Nick's Cove

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Stories from the Coast - The Nick's Cove Blog

Local Activities

A New, Spooky Fall Tradition

Some people raised their eyebrows when I suggested we start a tradition in the middle of a pandemic. But, as with most things, I don’t pay too much attention to nay-sayers!  My birthday is October 17 and to say I love fall is a wild understatement. And, who doesn’t love a good community, feel-good event?

And, while I can’t take credit for creating the idea of carved pumpkins on stakes, I can say it is definitely an event that captured the hearts of so many guests!  So much … that we ran out of pumpkins somewhere around 230pm and I had to run out to our neighboring pumpkin farm to rustle up 30 more!!!

This year we have ordered, in abundance! We supply the carving tools and the pumpkins. Then carve to your heart’s content and watch them come alive over the lapping waves of Tomales Bay!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching kids and adults spend time, as families, carving, eating, drinking, laughing.  That was exactly my hope!  And wow – the jack-o-lanterns on javelins over the shores … stunningly haunting!  I hope to see you there this year for our second annual community event! 

Dogs Welcome at Nick’s Cove

Nick’s Cove is one spectacularly beautiful place to work! The views of Tomales Bay and sunsets over the hills are something I will always cherish while working here. For me, the only thing that beats the natural beauty of Nick’s is the fact that we are pet friendly. As someone who grew up with dogs, I will always approach them if I see one coming my way. We’ve experienced some pretty cute pooches here on property, including repeat “guests” year after year, like Sir Nero and Luna, two adorable French Bulldogs who have become staff favorites! Our guests really appreciate the fact that we allow and welcome their fur babies.  Upon arrival they are given belly rubs by our innkeepers and once they get to their room they have homemade dog treats waiting for them. Nick’s Cove has 3 beaches that are available for your pets, and Dillon Beach, only a 15 minute drive north, is my favorite place to go with my Basset, Bruce. Dillon is a gorgeous pet friendly beach and always promises a good time for your pooch. In April we are celebrating my favorite package of the year: the “Pampered Pooch Package”, where you dog can enjoy a massage, toys, and treats. Check it out here!

Cheese Fest

The California Artisan Cheese Festival is coming up at the end of March, and if you are a lover of cheese, this is the event for you! There are cheesemakers from all over California that come out with all sorts of amazing and unique cheeses. Among the participants are some of our local favorites that we’ve used here at Nick’s over the years like: Point Reyes Farmstead, Marin French, Nicasio Valley Cheese, and our good friends at Double 8 Dairy. There is more than just cheese; there are also fantastic wineries, breweries, candy makers, bakeries, and so much more. 

A couple of my favorite aspects of the Cheese Festival to take part in include California Artisan Cheese Week and the Cheese, Bites and Booze event. California Artisan Cheese Week gives us the opportunity to feature one of my favorite local cheesemakers in the restaurant for the week leading up to the festival. And the Cheese, Bites, and Booze competition takes place on Saturday the 28th and is a fun competition where I come up with a small “bite” that features our paired cheesemaker. It’s a delicious walk-around tasting event and all of the bites get judged by professionals as well as the public attendees. It’s definitely a fun evening with lots of cheese, food, and drinks, and tickets are on sale now at CaliforniaArtisanCheeseFestival.com. I hope to see you there! 

Dog’s need vacations too

I am a relatively new kid on the block at Nick’s Cove and when I was slogging away in Southern California, I used to look at the Nick’s Cove website www.nickscove.com and dream about living and working here. Now, I am employed here and working on the living closer part, but I digress. I usually start my day by seeing the cottage guests lounging on their front decks with their morning coffee and newspaper and their faithful four legged friends right at their feet. It makes me happy to see the contented faces on the cottage guests and frankly, the pooches as well. Nick’s is unique in so many ways, not only for the beautiful location, amazing food and ambiance, but you can bring your dog with you! How great is that? To have a luxury accommodation and the comfort of your four legged family member is just too sweet to pass up. Whether you are on a long overdue vacation or a quick get out of town trip, knowing your dog can be with you will make your trip even more special and memorable. There are plenty of places along Highway One where you can bring your dog for a fun filled day! Here are a few spots to check out:

Pt. Reyes Station located approximately 20 minutes south of Nick’s Cove on Highway One. Pt. Reyes Station is a quaint town that has a slower vibe and a great resource to find locally crafted cheeses, bakeries and cafés. Pt. Reyes Station has three beaches where dogs are permitted: Kehoe, Limantour and Great Beach. I haven’t been to Kehoe or Great Beach, but I can certainly vouch for Limantour Beach. Dogs must be on a leash at Kehoe and Great Beach and on the north end of Limantour.

Limantour Beach located approximately 40 minutes sound of Nick’s Cove on Highway One. Limantour Beach is a breathtaking south facing beach split between Drakes Bay and the Limantour Estero estuary. Limantour Beach allows dogs on the southeast end of the beach.

Dillon Beach located approximately 15 minutes north of Nick’s Cove. Dillon Beach is a very dog friendly beach AND there are no leash laws as long as your dogs are friendly!

Portuguese Beach located approximately 35 minutes north of Nick’s Cove. Portuguese Beach is three miles north of Bodega Bay and it is a nice long and wide sandy beach. Dogs are allowed on the beach with a leash no longer then six feet.

Ultimately, the best part is coming back to Nick’s Cove, having a fantastic meal and then retreating to your cottage where you and your fur baby can fall asleep to the gentle sounds of lapping waves of Tomales Bay.

Mary D.

Hiking Review: Alamere Falls

Located 30 miles south of Nick’s Cove, Alamere Falls is a dramatic 40-ft tide fall which pours its waters into the waves of the Pacific Ocean. The trail to Alamere Falls is a 7.5 out and back and takes about 3 hours to complete. The hike to get here offers countless spring wildflowers, wide ocean views, gray whale watching opportunities, and access to both Bass and Pelican Lakes.

The best time to go is spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom and there’s a chance for a gray whale siting. The trail to the beach can be unstable, so we suggest to wear good hiking shoes.

Explore Historic Petaluma

Downtown Petaluma is located about 20 minutes east of Nick’s Cove and offers many things for visitors to enjoy. Here are some out-of-the-ordinary attractions Petaluma has to offer:

Visit Locations from Famous Movies

Downtown Petaluma is oozing with charm and history.  The unique building designs and architecture has appealed to Hollywood more than once. A self-guided walking tour will take you to key locations for films like “American Graffiti” and “Basic Instinct” in the downtown area.  Download directions for the self-guided Petaluma Film Tour, here.

Military Antiques and Museum

If you’re visiting historic downtown Petaluma, a must-stop is the Military Antiques & Museum. There are vintage artifacts for sale in the military shop and the museum features enough artifacts to keep you busy for hours (with no entrance fee!)

Chick-a-Boom Vintage

Another experience quite fitting to enjoy in the historical downtown is exploring Chick-A-BOOM! Vintage. Their collection features vintage pieces from as early as the 19th century to as recently as the 1980s and promises a fun time for anyone who appreciates a good shopping experience.

Adventure onward!
Heike

 

 

 

Summer Events at Nick’s

Summer is one of our favorite times of year here at the coast. The weather is cooler here than it is inland complete with beautiful views of the bay, and of course breathtaking sunsets! The weekends are picking up and we now have our waterfront Oyster Bar open from 12-4 on Saturdays and Sundays. Here we serve up fresh oysters, clam chowder, select salads and of course, hand-crafted cocktails.

And new this summer, we invite you to visit our Bayside Market which is held the first Saturday of every month from 1-4pm on the waterfront lounge. We are happy to have some our favorite local vendors join us each month, including Freestone Farms, Folly Cheese Company, Tomales Bakery, Boheme Wines and many more!

Come join the fun with us all summer long!

 

 

 

 

Things To Do With Your Dog

We love all of the fur-babies that come to visit us out here at Nick’s Cove. We love to see them have the time of their lives out here on our property; laying in the sun on our waterfront lounge; running down the long pier to our boat shack; and chasing the ball into the water on our beach. There are also plenty of local pup-friendly spots nearby to enjoy with them, and here are a few of our favorites:

Dillion Beach

Dillon Beach Resort sits on 55-coastal acres on the Marin-Sonoma County Line, between the mouth of Tomales and the entrance to Bodega Bay. This beach is the perfect hidden gem to explore the sand dunes, admire the tide pools and soak up the sun. A dog-approved beach day is always an afternoon well–spent.

Point Reyes Station

Point Reyes is located about 20 minutes south of Nick’s Cove on Highway One and is one of the most charming towns you’ll ever see. The sidewalks buzz with activity on sunny weekends, and there are some not-to-be missed cheese shops, bakeries, cafes and more where you can fuel up before you hit one of the many beautiful hikes in the area.

For tips on more pet friendly local activities, head to our partner website, DogTrekker.com!

Explore on!

 

 

Local Creameries You Should Know About

March is cheese month here in West Marin and what better way to celebrate than going on a “cheese tour” during your stay here?!  Seeing as there are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing which creameries to visit, planning your day can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few of our favorite stops:

Cowgirl Creamery

Visit the original creamery in Point Reyes on Fridays for a 60-minute presentation on West Marin, Cowgirl’s beginnings, and their cheeses; or stop in Wednesday through Friday to view the cheese making firsthand. Free tastes can also be enjoyed at the shop.

Tours can be booked online at http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/

Marin French

Marin French Cheese is the longest continually-operating cheese company in America and has been handcrafting traditional and soft-ripened cheeses for over 150 years.

Stop in to sample and purchase award-winning cheeses and picnic by their pond.

Point Reyes Farmstead

This family’s dairy farm was originally purchased to sell milk to a local creamery. It was always the father’s dream to make cheese, and in the late 90’s, his four daughters came back to the farm to do exactly that. In 2000 they began producing the first wheels of their well-known Original Blue, and later added additional award-winning cheeses.

Tours are given April – October and can be booked by calling (800) 591-6878.

Folly Cheese Company

Husband and wife duo, Christian and Ashley, just began their cheese making adventure by making one delicious product: a Swiss Alpine-style firm cheese (similar to Gruyere or Comte) in very small batches.  Specifically, only about 10 wheels per month. Even though they are a small operation, they are making a big buzz in the cheese world.

Tours are given by appointment only; call (707) 879-8183

Once your cheese coma sets in, head back to Nick’s to curl up in your cozy cottage or out by the wood-burning stove in our Boat Shack.

Happy touring,
Chef

Rainy Day Indulgences

No excuse necessary – rainy days on Tomales Bay are best spent inside snuggled up with your special someone in front of the warm fireplace. In spite of our recent dry years, sometimes Northern California acts like the rest of the world and gets typical winter weather, complete with clouds and rain. These are the days you want to be at Nick’s Cove – our wood-burning stoves, warm comfy beds and huge soaking tubs all add up to the perfect getaway where the outside world doesn’t intrude and you have nothing more to think about than what movie you’ll watch next. Here are two favorite ways to indulge this winter:

Let go of the guilt and be lazy. Yes, we just celebrated the New Year, and yes, we all made resolutions about how we’ll be good and work out and eat healthy, but it’s okay to throw that out the window and treat yourself to a rainy day getaway. Rainy days at Nick’s are perfect – they were designed to be an indulgence of the most wonderful sort. Start your day with the plan of not leaving the room if you can. Have some coffee and fresh pastries delivered to your room in the morning and add a mimosa to boot. Then it’s back to the bed – yes, we encourage you to spend a lot of time in bed – what’s the point of renting these luxurious cottages if you don’t get the most out of it?

Or bring the spa day to you. Yes, this is possible at Nick’s Cove! A private couples’ massage can be arranged right in the comfort of your own cottage. It’s best to call the innkeepers prior to your stay to make sure we have masseuses available, then they will provide the setup and breakdown so all you need to think about is relaxing with your special someone.

Warmly,

 

 

 

 

photography by Frankie Frankeny, Cindi de Channes, Val Atkinson
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