View from Mt. Tam

Three people sit on a grassy hillside with rolling hills and trees in the background, enjoying a clear view of Mt. Tam. The group consists of two women and one man, all smiling under the sunlit sky.

You’ll recognize  P. J. Bremier’s regular byline on our Home story, Less Is More, a look at a vintage Mill Valley bungalow whose new owners brought its past to life with a modern renovation, but P. J. was busier than usual this month. She changed hats (and boots, too) for a visit to Drakes Bay Oyster Farm on the Point Reyes National Seashore and returned with an in-depth story about the ongoing battle between the National Park Service and cattle rancher Kevin Lunny over the fate of the West Marin landmark.

Obscura Digital, which creates virtual visual worlds for Google, General Motors and the build-it-and-they-will- come country of Dubai, is about as far philosophically from Point Reyes as one can travel, but Mandy Behbehani made the trip in order to tell the tale of Patrick Connolly, the Mill Valley man behind the high-tech magic.

Our travels this month are all about water—some of it cold, most of it quite warm. First, in Journey, writer Augusto Andres and photographer John Roden make their way via train, ferry and bus through the craggy beauty of Norway’s fjord country. Next, in Go, Somer Flaherty has the rough duty of sampling the new luxe hotels in Cabo, where the vista is as magnifico as the service. Finally, in FYI Travel, several Marin travel agents recommend their go-to winter beaches, from Bora Bora to the Yucatán.

Also in this issue, FYI Community profiles Grace Hughes, FYI Home Decor peeks inside the kitchens of local chefs, Conversation engages with Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Microclimate meanders through Peacock Gap in San Rafael, Looking Back recalls one of Marin’s most gruesome crimes, and Dialogue questions celebrity chef Tyler Florence.

As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine, as we continue to celebrate this extraordinary place!       

Lisa Shanower, Publisher
Nikki Wood, Editorial Director
Jim Wood, Executive Editor