In the Gold Rush days, Bolinas was a busy shipping port for redwood
lumber and dairy products. After the boom, the town settled down
and became one of Marin's most unique areas. However, in 1957,
plans were developed to widen Highway One to build a large marina,
heliport, offices, and housing around the Bolinas Lagoon.
Eventually, the County supervisors had only minutes to accept a
gift from the Kent family that was intended to preserve the area,
or risk condemnation by the Harbor District that would have allowed
the marina plans to go forward. The supervisors acted and the
lagoon today is part of the county open space. It is home to egrets,
herons, and harbor seals rather than boats and people.
Bonus Adventure
I had hoped to place a cache along the state highway to bring
people to the Olema Lime Kilns. The highway at that point is
bordered by GGNRA land and a cache was not allowed even within the
state boundaries. Although this cache is a little too far away from
the kilns to make a visit there a logging requirement, it contains
the coordinates that will allow you to find them.
The kilns are a historical curiosity. At one point, the kilns
were thought to be artifacts of Russian occupation, evidence that
fur trade had brought industrious hands to the quiet of the Olema
Valley. Others believed they were of Spanish origin, supplying lime
for mortar to build the missions and other structures. Since then,
it was discovered that they were built around 1850 as part of a
scheme to ship lime to San Francisco for use in construction. It
did not succeed. The kilns were fired up only a few times and
abandoned. Yet, they remain some of Marin's oldest structures.
Although the kilns are only a short distance from the highway,
very few people know about them. I tracked them down for a
locationless cache, back in the day when that was a fun part of the
game. You will have to cross a small meadow area. There are a
couple of paths that will take you through the brambles to the
kilns. At various times of the year, ticks or poison oak might be a
factor.