Sausalito

Pretty, smug little SAUSALITO , along the bay below US-101, was once a gritty community of fishermen and sea traders, full of bars and bordellos. Now exclusive restaurants and pricey boutiques line its picturesque waterfront promenade, and expensive, quirky houses climb the overgrown cliffs above Bridgeway Avenue, the main road and bus route through town. Ferries from San Francisco arrive next to the Sausalito Yacht Club in the town Center. If you have sailing experience, split the $130 daily rental fee of a four- to six-person sailboat at Cass's Marine, 1702 Bridgeway (tel 415/332-6789).

Aside from walking, shopping and sucking in the sea air, Sausalito has a one-of-a-kind exhibit in the Bay Model Visitor Center , 2100 Bridgeway (Tues-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; donation), where elevated walkways in a huge building lead you around a scale model of the entire bay, surrounding deltas and its aquatic inhabitants.

Casa Madrona at 801 Bridgeway Ave (tel 415/332-0502 or 1-800/567-9524, ; $160-250+), a deluxe hotel hideaway in the hills above the bay, also houses Mikayla , a delectable seafood restaurant . Less expensive food can be found near the waterfront; Gatsby's , 39 Caledonia St (tel 415/332-4500), at the north end of town, is a reasonably priced pizza parlor, while Caffe DiVino , 37 Caledonia St (tel 415/331-9355), serves a tasty variety of organic salads, toasted focaccio sandwiches and some great coffee. The no name bar , 757 Bridgeway Ave (tel 415/332-1392), is a smoky ex-haunt of the Beats hosting frequent live jazz.