RODEO BEACH & MARIN HEADLANDS VISITOR'S CENTER, PART I

Mick had a few hours to spare Sunday morning before spending the rest of the day studying. It was sunny here in Sausalito so we climbed in the van and drove up to Rodeo Beach. The weather there is typically 10-20 degrees cooler than here on the bay and often overcast/foggy. That was the case Sunday, and, for some ridiculous reason, we were surprised. Wearing shorts and light jackets, we all wimped out; instead of running around on the beach, we drove up to the Bird Island overlook and Marin Headlands Visitor's Center overlooking Rodeo Beach.

At Bird Island we watched pelicans soar through the gray skies. Nobody else seemed very impressed with the birds, but I have to admit that I was. I don't think I've seen pelicans before moving to this area. Are there pelicans in Washington? How'd I miss them? Whatever the case, we all liked seeing the island's white bird poop a little closer and listening to the various fog horn blasts sounding off the water.

The visitor's center was full of hands-on exhibits as well as a small game area. We spent at least an hour there learning about the Miwok (local natives) and there Kotcha shelters made of reeds and grass. Displays also revealed the area's history as settled by Portugese dairy farmers and Spanish Vaqueros. Mick and Dane played sea animal dominoes while Aubrey and I took whiffs of local plants from fragrance bottles and examined items at the Touch Table.