plaza

•North Bay Business Journal

•Dominican University of California, Barowksy School of Business and Institute for Leadership Studies

•INsite Networks

•Sutter Health Bay Area

•Mechanics Bank

•San Rafael Airport LLC

•The Pasha Group

•NorthBay biz/KSRO

•Price Simms Family Dealerships

•Seagull Prime Real Estate

•Vivalon

•Linbro, Inc.

•Wareham Development

•San Francisco Chronicle | SF Gate

•Wells Fargo Bank

Interested in becoming a San Rafael Chamber Leader Circle Supporter? Visit srchamber.com or call 415-454-4163

Visiting the Santa Clara Valley

By Casey Gillespie

Located 90 miles south of Marin, the Santa Clara Valley is an escape that feels a world away. In addition to wineries and a picture-perfect golf course, you’ll find a plethora of hiking and mountain biking options — it’s an outdoor lover’s dream come true. And while you will only need to travel about 90 minutes to get there, your daily life will soon fade from your mind. Here are our picks of where to stay, sip and get away from it all.

CordeValle

1 CORDEVALLE CLUB DRIVE, SAN MARTIN www.cordevalle.com

Perfectly positioned in the picturesque foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this luxury resort recently unveiled a $20 million renovation that includes not only gorgeously updated guest rooms, but new tennis and pickleball courts, a revamped pool and charming bocce gardens. The resort is probably best known for its award-winning golf course, designed by internationally acclaimed golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., which features meandering creeks, sycamore trees and stunning views in all directions. If you decide to venture out of your uber-luxe room — and leave the king beds, flat-screen TVs, fireplaces, walk-in closets and giant tubs for soaking — you’ll definitely want to visit the Spa at CordeValle. After a day spent wine tasting, what is better than a stress-melting massage? Speaking of wine tasting, a visit to the on-site winery (it’s privately owned and transportation to and from can be arranged through the hotel) is a must — top tip: ask for a packed lunch to take with you and spend the day enjoying the grounds and the vino.

Djerassi Sculpture Hikes

2325 BEAR GULCH ROAD, WOODSIDE www.djerassi.org

Located on a 583-acre ranch, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program is nestled in the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains and offers guided hikes featuring more than 170 site-inspired sculptures donated by artists over the last 40 years (these hikes aren’t offered year-round so check the website for available dates). In the fall, the center also offers walking meditation and sound immersion experiences led by Djerassi’s hike program director. While the hikes aren’t for the timid (guided excursions last from 3.5 to 6 hours), the experiences are one-of-a-kind.

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

3050 HECKER PASS HIGHWAY, GILROY www.gilroygardens.org

Whether you are spending a weekend in the area or venturing down for the day, kids and adults alike won’t want to miss Holiday at Gilroy Gardens (runs through December 31). During the month of December, the 28-acre park is transformed into a twinkling winter wonderland. Visit Santa, ice-skate under the stars, take a walk through the musicand-light tunnel, feast on holiday-themed food and drink (think warm gingerbread martinis!) — you can even rent an igloo for a night.

Follow the Santa Clara Wine Trail

CordeValle is surrounded by the wineries of the Santa Clara Wine Trail (www.santaclarawines.com) — a good excuse to see more of the surrounding area. Keep in mind, these are small, family-owned operations and visiting hours are extremely limited (some only open every other weekend) so be sure and book ahead of time.

Church Creek Cellars www.churchcreekcellars.com

Clos LaChance Winery www.clos.com

Creekview Vineyards www.creekviewvineyards.com

Heller Winery www.hellerwinery.com

Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery www.lionranch.com

Martin Ranch Winery www.martinranchwinery.com

Miramar Vineyards www.miramarvineyards.com

Tank House Winery www.tankhousewinery.com

Verde Vineyards www.verdevineyards.com

marin living. december

Courtesy of CordeValle (top); Maja Petric (bottom)

CordeValle guest room

take note.

True Tales

The story of a rare wild wolf changed Emma Bland Smith’s career forever.

By Daniel Jewett

BEFORE SAN FRANCISCO–BASED children’s book author Emma Bland Smith found success, she had to undergo a lot of rejection and find a voice she had never before considered.

“I had probably racked up hundreds of rejections in six years of trying and many times I had said, ‘That’s it, I’m done. I cannot take any more rejection,’ ” says the author (www.emmabsmith.com), who finally found unlikely success in 2016 with Journey, a true story about OR7, the first wild wolf in California in almost a century.

But Smith, who began thinking about becoming a children’s book author as she rediscovered the medium while reading to her young kids, had to find her way to narrative nonfiction. It was not what she had intended to make a career out of.

“There was a picture book about the famous whale, Humphrey, who had gone up the Sacramento River into the Delta and someone had written a book about him. And that kind of got the wheels turning about writing about real-life animals,” Smith says, of deciding to focus on the wolf that undertook the epic 2,000-mile trek detailed in the story. “And to my surprise, that was my first book that was sold to a publisher, and it was very well received. And so that really changed the course of my career.”

38 december 2022 marin living.

More real-life picture books would follow, including a tale of the gardener of Alcatraz; a book about Claude, the albino alligator at the California Academy of Sciences; the tale of Odin, the Great Pyrenees who refused to leave his goats during the 2017 Sonoma County Tubbs Fire; and more.

Smith, who says she finds her unique topics by joining her kids on field trips, looking at the newspaper clippings people are always sending her and just keeping her eyes open, insists that this type of writing isn’t easy. “The process of writing a nonfiction story and making it engaging and fun is like a puzzle,” she says. “You use every bit of your brain trying to figure out how to write this true story in a way that is engaging for kids.”

And keeping kids engaged is something Smith gets to experience firsthand during her many classroom visits, when she reads the story and then shows pictures of the actual animals and the scientists who study them. “I think there’s something about this connection between the story and then realizing that this really happened and that these are real people and real animals,” she says. “And kids are just riveted by this. There’s a whole movement in the kid lit world

Courtesy of: Little Bigfoot ( Journey, Claude ); Charlesbridge ( The Gardener of Alcatraz )

about just trying to give more credence to nonfiction and respecting that there are a lot of kids who prefer nonfiction.”

If Smith has any one great secret for understanding and writing for children, it just might be her “other job” as a librarian at the San Francisco Public Library, where she prefers working the children’s section. “Kids are much more likely to come up to the librarian and ask for what they want and that’s a lot of fun,” she says. “And it does give me insight, insights into what kids are looking for.”

The biggest reward for any author is knowing people are enjoying her books, and while Smith gets lots of feedback about all of them, it’s still Journey she hears the most about.

“I’ve had so many people tell me that their kids make them read that book every single night,” she says. “And there’s just something about that story, the fact that it has a happy ending and it’s true, not made up.”

Now young fans have more true stories from Smith to look forward to. This month Mr. McCloskey’s Marvelous Mallards: The Making of Make Way for Ducklings comes out, and in 2024 a book on Fannie Farmer, America’s first celebrity cookbook author, will be released.

Courtesy of: Capstone ( How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower ); Calkins Creek ( Mr. McCloskey’s Marvelous Mallards )

Emma Bland Smith

Game On

Building financial wellness in a whole new way.

By Annie Gieser

SPINNING THE WHEEL TO WIN CASH is no longer just for game shows and county fairs. Flourish Fi, a mission-driven fintech (financial technology) company based in Berkeley, is changing people’s relationships with their own bank accounts using wheels, quizzes and incentives galore. This is software centered around customer communication, financial wellness and user engagement that just so happens to also be fun.

“We are on the mission to help people build positive money habits using game mechanics and data science,” says Flourish Fi CEO and co-founder Pedro Moura. When he says game mechanics, he’s not playing around.

Flourish Fi (www.flourishfi.com) is software licensed to banks, credit unions and other financial technology companies that adds a gamification element to their apps — such as a wheel of prizes for you to spin when you pay bills on time, getting cash back for making a loan payment or taking quizzes on your own spending. The concept is simple: make managing your money enjoyable and educational so that people will actually want to do it. And it’s working.

When an app uses Flourish Fi’s technology, Moura says, “people come back to the app two to three times more to check on their finances, there’s an average increase of about $300 in balances, and an increase of about 30 percent in the number of transactions being done in the mobile app.”

Moura could’ve benefited from this software when he was younger. His family immigrated to Marin County from Brazil when he was 15 and he was able to get a great education — from Novato High to Santa Rosa Junior College to UC Davis. But when his mom and younger brother moved back to Brazil as he started college, he had to begin his financial journey alone.

After working for top financial companies like Morgan Stanley and Chase Bank and a financial startup called Oportun, Moura enrolled at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, where he serendipitously met Jessica Eting, COO and the other co-founder of Flourish Fi.

“She is the other half of the brain,” says Pedro. Eting grew up in the Central Valley and was also the child of immigrant parents. After attending UC Berkeley as an undergrad, she worked in the philanthropic realm for several years. In going back to UC Berkeley for business school, Eting wanted to find out how she could combine social impact with business.

Flourish Fi is the product of a vision that blends Moura’s and Eting’s pasts, passions and belief that everyone can have a healthy relationship with their wallet — no matter where they come from.

As Flourish Fi looks to its future, expansion is the goal. The company serves users primarily in Latin America now, Brazil and Bolivia most notably, and landed a large partner ship with Mastercard. But Moura sees the United States as a huge market that is underserved and untapped.

“There is a Latino population growing at one of the fastest rates and financial institutions don’t quite know how to service them well,” he says. “Not only from a language capability but from data and insights.” All of which Flourish Fi has become very good at.

“The vision is to be able to predict people’s behavior and nudge them in the direction that finances shouldn’t be so stressful and such a hard topic,” Moura says. Ultimately, Flourish Fi is aiming for a world where money management is no longer daunting, but enjoyable.

Courtesy of Flourish Fi

WONDERLAND A WINTER

By Joseph Knelman

Rains and wildlife migration make for incredible moments in Marin’s winter landscapes.

december 2022 marin living.

Victor Volta

Mushrooms begin to grow in Marin after the first winter rain.

“THESE ARE TIMES TO REALLY GET OUT AND CELEBRATE THE CYCLES OF NATURE, THE RENEWING FORCES OF WATER, FRESH AIR AND TO SEE THINGS HAPPENING.”

Carl Sanders/Marin Water

ON RARE OCCASIONS, SNOW DUSTS the heights of Mount Tamalpais, making for an unusual Bay Area sight. Even without the festive white flurries, though, Marin transforms into a winter wonderland each year with sights unlike anywhere else. Canyons echo with burbling waters and the scent of bay laurel hangs on moisture in the air. “Winter is the return of water,” says Mia Monroe, park ranger with the National Park Service and Marin Community Liaison. “It’s when the creeks fill, it’s when our waterfalls start pumping and when we have the king tides.”

Revitalized by the water, local habitats reveal a winter richness if one takes the time to notice, and in Marin’s coastal forests, every corner holds winter treasures. Come the rains, visitors can admire the leviathans of the forest floor: the California giant salamanders and banana slugs — the largest slugs in North America. These critters might draw one’s attention further into the soils, to the spectacle of mushrooms growing alongside particular trees. “Some mushrooms are associated with oaks and some with redwoods and other pines,” says Monroe. “During winter, that’s one of the joys of a winter walk, just the diversity and abundance of mushrooms.”

Below the surface of coursing creeks, endangered coho salmon carry out an age-old ritual of returning to their natal streams to spawn. Likewise, orange-bellied Cali fornia newts trek to their replenished home waters around Marin. A bit higher up in the forest understory, toyon — California holly — are heavy with red berries, and an assortment of moss and lichen species soak up rainwater high in trees and on rocky outcrops. The varied thrush, a migratory songbird that spends winters in Marin, punctu ates the forest with its striking orange coloration.

Banana slug, Muir Woods

Jeremiah McWright/Parks

Conservancy

Cataract Falls, Mount Tamalpais

In winter months, Marin plays host to some of wildlife’s great migrations that can span thousands of miles. Gray whales keep their distance offshore en route to Mexico (but are still visible to the keen eye), while elephant seals head directly to Point Reyes National Seashore. Northern elephant seals, hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, were reduced to just hundreds of individuals at a single colony in Mexico. In a story of conservation success, they returned to Point Reyes in the 1980s after more than 150 years of absence. “There are only a handful of colonies, so Point Reyes is special,” says Sarah Codde, marine ecolo gist at Point Reyes National Seashore, who specializes in marine mammals. While there are a few other locations on the California coast to see elephant seals, Codde notes the allure of Marin for observing the animals: “Point Reyes is a more remote, wild setting, but still easy to access.”

A now growing population of elephant seals convenes on Point Reyes beaches starting in December, when breeding begins and the first pups are born. A visit during winter months reveals the drama of elephant seal life, with activity increasing into January and February. “You’ve got the males battling each other for dominance, you have the females giving birth, and you have the pups nursing,” says Codde. “There’s a lot of activity and a lot for visitors to check out.”

Away from the raucous Point Reyes seal activity, another migratory species, the long-billed curlew, makes Marin its winter home. Not to be outdone, the curlews offer their own dramatic draw for observers at Bolinas Lagoon, a winter hot spot for the largest shorebird in

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North America. “On the wintering grounds they are very territorial, so you’ll see them doing elaborate dances — sometimes they get into big kerfuffles,” says Nils Warnock, director of conservation science at Audubon Canyon Ranch. Warnock has long studied shorebirds, with a special admiration for the long-billed curlew. “It’s a beautiful species — big, charismatic, has a big beau tiful bill. I love the habitats they are found in.”

Warnock and colleagues’ recent research on curlews has furthered understanding of their migratory patterns in West Marin, revealing the birds’ spring/ summer breeding grounds located a flight away in Idaho. While the birds leave in the spring, they tend to be faithful to wintering grounds such as Bolinas Lagoon, which abundantly provides ghost shrimp and other invertebrates that the curlew eat, employing their long curved bills to snap up their meals, says Warnock. The same curlews may be spotted returning to Bolinas Lagoon year after year.

Despite the darker days of the approaching solstice, winter brings new light to the extraordinary landscapes and wildlife of Marin. From the soil underfoot to the highest reaches of the redwoods, winter magic abounds for those who embrace the rain and cooler tempera tures. “These are times to really get out and celebrate the cycles of nature, the renewing forces of water, fresh air and to see things happening,” says Monroe. ”Since winter is also accompanied by big holidays, why not invite your family and friends to go out to take a Thanksgiving walk or a New Year’s Day stroll?”

Anela Ramos Kopshever/NPS

A gray whale off the shore of Point Reyes

EXPERIENCE MARIN’S WILDLIFE IN PERSON

ELEPHANT SEALS

Point Reyes, Elephant Seal Overlook

(Late December–February)

Catch the elephant seal drama — contests between males, and females with pups. Codde reminds visitors to keep a respectful distance for the safety of both humans and seals (at least 25 feet from individual seals; colonies are closed to humans). “You want to be able to view the elephant seals in their natural setting, which means stepping back and letting them behave naturally.”

LONG-BILLED CURLEWS

Bolinas Lagoon and Limantour Beach (July–April)

Observe the curlews dining and defending their territory in the lagoon and resting around the beach. “West Marin’s bird diversity is rather high in the winter,” says Warnock. “Enjoy them and try not to disturb. When they are on the beaches they are trying to roost and rest.”

COHO SALMON

Lagunitas and Redwood Creeks, Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area and Muir Woods (December)

“Wait a few days after a big rain,” says Monroe, then witness and welcome the coho salmon in their return to natal waters for spawning.”

Africa Africa Out oF Out of

Traveling through Southern Africa for the first time as a wildlife photographer, I had something new to learn from every bird, raptor, mammal and reptile I met during my three-week journey that took me from the southern cape of South Africa to the Kalahari Desert and finally to Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River in Zambia. Because I was visiting family, I was able to see these different regions and countries from a local’s perspective. This was my first real chance to photograph African wildlife and definitely will not be my last. This trip was the perfect introduction to the wonders of Africa and has left an everlasting imprint on my soul and heart.

Words and Photography by Elyse Omernick

Giraffe Kalahari Desert, South Africa

To observe a giraffe in the wild is awe-inspiring. I was lucky enough to see many of them during our stay, sometimes in herds of 30 or more. I loved watching this giraffe walk along an ancient riverbed in the fog. The scene reminded me of a foggy morning in West Marin with its golden rolling hills and oak trees.

White-Crowned Lapwing Zambezi River, Zambia

The white-crowned lapwing is a fasci nating bird, both in the way it looks and its behavior. The Nile crocodile in the Zambezi River actually lets these birds clean their teeth. It is a symbiotic relationship, as the crocodile gets its teeth cleaned, and the lapwing gets a meal out of it. I loved watching them carry about their day along the banks of this famous river.

december 2022 marin living.

Cheetahs

Kalahari Desert, South Africa

As much as I was hoping to get an up-close shot of a cheetah during our visit, I really appreciated watching their behaviors from afar. These cheetahs were busy enjoying a recent kill in the late afternoon, underneath the shade of a large tree.

Springbok

Kalahari Desert, South Africa

Springbok are an important part of Southern Africa’s ecosystem, as they are a food source for many predators. We found this herd grazing in a dried-out riverbed. While it is always exciting to take pictures of predator animals, I find that taking pictures of the prey animals is equally rewarding.

Hippopotamuses

Zambezi River, Zambia

To be on the Zambezi River just above Victoria Falls is a treat in and of itself, but to experience it with hippos floating in the water is mind-blowing. These giants are strictly herbivores, and while they look adorable, they are fierce guards of their territory and their families. We enjoyed them from a safe distance in our safari boat, with my handy 600 mm lens.

→

Secretary Bird Kalahari Desert, South Africa

Standing up to four feet tall, these fierce creatures hunt the grasslands by foot, searching for snakes and reptiles and are even known to hunt baby cheetah and gazelles. Sadly, they are endangered due to habitat degradation and disturbance from agriculture and cattle ranches.

Elyse Omernick is a wildlife, landscape and portrait photographer based in Marin County. If you are interested in ordering prints or booking a portrait session, please visit www.elyseophoto.com.

THIRST FOR

Cloudveil in Jackson Hole

ADVENTURE

From an artsy beach getaway in South America to an equestrian escapade in Ireland, travelers of all types should find something to love on our list of destinations to visit in 2023.

By Casey Hatfield-Chiotti

THE LAST YEAR MAY BE FOREVER KNOWN AS THE YEAR OF “REVENGE TRAVEL,” WHEN VACA TIONERS WITH A PENT-UP DESIRE TO SEE THE WORLD MADE UP FOR LOST TIME. WE’RE HOPING THE WILL TO GET AWAY DOESN’T FADE AWAY IN 2023 BUT BECOMES A LITTLE LESS, SHALL WE SAY, FRENZIED. IN THE COMING YEAR WE PLAN TO TRAVEL SLOWER, WITH MORE INTENTION, AND GET BACK TO TRAVELING FOR THE PURE JOY THAT COMES WITH EXPANDING HORIZONS AND LEARNING SOMETHING NEW. HERE ARE FIVE DESTINATIONS THAT ARE SURE TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND LEAVE AN IMPACT LONG AFTER YOU’VE RETURNED HOME.

The Art-Lovers’ Getaway José Ignacio, Uruguay

When the Southern Hemisphere summer hits, well-heeled Brazilians and Argentines know there’s no better place to be than the Uruguayan coastline. Not only does it have soft sand beaches and warm water, it also offers a sophisticated getaway with delicious fire-grilled cuisine, intriguing archi tecture and world-class art. The Uruguayan contemporary art scene got a major boon when James Turrell’s Ta Khut Skyspace debuted at the 17-room Posada Ayana (from $450 per night; www.posada-ayana.com) hotel in José Ignacio in late 2021. The hotel’s Viennese owners worked with Turrell for more than two years to build the first freestanding Skyspace in South America. The temple-like structure is made of 42,000 kilograms of pure white marble from South Tyrol and clad in earth and grass with entrances to the dome on both sides.

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Courtesy of The Cloudveil (previous spread)

José Ignacio, which is about an hour drive from the international airport in Punta del Este, was once a sleepy fishing village, but that began to change when Francis Mallman opened his first restaurant, Posada del Mar, there in the ’70s. A boho travel set followed and today adventurers have a range of chic boutique hotels to choose from, like the modernist masterpiece Playa Vik (from $1,380; www.playavik.com), perched on the dunes above La Mansa Beach and designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott. While Posada del Mar is no more, Mallman opened the beachfront grill Chiringuito (chiringuito.meitre.com) in José Ignacio in 2021, and no visit to the peninsula is complete without dining at Parador La Huella (www.paradorlahuella.com), an oceanfront restaurant that epitomizes José Ignacio’s rustic glamour.

Art-loving travelers should also head 30 minutes inland to Garzon, a pueblo that has become a renowned desti nation for viewing art. Galleries surround a main town square, and the Garzon-based creative institute CAMPO (www.campogarzon.com) hosts more than 25 international and local artists during Artfest each year. The two-day-long public event takes place December 28 and 29 and includes site-spe cific installations, performances, live music and artist talks. Danish chef Mads Refslund, co-founding chef of Noma, will return as guest chef for the annual benefit dinner. CAMPO also has residency programs and creative collaborations throughout the year. Mallman fans should also check out his Hotel and Restaurant Garzon (from $870 per night; www.restaurant egarzon.com), located in a brick building that used to be the town’s general store, for a meal of buttery octopus in chili oil and grilled strip steak on the brick patio beneath the stars.

Marcus Guiponi

Posada Ayana

Where the Old West Is New Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole is beloved for wilderness access — it’s the gateway to Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge — and its Old West vibe, and there are reasons to enjoy both on a trip in 2023. In September, officials paved the way for Teton County and the town of Jackson and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to become eligible for International Dark Sky Community designation, which will help protect wildlife and the region’s glittery night sky for years to come. Jackson Hole’s best hotels are already surrounded by pristine natural beauty year-round. Amangani (from $1,440; www.aman.com), part of an over-the-top 14-night journey new for 2023 called Aman Jet Expeditions: Adventures in the Americas, is set amid snowcapped mountains 20 minutes from Teton Village. Amangani offers a range of winter activities like dogsled tours, winter wildlife excursions and snowshoeing in the national park and has its own ski lounge at the base of the Bridger Gondola. At the luxe Caldera House (from $1,700 per night; www.calderahouse. com), guests can roll out of bed and onto the mountain. The all-suite hotel is just steps from the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort tram, and the four-bedroom Valles suite with vaulted ceilings and a modern fireplace is the most elegant of family-friendly accommodations.

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In town, new and recently updated hotels are bringing a fresh take on the Western aesthetic. The Mountain Modern hotel (from $300 per night; www.mountainmodernmotel. com) has added 59 rooms featuring pops of red buffalo plaid as well as custom open closets, perfect for storing ski gear, and an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, a new restaurant and an outdoor gathering space with fire pits. The Virginian Lodge (from $149; www.virginianlodge.com) is a retrofitted modern motor lodge with midcentury-inspired rooms with Western touches like Pendleton blankets. The Virginian Saloon serves up stiff drinks and diner-style fare and boasts a legendary karaoke night. The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection (from $499 per night; www.marriott.com) opened in 2021 and is a modern sanctuary with 100 rooms and suites and a rooftop terrace overlooking Jackson’s Town Square and Snow King Mountain. The team behind the Old West–inspired Anvil Hotel — where guest rooms have custom iron beds and hand made brass fixtures — debuted a high-design hostel called the Cache House (from $82 per night; www.thecachehouse. com) in 2019. The Anvil’s rustic Italian restaurant Glorietta serves wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and seasonal cocktails, exactly what you’ll crave after a day skiing or snowboarding Jackson Hole’s steep and deep terrain.

Courtesy of Aman Resorts

Amangani

Putting Ireland’s Midlands on the Map County Tipperary, Ireland

Ireland’s Golden Vale, located two hours southwest of Dublin in County Tipperary, is a popular daytrip because of its remarkably well-preserved medieval ruins known as the Rock of Cashel, but now there’s a reason to stay longer. Cashel Palace Hotel (from $281 per night; www.cashelpalacehotel. ie) opened just below the Rock — the fortress and cathedral on a limestone outcropping dates to the 12th century — in March 2022. The Magnier family, who made their fortune in horse breeding and racing, purchased the property and oversaw a renovation that included restoring the historic brick manor and gatehouse and adding more modern wings and a state-of-the-art spa. The glass-enclosed swimming pool overlooks restored gardens with mulberry trees planted in the early 1700s by order of Queen Anne. Particularly festive during the holidays, the entrance hall this winter will be deco rated with towering spruce trees and guests will be treated to caroling and mulled wine.

The hotel, which has roaring fireplaces and gold-framed equestrian art, also has an equine concierge who can arrange a multitude of equestrian activities from touring

the Magniers’ famed Coolmore Stud farm to riding at family-owned Crossogue Equestrian Center. Tipperary and County Kildare have been officially dubbed Thoroughbred County through a partnership between local tourism boards and the thoroughbred industry and will be offering many equestrian adventures in 2023 including an interactive exhi bition in Fethard. Visitors to Tipperary can also walk along the River Suir and admire the 13th-century Cahir Castle, book a tasting at Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, which makes Ireland’s only sheep’s milk blue cheese, and visit the Rossa Pottery workshop.

marin living. december

Cashel Palace Hotel

Afternoon tea at the Cashel Palace Hotel

Courtesy of Cashel Palace Hotel

A French Fantasyland Gets an Upgrade Loire Valley, France

France’s Loire Valley was a popular refuge for French nobility for centuries. Thanks to a flurry of hotel openings and the STARZ show The Serpent Queen — about the life of Cath erine de Medici and filmed on location — new attention is being paid to the UNESCO-protected valley. The Fleur de Loire (from $269 per night: www.fleurdeloire.com) opened in June on the banks of the Loire River in Blois. Guests who check into the 44-room Relais & Châteaux can indulge in a spa treatment at the Sisley Spa, swim in an infinity-edge swimming pool with views of the historic city and dine on Michelin star–worthy cuisine. The project is the lifelong dream of two-Michelin-starred chef Christophe Hay and a true culinary destination with Hay’s namesake restaurant, which serves Loire fish and heirloom vegetables in artfully composed dishes, as well as the more casual Amour Blanc and a patisserie where pastries are served out of a gold and marble kiosk.

Le Bois des Chambres (from $142 per night; www. leboisdeschambres.fr), the first hotel at Domain Chaumontsur-Loire, also opened earlier this year. Architect Patrick Bouchain designed the property with 39 rooms and suites divided between a restored farmhouse and a new building. The château and spa hotel La Borde en Sologne (from $216 per night; www.laborde-sologne.fr) opened in October between Chambord and Cheverny in the small village of Vernou-en-Solonge. Offering 35 rooms and suites, the hotel has sculpted walls and ceilings, wooden frescoes, fireplaces and grand gallery that are stately yet modern.

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Renowned French interior designer Jacques Garcia brought his trademark flair for drama to the new Château de la Vallière (from $343; www.chateaulouise.com), only a few minutes from Tours and Amboise. The five-star hotel was the childhood home of Louise de la Vallière, Louis XIV’s first offi cial mistress, and Garcia took inspiration from her life and the château’s great bones to create the whimsical and exclusive destination. This boutique hotel has just 20 rooms and suites, a spa and a gourmet restaurant with a menu created by superstar chef Yannick Alleno.

Jean-Christophe Coutand (top); courtesy of Chateau Louise de la Vallière

Chateau Louise de la Vallière

Loire Valley

Where Wellness Is a Way of Life Kyoto, Japan

Reopened to travelers since October, Japan, with its enticing history, cuisine and wellness-centric culture, is once again accessible. The best place to experience it all is in the country’s ancient imperial capital, Kyoto, where several new hotels debuted in 2019. The goal of the green tea–perfumed spa at Aman Kyoto ($1,625; www.aman. com), secluded in a 72-acre forest, is to promote holistic wellness. In the city, locals make frequent visits to temples — there are more than 1,600 in Kyoto — and to teahouses and spring-fed onsen. Aman’s indoor and outdoor onsen offer guests purification and cleansing. The extensive spa menu includes treatments ranging from a 16th-century foot bath using local sake and sea salt to reduce inflammation to an indulgent 24-karat gold leaf facial.

Across town, Park Hyatt Kyoto (from $874; www.hyatt.com) also opened in 2019, in a traditional garden next to Kodai-ji Temple. Architects restored a 142-year-old kaiseki restau rant and teahouse where feudal lords once met and added a contemporary 70-room hotel inspired by low-slung Japanese guesthouses.

While it isn’t particularly new, getting to Hoshinoya Kyoto (from $930 per night; www.hoshinoya.com/ kyoto), a luxury ryokan on the banks of the Katsura River, is a meditative experience. It’s accessible only by boat, and the ride is peaceful and calming — guests hear the wind whistling through the valley and the rustle of trees while meandering down the river.

Travelers looking for something a little livelier should book a room at the retro East-meets-West Ace Hotel Kyoto (from $145; www.acehotel.com/ kyoto), which also opened in 2019. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the hotel will be an especially sought-after reserva tion when chef René Redzepi and Noma set up shop in its main restaurant in the spring. Noma Kyoto will be open from March 15 to May 20 when Kyoto’s famed cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Yuka Shimizu

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Community Minded

Nick Svenson Supports His Community

GoFundMe, DonorsChoose, Meal Train, Supply A Teacher and a plethora of other platforms all make contributing to a cause you care about easier than ever before. In appreciation for all that you have been given in 2022, make December the month to return those gifts to those in need around you. Nick Svenson proudly donates to over 20 causes on an annual basis, with recent contributions to the Fairfax Skate Park, Friends of China Camp, Trips for Kids, Theodore Roosevelt CP, Feeding America and many more.

Nick Svenson

nick@marinsfhomes.com | www.marinsfhomes.com 415.505.7674 DRE #01918616

Jewelry Designs With Cabochons — the Oldest Gemstone Cut

Stephan-Hill Jewelry Designers has been a Bay Area favorite for over 40 Years. The shop features a carefully curated collection of exciting European designer jewelry and gemstones, and they design and craft their own iconic California Collection and Italian-inspired Garfolo Collection. Stephan-Hill has just completed a new distinctive Cabochon Collection with fresh earthcolored gemstones such as apricot moonstones, cat’seye Siberian green jade and mango green moonstone.

Stephan-Hill Jewelry Designers 1226 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.699.2910 | www.stephanhill.com

Amy Thompson Brand Photography

Amy Thompson is a brand photographer based in Marin. What Amy does goes far beyond a simple headshot. Lifestyle photos, action shots — these work together to tell the story of you and your brand. Amy loves working with entrepreneurs and small business owners who are passionate about their business, and she provides busy entrepreneurs a variety of soulful images that can be used on their websites, social media channels and more.

Brand I Wedding I Family  www.amythompsonbrandphotography.com www.amythompsonphotography.com

wine, dine, & gifting

In the pages that follow, Marin Living showcases the Bay Area’s leading retailers, wineries and restaurants that are offering exciting holiday gifting ideas. This advertorial feature provides you an inside look at the unique holiday services and products our partners offer and what sets them apart in their industries.

Bluejay Electric Bicycles

Jen Cohen Bogan

Celebrate the holidays with these incredible electric bikes.

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

I am so excited about our festive holiday bundle this season. In addition to free shipping, assembly and local delivery, any Bluejay bike purchase will include a special artisan basket, filled with gifts from our favorite brands including Amber Interiors and Gjelina. Plus, we’re including a gift card so you can accessorize your Bluejay gift for any type of rider.

What makes your business a leader in the industry during the holidays? There is something nostalgic about a bike with a huge bow as that special gift for the holidays. Who doesn’t want a beautiful, life-changing electric bicycle to ring in the new year? How about one that was designed with the Marin customer’s lifestyle in mind every step of the way? And because we’re local and in-stock, last-minute shoppers may be in luck.

How are you helping customers make the most out of their gift giving?

We love to help riders customize their Bluejays to their specific needs. For the style maven, we have seriously upped our bike basket collection with new colors and styles to go perfectly with our Premiere Edition model. Our new Bluejay Sport goes 28mph with all-road capabilities and is perfect for the adventure seeker on your list. We can create the perfect setup for anyone.

Bluejay Electric Bicycles 500 Tamal Plaza, Ste. 510 Corte Madera, CA 94925 866.527.8451 | hello@bluejaybikes.com www.bluejaybikes.com | @bluejaybikes

Ashley Batz Photography

Ashley Batz Photography

Just Enough Wines

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

Our pleasure-forward, perfectly portioned, consciously canned wines make for great gifts during the holiday season. We offer seven delicious wine varietals and you can choose from a variety of different six-pack options (six cans = two bottles) to find the perfect gift.

What are you offering this season in gift items that’s sets you apart?

All of our wines are award-winning, competing with wine in bottles. This means we’re truly putting some of the best quality wine into a can today. Our wines have been featured in Forbes, the S.F. Chronicle, Wine

Enthusiast and Wine Spectator. In addition to our single varietal sets, we offer several mixed varietal sets including our Curated Set, Sparkling Set and Collection set. We also recently launched the first-ever petite sirah in a can that is sure to impress.

How are you helping patrons make the most out of their gift giving and holiday gathering experience?

We are a local compnay and we are here to help make your gift-giving effortless and enjoyable. From including custom handwritten notes and fun holiday stickers in your gift packs to our corporate gifting program, our team is here to help you.

Jessica Hershfield and Kaitlyn Lo

wine, dine & gifting

Peacock Gap Golf Club

Chef John Evans

Fine dining in the restaurant is better after a game of golf.

Tell us about your culinary history?

I graduated from of the California Culinary Academy and worked under renowned celebrity chef Kat Cora. Before coming to Peacock Gap, I worked for Claremont Club and Spa in Berkeley and Postino Restaurant. I have a passion for delivering an awarding-winning culinary experi ence accented by amazing wine.

How have you elevated the post-golf dining experience?

We have created an experience that is all about the perfect round of golf, the perfect cocktail and being able to have something really delicious to eat. It used to be that we only offered the traditional club fare like a club sandwich and cobb salad, but we decided to completely change the mood by restyling the menu. We have added international dishes with a Mediterranean flare. We are excited that the menu changed because it reflects that our demographic has changed. It now veers to the younger as well as the traditional set, as we are adapting to a younger, cooler and family-oriented clientele.

How is Peacock Gap staying connected to the community? Golf communities have changed a lot since the pandemic and are seeing an influx of families with children. Whereas in traditional clubs the menus and manners were more rigid, Peacock Gap has adapted to younger families. Offering live music, trivia nights, golf and holiday activities for all ages fills the fun post-pandemic deficit. This month, buy a $100 gift card and get a $25 bonus for yourself to use in January/February.

Peacock Gap Golf Club

333 Biscayne Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.453.4940 www.rangecafe.net/about-us

The Caviar Co.

Indulge in a luxury treat this holiday season.

What makes your business a leader in the industry during the holidays?

We don’t ignore the holidays here at The Caviar Co., we love to embrace them. The holidays are usually a time of festive cheer, but for small businesses, it can be a hectic time where constant work is commonplace. During the holiday season, I am grateful for my team of strong, skilled and productive women who help us stand out from our competitors. I believe that strong team leadership is a vital part of a successful company.

What gift items are you offering this season that sets you apart? Our favorite special we offer during

the holidays is our “12 Days of Caviar,” an annual phenomenon since 2020. Our “12 Days of Caviar” special is the perfect gift to treat at-home entertainers, caviar lovers or foodies alike to days and nights of indulgence. This is definitely a swoon-worthy gift.

How are you helping patrons make the most out of their gift giving experience?

I believe the holidays are an opportunity to make the gift-giving experience a way to impact the person receiving your gift. Not only is caviar a luxury treat, but it can show that you truly care about the gift receiver.

The Caviar Co. | 46A Main Street, Tiburon, CA 94920 | 415.580.7986 indulge@thecaviarco.com | www.thecaviarco.com | /@thecaviarco

Petra Bergstein Higby

wine, dine & gifting

wine, dine & gifting

Belinda Wickwire Jewelry

Belinda Wickwire

A magical shopping experience awaits.

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

Happy holidays! Take a step into Belinda Wickwire Jewelry for a magical holiday shopping experience. Here you will discover two stores nestled side by side in the heart of historic San Anselmo. Both stores are filled with antique and contemporary jewels and unique gifts perfect for your holiday shopping experience.

What are you offering this season that sets you apart?

With the expansion of my second store next door, I am excited to announce that I now showcase various contemporary jewelry artisans in addition to antique jewelry. Every design is one to be savored and celebrated. Every design is as unique as you are.

Belinda Wickwire Jewelry | 526–528 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo, CA 94901 | 415.785.7519 info@belindawickwirejewelry.com | /@belindawickwirejewelry /belindawickwirejewelry

Anaba Wines

Unique gift ideas from one of Sonoma’s top wineries.

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

Online and in our Carneros tasting room, we are offering both pomegranate port cocktail sets, and chocolate and wine pairing bundles, perfect for corporate gifting or just because. For the first time this holiday season, we are also offering a chocolate and dessert wine flight.

What do you want to be known for?

We want to be known as your third place, where everyone has a seat at the table — you have home, work and Anaba. Known for our Burgundian and Rhône style wines, we strive for quality over quantity. Sustainability is at the core of our values and is present in every facet of Anaba. We primarily source from sustainably farmed and organic vineyards, and have a wind turbine along with solar panels on site making us 100 percent carbon neutral.

Anaba Wines | 62 Bonneau Road, Sonoma, CA 95476 707.996.4188 | www.anabawines.com

wine, dine & gifting

Dee’s Organic

Dolores “Dee” Coleman

What dining specials are you offering for the holidays? This season we want to give our customers the chance to order a complete Thanksgiving dinner from us, or maybe just the side dishes, and use that time toward other holiday fun. We are also going to bring back our very popular holiday pie selection. Please visit our website or social media platforms to see the whole holiday menu and pricing.

What are you offering this season that sets you apart? Oftentimes, thanksgiving or holiday dinners that are offered are difficult to customize to your particular needs. For instance, Dee’s Organic will be offering dinners that accom modate a variety of guest sizes. Additionally, if a client only wants to order several side dishes for a smaller party, then we can accommodate that, too.

Dee’s Organic | 1800 Ignacio Boulevard, Bldg. 18 | Novato, CA 94949 415.312.0790 | info@deesorganic.com | www.deesorganic.com /@deesorganics | /deesorganiccateringllc

Blanc

Quality women’s apparel is the perfect holiday gift.

What do you want people to know about your business? Since 2004 Blanc has curated a collection of unique quality women’s apparel, jewelry and accessories from the very best local and international designers.

How are you helping patrons give the best gifts? Blanc is your destination for stress-free gifting this holiday season. Having helped style many local women over the past 18 years, chances are we may know your special someone and we’re ready to help you find that perfect item that they’ll treasure for years to come, such as the shown hand-crafted 22k Thalia bracelet or air-brushed Italian Avant Toi jacket. Plus, complementary gift wrapping is always included.

What are you doing in the local community? This holiday season we encourage you to help us give back to those in need by bringing in a gently-worn jacket and receive a 10 percent discount on any one item.

Blanc | 514 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94960 www.blancboutique.com | 415.485.0104

Let this local catering company take the stress out of the holidays.

wine, dine & gifting

North Bay Candleworks

Doug Coomer

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

We offer a highly unique fragranced candle experience for the Bay Area candle connoisseur — many of our clients report that the candles help them feel like they’re back at home or out on the trail. We like our candles to help you find peace and relaxation.

What makes your product special?

Our candles will fit into any decor and will fill your home with beautiful fragrances — they also make a perfect gift. In addition, we are now incorporating custom engraving into some of our candle vessels, which allows the light to pass through as a lighted image.

North Bay Candleworks | 757 Lincoln Avenue, Ste. 19 San Rafael, CA 94901 | 615.540.9331 www.northbaycandleworks.com | /@northbay_candleworks

Marin Backyards

Veni Vicente

Give the gift of outdoor family time.

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

We have trampolines, swing sets and basketball hoops.

What makes your business a leader during the holiday season?

Since 2008 Marin Backyards helps families spend quality time in their backyards by offering a variety of services and products that encourage children to spend more time outside exercising and building lasting childhood memories

What are you offering this season in services that sets you apart?

We offer free delivery on all orders and we provide professional installation for an additional fee. We are pleased to also offer coupon code “BuyLocal” for additional savings.

Marin Backyards | 690 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941 415.463.8177 | Info@MarinBackyards.com www.marinbackyards.com | /MarinBackyards

Calming gifts for friends and family.

wine, dine & gifting

The Workroom

Thill and Jennifer Tidwell

Holiday products carefully curated for the home.

What unique holiday gift items are you offering?

For the holidays we are offering gifts to make the home feel cozy and special. Our selection of vintage finds, soaps, candles, coffee table books, blankets and more are the perfect items to pick up for a holiday party hostess gift or to get your home ready for the holidays.

What makes your business a holiday leader in the industry?

We are a team of eight passionate designers who love curating unique items for the home. We offer a welcoming space to come in and shop and refresh your home with our products. Our team can provide design consulting to help customers with all of their home furnishing needs. As designers, we love curating thoughtful gift combinations that elevate the home.

The Workroom | 8 Locust Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941 415.384.8927 | info@theworkroommv.com /@theworkroommv | /@theworkroomshoppe

The Stateroom

Stricker and Lisa Stricker

A totally unique brewpub focused on community.

What makes your restaurant unique?

We have been awarded Best Brewpub and Best Brunch here in Marin. Our brunch is incredible and our gastropub fare is unlike any other restaurant in the area. Our brewmaster Larry Berlin drops new beers monthly and chef Alex Klarkowski is constantly pushing the culinary envelope.

Why is celebrating with loved ones more important than ever this year?

The Stateroom brewery was created as a meeting place for families to come and spend time together. We have always believed that the most valuable commodity is time, and the most important thing is family. We couldn’t think of a better place for you to spend some time breaking bread and having a pint with loved ones after the last few years of being apart.

The Stateroom | 1132 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.295.7929 | www.stateroombrewery.com

Alexander

Stephanie

Vin Antico

The perfect place for amazing dinners and gifts.

What unique gift items are you offering for the holidays?

Gift cards are available at the restaurant and online and sommelier-selected holiday wines are available for retail purchase.

What makes your business a holiday leader?

Vin Antico offers an intimate private event space in the newly renovated upstairs loft. Oliver’s, our new pizzeria, will serve gourmet wood oven–fired pizzas and seasonal salads with carefully curated wines, beers and craft cocktails.

What are you offering this season that sets you apart? We offer a holiday prime rib dinner every Friday night for $39.95. We also now offer an affordable catering service.

Vin Antico | 881 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 415.721.0600 kellyp@vinantico.com | www.vinantico.com | /@vintantico2.0

going places.

Hitting the Road

Exploring California’s cannabis trail; meeting the residents of Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center; expanding horizons at Big Skills Tiny Homes.

Humboldt County redwoods, a sight from the California cannabis trail.

EVENTS + TASTINGS + ART

CAMi Gallery is availalbe for private events and tastings this holiday season!

Our downtown Calistoga tasting room boasts a modern interior with wide open spaces and art-covered walls, with artwork curated by vintner + artist Laurie Shelton. Contact us today to plan your work or family holiday event. Our intimate gallery space is available to rent and can entertain up to 50 guests. The in-house catering kitchen serves up an incredible wine and dining experience that will delight!

707-70 9- 6889 INFO@CAMIVINEYARDS.COM 1333B LINCOLN AVENUE, CALISTOGA, CA 94515

Cele ating the Beauty of ganic

Seal of Approval

The Marine Mammal Center’s conservation efforts are highlighting the links between ocean health, marine mammal health and human health.

By Caitlin Hamer

FROM THE BAY TO THE BEACHES, Marin’s coastal loca tion means we humans have a strong connection to both the ocean and the mammals that call those waters home. Fortunately for those sea critters, the world’s largest marine mammal hospital is conveniently tucked away in the Marin Headlands in Sausalito.

After a pandemic-induced closure and extensive remod eling, the Marine Mammal Center’s main headquarters (www.marinemammalcenter.org) are once again open to the public. The center’s mission is to advance global ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research and education. With a mammal rescue range that stretches across 600 miles of California coastline and Hawaii’s Big Island, the center’s impact is significant. And with the 24-hour hotline, even the public can help the Marine Mammal Center do its work.

When calls are made to the hotline reporting a marine mammal in distress, a team of volunteers is dispatched

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to assess the situation and transport the mammal to the Sausalito hospital if care is needed. Since the center opened in 1975, it has rescued more than 24,000 marine mammals including seals, sea lions, sea otters, dolphins and other crea tures. Commonly, animals come in with malnutrition, and most often what they need is plenty of food and a safe place to rest before they’re released back into the wild.

“We have a very unique perspective because the patients that come through our hospital tell us about the health of that marine mammal, but also the health of the ocean,” says Laura Gill, community engagement manager at the Marine Mammal Center. “Because we have so much in common with marine mammals, a lot of what we learn can also apply to human health.”

While the patients are treated on-site, research is conducted to understand how the animals are getting sick, why they’re sick and how to better treat them. This research has notably included the discovery of sea lion cancer, which

Dan Friedman

The exhibition hall at Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center.

Gill says they see in one out of every four sea lions that come through the door. The center has also recently collaborated with the Benioff Ocean Institute to bring Whale Safe, an AI-powered mapping and analysis system created to help prevent whale-ship collisions, to the Bay Area.

Guided tours and behind-thescenes experiences offer visitors a chance to peruse educational exhibits and see animals being treated at the hospital, though the number of patients on-site varies, with spring being the busiest time as it overlaps with pupping season. And the Adopt-a-Seal program remains a popular way to help make an impact on a local level (it’s also a creative gift idea). These symbolic adoptions of past patients include an adoption certificate that shares the story and a photo of the animal, with funds from the adoptions going toward current and future patients. And it’s not just seals — sea lions, dolphins and sea otters can also be adopted.

Though the number of rescues has increased in recent years, the center is also making impressive strides in research. Its leaders hope their outreach will inspire a new generation of marine mammal stewards, but they’re also striving to make the public aware that humans can peacefully coexist with animals. Small steps such as eating sustain able seafood and reducing plastic waste can make a big difference. “We’re trying to create a healthier ocean for people and marine mammals alike,” says Gill.

Bill Hunnewell

A Marine Mammal Center resident, who is currently in rehabilitation.

“We have a very unique perspective because the patients that come through our hospital tell us about the health of that marine mammal, but also the health of the ocean.”

Welcome to the High Road

Follow the Cannabis Trail north for a luxe experience like no other.

By Eric Hiss-Loreda

This image is part of the Farm & the Feminine fine art photography project. “Katie Jeane” portrays Katie Jeane of Emerald Spirit Botanicals, a Mendocino County licensed cannabis farm she runs with her two sons.

IT’S BEEN TOUGH COOLING OUR JETS THE LAST FEW YEARS.

The good news is there’s a whole new genre of travel opening up that combines the familiar — great drives, inviting communities and stellar sights you know and love — all remixed in ways you’ve never experienced before. And for good reason. Until recently, you couldn’t legally tour a cannabis farm or enjoy an infused dinner party at a swank lodge. Haven’t gotten around to renewing your passport yet? No problem, because what Bordeaux is to wine, places like Mendocino and Humboldt are to craft cannabis. Before diving into our road trip through the greatest hits of NorCal cannabis travel, let’s note that yes, this is officially now a thing in the Golden State. By official, we mean everything we cover here is legal, licensed and open to anyone age 21 and over.

San Francisco to Sonoma County

San Francisco is foundational to modern-day cannabis culture. Indeed, it was during the worst days of the AIDS crisis that LGBTQ+ community activists like Dennis Peron fought for caregiver access to cannabis so they could provide relief for patients. Those struggles made California’s Proposition 215 a reality, a historic first, which legalized medical cannabis in 1996.

Today, this history is honored as part of the recently launched Cannabis Trail. Stretching from Santa Cruz to Trinity County, this self-guided cultural route highlights nearly two dozen people and places instrumental to normalizing cannabis in California. Several are located in S.F., including the Castro’s Flore Dispensary (www.floredispensary.com). Owned and founded by Terrance Alan, a friend of Peron who worked alongside him, the shop specializes in carrying the NorCal sun-grown cannabis favored by caregivers. Further commemorating this S.F.-cannabis farmer connection is the Compassion Mural, a 37-by-17-foot visual homage adjacent to the dispensary that’s the first of five monuments planned

for the Cannabis Trail. Other San Francisco stops on the trail include Hippie Hill, City Lights Bookstore and the Grateful Dead House.

To the north, Sonoma County is now more than a haven for savvy wine travelers. It’s also where you can find top-shelf cannabis experiences. If “refined farmhouse with a pool” sounds about right, check that off your list at Sonoma Hills Farm (www. sonomahillsfarm.com). Vegetable, cannabis and hemp cultivation here are overseen by Aaron Keefer, the former director of The French Laundry’s culinary gardens, who utilizes organic practices to produce everything from dry-farmed peppers to SHF’s acclaimed Pink Jesus cannabis strain.

In addition to your stay at the threebedroom/three-bath farmhouse set on 60 acres, your experience can include private events and strolls through the veggie and hemp farm. (Current regulations don’t allow access to the cannabis area.)

A drive past ranches, vineyards and hidden hamlets leads you to

marin living.

Let’s hit the road!

The Madrones

Dorit Thies for Grupo Greenlit. Limited editions available in various sizes. For inquiries: thejefe@grupogreenlit.com (opposite); Eric Hiss-Loreda (this page)

MONUMENTS

CULTURAL LANDMARK

POINTS OF INTEREST

SAN FRANCISCO OAKLAND BERKELEY MARIN

SANTA CRUZ

Guerneville’s Mine + Farm (www. mineandfarminn.com), an impeccably restored 1906 farmhouse reimagined as a cannabis-friendly bed-andbreakfast. It’s just a cork’s throw from Korbel Vineyards, but buds — not bubbles — are the focus here. Ameni ties include pre-rolls set out for guests on the wide porch and a pleasant grassy expanse where you can sway in hammocks near the inn’s own cannabis garden.

Mendocino County

Head up Highway 101 into Mendocino County and you are now entering the Emerald Triangle, a three-county area encompassing Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties.

The region is renowned for being home to world-class cannabis culti vators, primarily small, independent operations that are the cannabis equivalent of craft breweries or boutique wineries.

One of the most stellar ways to experience this craft approach is via farm visits and hosted events like several slated for the coming year. Outside the town of Willits, Emerald Spirit Botanicals (www.emerald spiritbotanicals.com) has garnered top honors for cultivating cannabis rich in rarer cannabinoids like CBD and THCV. A two-generation operation headed by matriarch Katie Jeane, it will be hosting a series of small group farm tours and infused dinners where you can experience sustainably farmed cannabis along with other locally grown food products underneath towering Douglas firs.

To the southwest, the Anderson Valley is rightly celebrated for its wine. It’s now also home to one of California’s most elevated cannabis travel experiences. The Madrones (www.themadrones.com), a nine-room, Mediterranean-style lodge known for its wine-tasting events and beauti fully manicured gardens, is expanding its cannabis offerings to include

micro-infused dinners, tours of the property’s nearby cannabis farm and weekly events at its recently debuted consumption lounge. For the ultimate convenience, an on-site dispensary, the Bohemian Chemist, is filled with artfully packaged cannabis flower and other products befitting the tony setting.

Humboldt County

The largest and most famous cannabis haven of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County is 4,000 square miles of rugged coastline, towering redwoods and remote hilltops. Almost mythic in stature, it’s a place where discerning what’s truth or lore can be elusive — the Bigfoot of bud as it were — which is why we recommend a guided tour for your first Humboldt forays. You can’t do better than rolling past the redwoods with Eureka-based Humboldt Cannabis Tours (www. humcannabis.com). Run by Matt Kurth, the tours include scheduled or custom ized options and can even include a stop at an artisanal winery.

Tour highlights include visits to working cannabis farms like awardwinner Huckleberry Hill Farms (also a Cannabis Trail landmark, www.pick humboldt.com), run by secondgeneration farmer John Casali and his partner Rose Moberly. The lush land scaping and serene Buddha statues make the farm feel like an Insta gram-ready botanical garden. Lodg ings range from rustic glamping venues like Five Sisters Farms to historic Scotia Lodge (www.scotia-lodge.com), a recently refurbished 22-room boutique hotel that offers guests on-site cannabis delivery. The company also operates a nearby cannabis lounge and dispensary at Papa & Barkley Social, (www.papaandbarkleysocial. com) as well as a spa that features THC- and CBD-infused treatments. Like this road trip, if that doesn’t leave you relaxed and reset for the new year, nothing will.

This image is part of the Farm & the Feminine fine art photography project. “Rose” portrays Rose Moberly of Huck leberry Hill Farms, a Southern Humboldt licensed cannabis farm she runs with her partner, John Casali. Photography by Dorit Thies for Grupo Greenlit. (Limited editions avail able in various sizes. For inquiries: thejefe@ grupogreenlit.com)

A bout Last Night

MORE THAN 400 GUESTS attended the Lifehouse Annual Award Banquet at the Embassy Suites honoring the dedicated staff and community members who have been instrumental in supporting the organization (www.lifehouseagency.org) over the past year and through the pandemic. Sid Sall, Perry Butler and Lisa and Al Brayton received awards. In addition, Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, was acknowledged for her service and retirement, and Lifehouse president and CEO Nancy Dow Moody was honored for her incredible 30 years of leadership.

84 december 2022 marin living.

Photography by Richard Wheeler

Nancy Dow Moody and Mary Jane Burke

Fun on the dance floor

Carmen Kinney, Tim Evans and Kimita Glenn

Attendees included Lifehouse staff, community members and clients

1226 Fourth Street • San Rafael, CA 94901 • 415.459.5808 stephanhill.com

Building Better

Big Skills Tiny Homes is offering young adults a chance to learn while creating something meaningful

By Caitlin Hamer

FOR SOME, TINY HOMES ARE NOVELTIES; for others, they’re a lifestyle. But for Sean Ticknor, constructing these petite dwellings is the foundation of his nonprofit, Big Skills Tiny Homes. Based in Marin, Ticknor’s organization (www.bigskillstinyhomes.org) has been teaching young adults how to build tiny homes from scratch to completion since 2019.

“I was on job construction sites and all the various contrac tors were looking for skilled workers and had high-paying jobs open that were going unfilled,” says Ticknor, who started a design consultant business in 2009. Harboring a love for both building and teaching, he decided to help fill this labor gap by creating Big Skills Tiny Homes, providing young folks an opportunity for hands-on learning and empowering them to identify future career paths, all while starting and finishing a meaningful project.

“The tiny home is perfect because you get to try everything in a small period of time,” he explains, adding that it takes about 600 hours of skilled labor to build one. “It’s a perfect medium to try all the trade disciplines in a reasonable amount of time.”

To maintain a small teacher-to-student ratio, Ticknor only accepts four or five students each year and teaches them himself, although guest speakers are occasionally brought in. The program also attracts young women, historically underrepresented in the industry, who are as eager to learn these skills as their male counterparts. Ticknor credits the tight-knit-group feeling to the program’s success: “We’re very proud to boast 100 percent graduation rate and zero dropouts,” he says. The program lasts nine months, from September to May.

Ticknor and his first cohorts completed their initial tiny house in May 2020 with the intention of auctioning it off at a big event, a plan that was disrupted by the pandemic. The auction took place online instead and Ticknor decided to move things in a different direction.

“I started Googling ‘tiny homes for good causes’ and would approach the places I found,” he says. One such place was Youth Spirit Artworks in Oakland; Ticknor’s team also built a tiny house for Butte County, which was devastated by

88 december 2022 marin living.

wildfires. Currently, Ticknor and his students build one to two tiny houses per year — two if the builds are simple, one if it’s more complex. But the students take on every aspect of construction, including electrical, plumbing, tile, drywall, painting, cabinetry, roofing, siding and even some furniture building. Many of Ticknor’s students aspire to advance further into the trade, but they’re not obligated to continue down that career path if they find it’s not for them. However, they’re all required to learn how complete every single aspect of the construction process.

“By virtue of trying new things, they’re learning about themselves over and over,” says Ticknor, adding that a surprising benefit of the program has been the personal changes that many students have said they’ve experienced while participating. “People have talked about coming out of their shells, gaining confidence, being able to communicate and work in a team. For some students it was night and day, almost a different person.”

The current program is small by necessity and only open to those 18 and older, but Ticknor is hoping to soon bring the program to Marin high schools with the students partic ipating in the construction of the tiny homes on a smaller scale and learning from the full-time cohorts. “I would like to see more people have this opportunity,” he says. And while his primary mission is education, the group loves the added bonus of providing a home for someone who needs it. “If you build the builders, the builders will build, and then we’ll end up with more than what we have now.”

Courtesy of Big Skills Tiny Homes

drawn together.

A home built by Big Skills Tiny Homes