All Roads Lead to Pi September 6, 2019

Point Reyes Station may be just a tiny hamlet at the edge of the American Plate (population 891, or so claims the not-to-my-knowledge-ever-updated sign as you enter town), but it is also the nexus for road travel in West Marin.  And the amazing thing is this: every approach – State Route 1, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, or the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road – is drop-dead gorgeous.

The journey along Route 1 is the most stunning, a stretch of cliff-hugging curves perched above the Pacific Ocean.  On a sunny day, Route 1 offers spectacular views of the quintessential California coastline, but it can be slow, and in heavy fog or rain, is the most precarious of the three options.   One can access the road in Mill Valley by following the signs to Muir Woods.  It weaves past Green Gulch, Muir Beach, Slide Ranch, Stinson Beach, and the Bolinas Lagoon, then leaves the coast behind to trace the San Andreas Fault through Dogtown and Olema, past Bear Valley Road near the entrance to the Point Reyes National Seashore, over Lagunitas Creek at the Green Bridge, until finally filtering through the little village of Point Reyes Station. 

Option 2 is Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, which originates at 101 near San Quentin Prison and extends all the way out to the Point Reyes lighthouse. The westward journey is stop-and-go through the well-heeled suburbs of Greenbrae, Kentfield, Ross, and San Anselmo but opens up through funky Fairfax to the White Bridge (which isn’t white), glorious golden hillsides, and the Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Soon you are immersed in a cool sea of redwood trees along the Lagunitas Creek, where salmon still spawn, in Samuel P. Taylor State Park.  Sir Francis Drake merges with Route 1 at Olema for about four miles until it diverges off toward the lighthouse.  If your destination is Pi, don't be tempted - stay straight and cross the Green Bridge.

The Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, which runs east-west through bucolic vistas of hills with rocky outcroppings, live oaks, and cows. As the name implies, the Road is a direct shot from Petaluma. It can also be accessed from Novato via Novato Road.  My preferred approach, however, is farther south, via the Lucas Valley Road at the northern edge of San Rafael. Lucas Valley Road first passes by a stylish mid-century Eichler development before climbing up a steep and curvy path to Big Rock (literally, a very big rock) on sweeping property owned by George Lucas, and then plunging into a dense and dark redwood forest.  After ten miles, the road ends, but the journey continues on Nicasio Valley Road, through the little town, which is defined by a small baseball field, a quaint Catholic Church, a Druid Hall, and a well-loved eatery.  It then continues by an old one-room schoolhouse and sparkling reservoirs (look out for white pelicans!), where it intersects with the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road.  At this point, you will see Elephant Mountain (also known as Black Mountain) rising before you – a landmark that tells you you are almost there.  At the intersection with Platform Bridge Road, cross the colorful bridge, travel another three miles, and you are there.

Point Reyes Station is remote, and one has to travel at least a half-hour to run an errand or see a movie.  But I never tire of the drive.  It’s an old-fashioned Sunday excursion, any day of the week.