Which is why my friend Emma and I carve out a few days from our busy work and family schedule each summer and take our horses to the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Lots and lots of horse friendly trails, 150 miles of it to be exact, trailer parking, hitching posts and water which are provided at several trailheads, and of course great views make this western most tip of the continental USA the perfect place for horse and rider.
We usually start at the Bear View visitor center, to get a map and the most current trail info, and then we head out to enjoy that tranquil scenery together with our horses.
After a day of riding we come back to our home away from home, the Point Reyes Country Inn and Stables
The host Tom Evans made his B&B as horse friendly as you can wish. Nice stalls layered with fresh wood shavings, many of them even with paddocks make sure that the horses stay as comfortable overnight as we are in the lovingly furnished rooms of the B&B. But the best is yet to come, after one woke up to the soft neighing of the horses, Tom greets you with such an delicious breakfast, that you easily survive a day in the saddle with just a light snack.
Point Reyes Station, the little town where the B&B is located is a place with character. As we stroll through its main street, we discover a lot of nice, tasteful and useful stores. My favorite being the Flower Power:
Another highlight of Main Street is Toby’s Feed Barn, a family owned true general store, which offers a wide range of goods from organic, local produce to pet food and hay, to gifts and garden supplies.
On our way to dinner one evening I noticed a sign saying MARIN ORGANIC on quite a few stores and restraunts, including the one we chose for dinner, the Stellina.
Curious about this I set out to learn more about it: Regarding to the West Marin Citizen, “Marin County is the home to 250,000 residents, 20,000 cows, 15 million oysters, 500 acres of organic fruit and vegetables and a vision for the future”. A century ago Marin was the “milk” basket of the country, just as the Palouse is the breadbasket nowadays. But the industrialization and centralization of mass produced dairy wiped Marin off the map. Instead of desperately trying to keep up with the frenzy, Marin turned the table and specialized on small scale, local, artisan and organic food. MARIN ORGANIC , an increasing network of farmers, restaurants and local retail stores, was founded 1999, to promote and support this organic county and to address many environmental issues. It sees itself as the primary link between farmers and eater!
An admirable concept, a working concept for sustainability that the whole country should adopt!
No comments:
Post a Comment