Bring on the Night

Here are a few of my nighttime favorite things to do in Marin when summer really hits its stride. Do you have your own nocturnal haunts this time of year? Post a comment and share with Marin's other night owls.

Aug 12: Perseids Meteor Shower

It's coming, that August night when the sky gets streaked with up to 60 meteors a minute. This year, mark your calendar for August 12. One of my favorite spots (you want it to be really dark, well away from city lights): Muir Beach overlook--you get the added drama of crashing waves with your falling stars.



Aug 24: Muir Woods at Night

Owls hoot from the canopy, bats swirl from their roosts in the crevasses of redwood bark, deer walk like forest ghosts to get a drink from Redwood Creek--Marin's best-known grove of coast redwoods is way, way cool after the sun sets. Join a ranger-led dusk-to-night walk through this national parkland--unforgettable.

Aug 25: Full moon

That one this past week, big and globular, rust red as it rose above the East Bay hills, reminded me to mark my calendar for the next moonrise on August 24. Favorite spot to watch it rise: Lowrie Yacht Harbor, Pt. San Pedro Rd. in San Rafael. Truly worth the trip.

And one that takes all day and ends with a good night:

Aug 7: Marin Century

Okay, this 100-mile tour of the county takes place during the DAY on August 7 (you can still sign up!), but at night, a cold Mt. Tam Pale Ale at Marin Brewing Company never tasted so good.... This year's jersey is pretty funny (if it's a Jersey cow, that's even funnier).