AppleGarden Cottage

Approximately 50 miles north of San Francisco, the AppleGarden Cottage is a charming private cottage located in an organic apple orchard surrounded by vegetable gardens. In the historic town of Tomales, it's just minutes from Dillon Beach and Tomales Bay. Your hosts, Louis and Jan Lee, live in the farmhouse across the driveway and are long-time residents of the area.

Start every day with fresh seasonal fruit, farm-fresh eggs from the free-range resident chickens, and freshly baked pastry from Jan's kitchen. Pick some veggies from the organic gardens for your gourmet breakfast; the refrigerator will be amply stocked for all your other breakfast treats. Specializing in organic foods, Jan makes all baked goods, including home-made granola, from scratch and loves to experiment with new recipes.

Jan will be happy to accommodate special dietary needs! For longer stays, optional provisioning is offered with specialty foods for picnics; the Cottage kitchen has all the other necessities.

Pack an alfresco lunch for your day at Dillon Beach, or your bicycle tour through the beautiful Chileno Valley, or take a leisurely drive around Tomales Bay to Pt. Reyes! Rejuvenate at Osmosis day spa with a massage, a few minutes away in Freestone. The Cottage at AppleGarden is also the perfect central location for day trips to San Francisco, the wine country, or the Highway One coast route. Return at the end of the day to the peaceful farm and relax; enjoy the birdsongs, wild turkeys and other wildlife.

Dillon Beach Resort is located at the mouth of Tomales Bay. Six miles or 5 minutes west of Tomales, the mile long white beach is great for running, shell collecting, surfing and boogie boarding. http://www.dillonbeachresort.com/resort.html

Tomales History Center. Visit the museum and discover the history of the beautiful area. http://www.tomaleshistory.com/

Osmosis Day Spa. Experience relaxation in a cedar-enzyme soak or treat yourself to a soothing massage and facial. http://www.osmosis.com/

Point Reyes National Seashore has miles of beautiful trails within its 64,000 acres with a variety of terrain to suite every walker and hiker. There is a boat ramp at Miller Park offering easy access to the Bay for boating, fishing, sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. (Parking is available at Apple Garden for a small boat trailer; confirm size when making reservation). http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/index.htm

Five Brooks Stable is a full service riding stable for the whole family, specializing in providing guided trail rides for park visitors who desire an alternative method to enjoy the scenic splendor of the park. http://www.fivebrooks.com

Blue Waters Kayaking (or Tamal Saka) on beautiful Tomales Bay, at Marshall, near the Marshall Store. Guides are naturalists and skilled kayakers. http://www.bwkayak.com/

Tomales Bay. Discover all the local attractions of West Marin. http://www.pointreyes.org/marshall_marin_county.html

Bodega Bay. Visit the coastal town of Bodega Bay. http://www.bodegabay.com/discover/things_to_do.shtml

Local Restaurants (within about 20 minutes) include:

Tomales Deli http://www.tomalesdeli.com/

Hog Island Oysters http://www.hogislandoysters.com

Marshall Store Oyster Bar and Deli http://www.themarshallstore.com/

Nick's Cove http://www.nickscove.com

Rocker Oysterfellers (dinner Wednesday thru Sunday) http://www.rockeroysterfellers.com/

Tomales Bakery (open mornings Thursday thru Sunday only) http://www.yelp.com/biz/tomales-bakery-tomales