Marin County is a beautiful county and a must-see on any trip to the San Francisco Bay Area.
It lies just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge.
One can get there from The City by car, by tour bus (the Golden Gate Transit), or by ferry (the Golden Gate Ferry).
If you're feeling ambitious, you can also either walk or bike across the bridge.
Once you arrive in Marin, you climb a steep hill.
The Rainbow Tunnel (painted with a rainbow on either end) takes you to Sausalito, the first town.
Sausalito is lots of fun.
It's right on the water and has lots of fun shops and restaurants.
Unfortunately it's quite expensive and very touristy.
The next town is Tiburon, which is less built-up and less of a tourist trap.
Tiburon is also right on the bay and has lots of nice shops.
One can get to Tiburon from downtown San Francisco by ferry.
San Rafael is the largest city in Marin, with some 60,000 residents.
It boasts the famous Marin County Civic Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1959.
The Civic Center is an architectural marvel and a national and state historic landmark.
Mt.
Tamalpais is the tallest mountain in Marin County.
It's 2458 feet tall and has several beautiful hiking trails.
On one side of Mt.
Tamalpais is Stinson Beach.
Near the top of the mountain is Mountain Theater.
Every summer, a traveling acting company performs a musical on Mountain Theater.
One can get to Mountain Theater by bus.