Richmond 2 – A Hidden Park, A Lighthouse, An Island

On my second day in Richmond, I returned to some of my old “secret places”—the haunts every travel writer has but usually doesn’t write about, either to keep the space from being overrun or the knowledge that it just wouldn’t be that interesting to visitors. I haven’t been there in years, and I was pleased to see a positive transformation.

The last western access to the east bay before the Richmond Bridge is Stenmark (aka Western) Drive, leading out to Point Molate (which I always used to call Moh-Laht, but it’s Moh-Lahtteh, according to our guide Craig). This area always fascinated me because of the seeming remoteness of this piece of land on the opposite side of the hill from the big bad Chevron refinery, and the almost complete freedom from fog that washes over the bay from the golden gate. 

What was once a fenced-off area is now a pleasant little park with a beach (no swimming, alas), picnic tables and barbecue stands—the big draw here, beside the peaceful surroundings, is the spectacular view of the bay, Marin, Mt. Tamalpais and the Richmond Bridge.

Farther down the road, there’s an enormous brick warehouse with crenulated castle-like turrets: Winehaven, once a storage and shipping facility for most of the wine produced in central California since before the last century. Rumor has it that barrels of wine were swum out to waiting ships in the bay, towed by children who worked in the winery. Across the road are homes for workers and navy personnel (the area was once controlled by the US Navy) that have gone unused for decades. The county is trying to figure out what to do with the property.

A boat home in San Pablo Bay

Years ago, the rough and narrow road over the top of the hill was my path to a houseboat community that had created a magical garden. The garden was a little wonder, made from flotsam and jetsam that had washed up there, succulents and flowers. The houseboats remain, though the lovely garden is no more. In its place is a small launch that takes visitors to an even greater garden: the East Brother Light Station B&B. The East Brother Light, a California and National Historic Landmark built in 1873, sits atop an island in the strait that separates San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. 

The innkeeper’s “cottage” is a multilevel Victorian with five rooms available for overnight stays, all meals provided. This is the ultimate relaxing get-away: no phone, no TV, no Internet, just the calls of gulls and gentle lull of water lapping at the edge of the island…. and the teeth-rattling foghorn, which can be heard on request (Richard, seen in the video, shares innkeeper duties along with his wife Jude):

(To see a better quality version of this video, go to my vimeo page)

This is a beautiful, nearly untouched part of the bay most people don’t know about. Development here is inevitable. Go before it disappears.