When you’re in town for a wedding, there really isn’t any time to do anything but whatever is related to that wedding. While I was excited for my friend on his big day, I was a bit disappointed that I would not have the time needed to Marin County, California, as I had only heard overwhelmingly positive things about it for years now. Therefore, I was actually a bit excited when I got the text on my phone early Monday morning that my flight was canceled and that I would not be flying home until 24 hours later. I had to check out of the resort where the wedding was, but other than that I was all set on arrangements as I already had a rental car and would just extend that contract by another day.
I needed a Marin County hotel, and I needed it immediately. There are a lot of places where I can search for hotels in the area, but this was a process that could take hours. At least that’s what I thought until I used HotelTonight. Almost immediately, I was looking at a plethora of choices for Marin County hotels on the app. I took a quick look at the options, chose one and booked it – just like that. I jumped into my car, said goodbye to my friends and headed to my new Marin County hotel. When I arrived, the staff gave me all kinds of information regarding what I should do that day to see the area. I was off on my one-day adventure in a beautiful place.
Like most places in Marin County, Mill Valley is a small community of about 14,000 people. As soon as you pull into town, you realize you’re in a funky, unique place where people are welcoming and not afraid to make their own statements to the world. I parked and walked around, and then I strolled through a square where it seemed that artwork had come to live together. There were galleries and the like but there were also artists. The town almost seemed like a forgotten European enclave where people did what they wanted in harmony and happiness. What a neat place.
Tomales Bay was my next stop, and for a short time it seemed as though my stop would occur in water. Tomales Bay is really an inlet that stems off of the Pacific Ocean. This is a place where people come and stay because they want some peace and quiet, although they’re also going to get up close and personal with nature. I got out and hiked a bit on a nearby path, I took a look at some ships that were dotting the water and I grabbed a quick coffee. This was a place to come to recharge your batteries, and I felt completely recharged.
Marin County is basically a group of small towns. Corte Madera, my next stop on my journey, is home to fewer than 10,000 permanent residents. There was a touch of modernity here, though, as there was a mall that housed all of the same types of shops that you’d see anywhere else. However, there were also a lot of local shops around for those who want to patronize this type of business instead. What Corte Madera had, which was important to me at the time, was a lot of restaurants. I picked one based on the recommendation of a local person I asked, and she steered me in the right direction. Everything was fresh, tasty and filling. I was happy.
Tiburon is another community with fewer than 10,000 residents. One of the first things I noticed, yet again today, was how friendly everyone was. Whoever I encountered and whatever I asked, I got a friendly, honest answer. I also took some time to just stand and enjoy the incredible views of the bay from almost wherever I was standing. I walked around some more to work on that lunch a bit, talked to a few more folks and decided to keep rolling to my last stop for the day.
Sausalito was my last stop, and it provides a different look at the surrounding landscape as its elevation, based on what I read, is 13 feet above sea level. This is another small town but it’s also big on beauty, and I was told it attracted a lot of tourists on the weekends. I walked through downtown and realized I was hungry again after all that walking and fresh air. I found a local place and had some of the most amazing seafood I had ever tasted. It was great to be there, but it was also time to head back to my hotel.
As I drove back to my hotel, I thought about the day. Marin County is a place that a lot of people have not heard of, and I thought that perhaps this was a good thing. These are pure, small and happy communities that present a warm welcome to those who do come there. I was also thankful that I was going back to such a comfortable hotel room. It seemed like a long time ago that I was wondering just how I was going to find a Marin County hotel, but HotelTonight took care of that in short order. I was happy I found them. I was happy I saw Marin County. I was happy to drift off into a deep and satisfied sleep.
