I am about to make a lot of enemies. It’s that simple. But it is something I must do. I must divulge their little secret to the masses. Strawberry. There, I did it. Let the hate mail pour in. However, for those of you who have not turned east onto Seminary drive from the southern end of the frontage road along northbound 101 you are in for a treat. Strawberry is one of those places tucked away on a small peninsula with a waterfront pathway perfect for bikes, walkers, runners, nature lovers and any combination of the aforementioned. With very few points of entry, traffic of any kind is almost nonexistent and don’t expect to see signs to guide you to any destination – such as a shoreline park – that might keep you there for any prolonged period of time.
Strawberry is a 3 mile long peninsula bordered on the north by Tiburon Boulevard, the west by Seminary Drive and the east by East Strawberry Drive. It boasts a shoreline that has a little something for everyone – the west side, along Seminary Drive, is rustic and somewhat untamed with modestly apportioned homes nestled into the hillsides. The shoreline on the east side is groomed, landscaped and manicured to perfection with a healthy mix of McMansions seemingly just feet from the water. Fortunately, a wonderfully landscaped garden creates a pleasant buffer between the residents who are fortunate enough to own homes here and those who simply wish to enjoy the gorgeous waterfront pathway and parks.
But there is a trick to getting to this gem because this section is well hidden and not marked. From Seminary, follow the road all the way around until you are heading east, then turn right at Weatherly. If you see the Club at Harbor Point you went too far but you can still turn right at The Harbor Point Waterfront Apartments and follow Harbor Point Drive through the apartment complex until it spits you out onto Weatherly Drive at the other end. Continue east on Weatherly until you see Egret Way and the water. Dogs are welcome and, in fact, there are poop-bag dispensers at multiple locations along the parkway. Leashes are required but, to be honest, I didn’t see too many people using them.
In hindsight, today was all about the middle. The five miles preceding Strawberry existed only to get me there and the five following it only to get me home. Naturally, I did not know that at the time, but reflecting back on the day, nothing quite compared to the middle four miles of my hike. That is not to take anything away from the well-worn and equally beautiful Mill Valley-Sausalito Path along Bothin Marsh Preserve or the Tiburon Linear Park pathway that guided me home to that town that still holds a special place in my heart for a couple of reasons, mainly date number three with my wife (we were those rent-a-bike tourists I mocked in my previous post), the other was the morning after my sister’s wedding when I rolled off someone’s couch in St. Helena with barely a wrinkle in my tux and scurried off to Sam’s Anchor Café in Tiburon for brunch and Bloody Mary’s – still in the tux. Good times!
Tomorrow – Taking the 6:37am Golden Gate Transit 70 line to Tiburon then making my way up to the Larkspur Ferry.
The San Francisco Bay Trail: It's Closer Than You Think! 