It’s been 3 years in the making – a day trip to Tomales Bay.
A couple weekends ago, I excitedly checked it off my bucket list (with the help of my sister) and wanted to share our agenda, so you too can get in on the fun!
First stop? Point Reyes Station.
This is an adorable town with some fun stops to make before heading to Tomales Bay.
After the drive we needed to grab a bite, so we made our way to The Station House Cafe to enjoy a leisurely brunch in their garden patio. If you are in the area be sure to try their Cobb salad and macaroni and cheese.
We popped into a few shops — including Flower Power, an adorable home goods store meets flower shop, then headed to Toby’s to grab some honey, stone fruit and any other fun picnic items you need for what is sure to be an amazing day.
But save the wine and cheese purchases for Cowgirl Creamery, where they not only had an amazing to-go counter to order yummy sandwiches, but make all their cheese in-house (be sure to grab the Mt. Tam) and have a great assortment of jams (including Blue Chair).
Next, make your way up to Hog Oyster (no not this one), and snagged a seat at their great waterfront picnic area. Be sure to grab some oysters to enjoy with your amazing picnic spread (and don’t forget to try their bread – it was described to me as “best in the land”).
We ordered both the BBQ oysters and raw oysters… and both were nothing short of amazing. Also it’s worth checking out to understand the seating process – long story short if you want to shuck your own oysters you need to make a reservation months in advance to score a table. Otherwise you can bring your own wine/beer, food and wait in line to order shucked oysters (and an assortment of charcuterie, cheese plates, salads, etc. if you don’t want to pack a picnic) and sit on the upper deck.
Seating is limited, but the great part is, depending on your group size, you can be sat with other parties – which in our case ended up being one of the best parts of our day! Making new friends over oysters? Yes please.
The hardest part about planning this trip was trying to pick which oyster spot to go to. But why choose? Go to as many as you can! Sadly (not really), we were too obsessed with Hog Oyster to get back in the car and continue down the “Oyster Trail” – but there are great spots like Tomales Bay Oysters and the Marshall Store for more eats and stunning views.
Depending on your schedule and aptitude for eating a lot of oysters, this day can be as long (or short) as you’d like. But make sure to bring a fun friend (or 2), cozy layers, and some portable wine glasses. Also be aware most places open at 11am, and close at 5pm – so don’t get too late of a start!
Here were some more highlights:
Until next time Tomales Bay!
