Sausalito

With the sun properly out and the skies bright blue, we knew it was the perfect morning for something scenic — a boat trip across the Bay to Sausalito, that famously laid-back enclave where the rich and famous kick off their designer sandals and call it home.

Cardboard Tickets With NFC Inside

First, we caught the bus to the Ferry Building, then headed round the back to square up to the ticket vending machines — known enemies at this point. The tickets themselves are strange little things: thin bits of cardboard that you don’t swipe, but simply touch against the card reader, which feels oddly magical. They cost just $11.50 for a return — about £7 — which is excellent value for a 30-minute cruise, especially considering the prices of ferries back in the UK.

Sausalito Boat Trip

Bargin Boat Trip To Sausalito

We had about an hour to kill before the ferry turned up, so we dropped into Peet’s Tea & Coffee House for a drink. While buying the tickets earlier, someone ahead of us had fed a $20 bill into the machine and received all his change in quarters — absolute chaos. We should've swapped them for notes, really, since we’d been trying to collect the full set of U.S. quarters by release date. It would’ve been a jackpot.

When the ferry arrived, it was packed — crowds piling on — but boarding was swift and well-organised. Off we went across the Bay, the skyline sliding away behind us as the water stretched out ahead.

Sleepy Sausalito

We arrived in Sausalito to warm sunshine and a complete shift in pace. It’s not the sort of place you come for thrill rides or neon signs — it’s bay views, calm streets, and a sense that everything is quietly expensive. We explored a few shops, soaked up the scenery and imagined what life might be like here — balconies overlooking the water, dogs with better insurance policies than most humans, and boats that cost more than houses.

Lunch was a laid-back burger from a local bar, eaten slowly as the tide rolled in. Then we stretched our legs again and walked about a mile to visit the Bay Area Model — a curious miniature of the region laid out for planning purposes, and surprisingly absorbing if you like your geography hands-on and your maps enormous.

Bar Area Model

The Vast Bay Area Model

Tucked inside a massive warehouse sits the Bay Area Model — a scale replica of the region built by the Army Engineering Corps. The whole thing’s designed to simulate how changes to the coastline affect tidal flow. It actually fills with water to mimic the tide coming in, and everything’s built to scale, including miniature versions of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge. A proper feat of engineering, and surprisingly mesmerising when you see it all in motion.

Two Small Ice Creams

We spent a couple of hours wandering around — and at times, we had the place entirely to ourselves. Afterwards, we walked back into Sausalito, taking the other route to browse the shops. Loads of gift shops tucked away in corners, so I was in my element — even found a few gems you’d struggle to get anywhere else.

Next up was ice cream from the Italian dealer — huge scoops and absolutely delicious. Then it was time to sit by the Bay front for around 45 minutes, soaking up the late afternoon sunshine and letting the peace of the place settle in.

A peacefull Ride Back To The City

By now, the ferry dock had filled with people — mostly cyclists who’d hired bikes in San Francisco, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, cruised through Muir Woods and were now heading back. They load foot passengers first, then start cramming in the bikes. It’s a good setup — you board on the lower deck but disembark upstairs. Since we were near the front of the queue, we nabbed a decent spot up top.

By late afternoon, the light began to shift. The ferry glided past the back of Alcatraz Island, and the sun dipped behind the Golden Gate Bridge in full golden-hour glory. A picture-perfect end to a peaceful, well-earned day spent with Jane.

Turkey Pie, again

Since we were getting off at the Ferry Building Marketplace, it would’ve been rude not to nip inside for one of the turkey pies from the Golden Gate Meat Company. Familiar, comforting, and just as good as we remembered.

A Few Buses Passed Our
 Hotel Window

By now, dusk was starting to settle, though the air was still pleasantly warm. We strolled across the plaza on the far side of the road and caught the bus back along Market Street, with a quick stop at the shops for a few nibbles to round out the evening.

It had been a long day — sun-soaked and full of good miles — and I think we were both glad to make it back to the hotel. A proper sit down, a bit of telly, and the satisfaction of having seen so much. Well worth it.

Reflections on the Day: A Sausalito Sojourn with Pie to Finish

Some days feel like postcards in motion — and Wednesday was one of them. With skies painted in perfect blue and the sun finally showing off, we set out for something scenic: a ferry ride across the Bay to Sausalito, that famously relaxed enclave where the rich go to pretend they’re not checking their portfolios.

The journey began with a showdown at the Ferry Building’s ticket machines — those cardboard-slinging contraptions that seem designed to test patience and coin management. One poor soul ahead of us fed in a $20 bill and got a tsunami of quarters in return. We should’ve offered to trade — we’d been quietly collecting U.S. quarters like numismatic magpies.

Once aboard, the ferry sliced through the Bay with practiced grace, the skyline slipping behind us like a stage curtain. Sausalito greeted us with warm air, calm streets, and the kind of quiet wealth that wears linen and owns yachts. We browsed boutiques, admired balconies, and imagined a life where even the dogs have dental plans.

Lunch was a slow burger at a local bar, eaten with the tide rolling in and the kind of relaxed pace that only seaside towns seem to master. Then came the Bay Area Model — a warehouse-sized replica of the region, complete with tidal simulations and miniature bridges. It was geography meets theatre, and we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. A rare treat.

Back in town, we took the scenic route through tucked-away gift shops, where I unearthed a few treasures that felt genuinely unique. Ice cream followed — Italian, enormous, and absolutely delicious. We perched by the waterfront for nearly an hour, letting the late afternoon sun do its golden thing while cyclists queued for the return ferry like lycra-clad extras in a coastal ballet.

The ride back was golden-hour perfection: Alcatraz brooding in the distance, the Golden Gate Bridge glowing like a film set, and the ferry gliding through it all like it knew it was part of something special.

Naturally, we capped it off with a turkey pie from the Ferry Building — a ritual now, warm and familiar. Then a gentle bus ride back, a few snacks from the shop, and the quiet joy of collapsing into a hotel bed with telly humming and feet finally at rest.

It wasn’t a day of adrenaline or spectacle. It was a day of soft edges, scenic pauses, and small indulgences — the kind of day that reminds you why you travel in the first place. To sit beside someone you love, watching the sun dip behind a bridge, with pie in your bag and peace in your bones.