Sell Used Video Games - World-of-Newave.info World-of-Newave.info http://www.world-of-newave.info/ 2008-09-08T15:04:25Z Latest news and articles about Sell Used Video Games Copyright (c)2004-2008.§/Newave SARL. All rights reserved. {NEWS > BREAKING NEWS} - Crowdsourcing Book Excerpt: The Canary in the Coal Mine First identified by journalist Jeff Howe in a June 2006 Wired magazine article, "crowdsourcing" describes the process by which the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the province of the specialized few. Howe reveals that the crowd is more than wise -- it's talented, creative and stunningly productive. Crowdsourcing activates the transformative power of today's technology, liberating the latent potential within us all. It's a perfect meritocracy, where age, gender, race, education and job history no longer matter, where the quality of work is all that counts and every field is open to people of every imaginable background. If you can perform the service, design the product or solve the problem, you've got the job. But crowdsourcing has also triggered a dramatic shift in the way work is organized, talent employed, research conducted and products made and marketed. As the crowd comes to supplant traditional forms of labor, pain and disruption are inevitable. When the original article was published, crowdsourcing still constituted a nascent business model. A few small companies had achieved limited successes with it, and large companies had only begun to test the waters. In this excerpt, Howe argues that in just two years crowdsourcing has revolutionized an entire industry -- stock photography -- and may well be poised to create disruption in other fields as well. - - - Adapted from Crowdsourcing: How the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business, by Jeff Howe. More at Howe's Crowdsourcing Blog. Chapter 7: The Canary in the Coal Mine There's a story people like to tell about Bruce Livingstone. In late 2005, Getty Images, the world's largest photo agency, was looking to acquire Livingstone's company, iStockphoto, the world's most successful crowdsourcing company. Long before the contracts were drawn up, Livingstone, to show his commitment to the deal, tattooed the word "Getty" in cursive across the tender flesh on his inner wrist. Then he e-mailed Getty CEO Jonathan Klein photos of the tattoo under the message: "Don't make me write another word after this!" It's just the kind of tale -- emblematic of determination and just the right amount of quirky eccentricity -- that tends to burnish the reputation of its subject. In Livingstone's case, it has the added benefit of being demonstrably true. With his penchant for muscle cars, rockabilly haircuts and, yes, tattoos, it's tempting to call Livingstone an unlikely CEO. But I prefer to think of Livingstone as a perfectly reasonable chief for some corporation from, say, the year 2020. A company not unlike iStockphoto. Located in a single, cavernous room inside a former factory in downtown Calgary (Alberta, Canada), iStockphoto houses a tiny fraction of its actual workforce. And Livingstone, dressed in T-shirt and jeans, occupies a desk -- chosen, it would seem, at random -- in the middle of the floor. The corner office clearly loses significance in a company that thrives on decentralization. Jeff Howe explains crowdsourcing, which activates the transformative power of today's technology, liberating the latent potential within us all. Video: Courtesy of Jeff Howe Westeel Rosco built the factory in 1925 to manufacture nails, screws and other bits of hardware. Unlike Westeel Rosco, iStock's products -- stock photos, illustrations and videos -- aren't manufactured on-site. They're created by a global, fluid workforce of 60,000 part-time photographers and artists, only a fraction of whom make a living from the work they sell on iStock. Yet they have a devotion to the company matched by few traditional firms. The full-time staffers who spend their days in the old Westeel Rosco plant play a support role for the community -- and community is the only applicable word -- that is making the product iStock brings to market every day. And that community has been very, very good to Livingstone and his investors. In the course of several years iStock has grown from a hobby to the third-largest purveyor of stock images in the world. When Getty purchased iStock in early 2006, Livingstone took home more than half of the $50 million Getty paid for the company. The first stock photo agency was founded in 1920, and for most of the 20th century the industry was an afterthought, trafficking in the outtakes from commercial magazine assignments. Very few photographers tried to make a living off the market in preexisting images alone. This changed after the desktop publishing revolution of the mid-1980s led to a rapid growth in the publishing industry, and to a commensurate demand for images. Suddenly photographers were making six figures a year selling photos they'd already been paid to shoot. It was like minting money. Stock photography is, in relative terms, a tiny industry. The annual global gross for the entire business is estimated to be around $2 billion, which makes it a bit bigger than the market for gift baskets, but a little smaller than the annual sales of orchids. But this little industry has undergone big changes, and could well be a case study in how the crowd will impact much larger businesses. In just the last few years the influx of talented amateurs armed with inexpensive, high-resolution digital cameras has upended the economics of stock photography. Five years ago, a professional-quality image was still a scarce resource. No more. This isn't to say the market for high-end photographs has disappeared. A gifted photographer will always find work. But the professional no longer has a lock on the middle and lower ends of the stock photo business. With a modicum of training, just about anyone can take a decent shot. Sophisticated cameras and photo-editing software do the rest. iStock exploits this fact. Design firms and other small companies working on a budget quickly embraced what became known as the "microstock" model. One graphic designer told me he went from paying hundreds of dollars an image to less than $10. "I pass on some of the savings to my clients and keep the rest. We're both delighted." iStock might be great for buyers, but it's caused all sorts of headaches for professional stock photographers. In my original Wired article about crowdsourcing I quoted a Los Angeles-based photographer, Mark Harmel, saying that this influx of cheap images had caused a slight decline in his income from stock photo sales, which had dropped to $60,000. But in the two years since that decline has fallen off a cliff, to $35,000 in 2007. "If I look at the trend line, it just keeps going down. I'm really concentrating on getting assignments now," says Harmel. "I recently came back from London with 70 really wonderful shots. I'll probably use them on my website, but it's not worth my time to bother submitting them to a stock agency. They won't sell." Harmel's far from alone. In fact, Getty's other businesses have struggled in the crowdsourced era. In the year I spent writing this book the company's stock slid 60 percent, falling to just under $22 by February 2008. That month Getty was acquired by the private equity firm Hellman Friedman for $2.4 billion, a considerably lower figure than the company had originally sought. According to a report released at the time of the sale, Goldman Sachs estimates that Getty's core business -- the sale of rights-managed, professionally produced images -- will continue to suffer an irreversible decline, falling to just 29 percent of its revenues by 2012. In the same period the investment bank projects iStock to continue its rapid rate of growth. iStock sold $72 million worth of images in 2007, a figure expected to jump to $262 million by 2012. In this light, paying $50 million for a crowdsourced photo company looks like the smartest decision Getty ever made. The company is in the midst of transforming its business, from one reliant exclusively on professionals to one that is at least equally reliant on amateurs. As the Goliath of the industry, where Getty goes its competitors are sure to follow, which is to say, stock photography itself has been utterly transformed through crowdsourcing, in which a once-scarce commodity has become abundant. The question to ask is whether the upheaval roiling stock photography is only a leading indicator, like the minor volcanic eruptions that can precede a catastrophic earthquake. Already the trend is migrating to other fields. Most immediately, the same dynamics that made the stock photo ubiquitous -- affordable digital SLR cameras and burgeoning communities of enthusiastic amateurs -- are affecting other markets for visual images. So-called "citizen paparazzi" use cellphone cameras to snap impromptu shots of stars and then sell them to new photo agencies such as Scoopt, which specialize in buying up and marketing their work. Amateurs can beat professional paparazzi for the simple reason that they vastly outnumber them. It's a question of probability: The throng of pedestrians in Greenwich Village, for instance, have a much better chance of catching an unkempt Gwyneth Paltrow than a single paparazzo. And photography may well be just the beginning. iStock itself is doing a burgeoning business in the sale of stock video footage, and the crowd is also making commercials, collaborating on TV scripts, and recording and distributing their own music. They're writing political analysis, creating their own video games, and making feature-length movies. For the time being, all this activity has taken place in something of a parallel universe, without causing any of the economic upheaval visited on the stock photo or pornography industries. But those universes are beginning to collide as more companies attempt to package all this outpouring of creativity into a marketable product. While crowdsourcing has already emerged as a potent force in the media and entertainment industries, it's also profoundly influenced the way even Fortune 100 companies like Procter & Gamble do business. Once famous for its insular culture, Procter & Gamble now crowdsources much of its R&D process, using global networks of scientists such as InnoCentive and NineSigma, which boast a combined membership of 2 million professional and amateur researchers. Even companies operating in a conventional field such as mining have found crowdsourcing applications. The Canadian gold-mining group Goldcorp put geological survey data online and offered a $575,000 prize to anyone who could identify likely areas for exploration. Goldcorp says the contest produced 110 targets that yielded $3 billion in gold. Following its lead, the mining giant Barrick Gold Corporation recently offered $10 million to anyone who could improve its silver-extraction process. The open call of crowdsourcing is also being used by companies such as Google (to develop applications for its Android mobile platform) and Netflix (to improve its recommendation system). The question is whether the iStock secret sauce can be applied to industries like television and journalism and, possibly, even beyond to any business that traffics in bits and bytes. To answer that question, it helps to know what's in the secret sauce. The Community Is the Company iStock has been compared to a cult, and the analogy isn't entirely unfair. It's no accident that the most successful companies in the web's second coming -- most of whom traffic in the crowd's creative output -- are led by outsize personalities. "Bruce is to iStock what Tom is to MySpace," notes Garth Johnson, iStock's VP of Business Development. (Johnson resigned his position after this book went to press.) For those readers over the age of 30, Tom is Tom Anderson, the president of the social networking behemoth MySpace and the first "friend" to greet any new user. Under this new archetype of a company -- in which the community, as much as the customer, comes first -- the cult of personality plays a crucial role in community building, and Livingstone has been as essential to the growth of the iStock community as Anderson has been to MySpace's. "Bruce has a really strong, extremely charismatic personality online," says Johnson. "And that's really helped us build the community." It's safe to say that iStock has left the community-building phase behind: Sixty-thousand people have combined to create an enormous portfolio of over 3.5 million images and 100,000 videos. By contrast, Getty's other divisions combined only use 2,500 photographers. The iStockers offer the company their artwork, and in return iStock goes to extraordinary lengths to keep the iStockers happy. The site offers the budding photographer all manner of free tutorials, and the forums buzz -- at a rate of 38 posts per minute -- with questions about lens sizes, polarized filters and F-stop settings. iStock doesn't offer a chance to get rich. It offers the chance to make friends and become a better photographer. "We don't own anything, the community does" says Johnson. "Everything we do affects these people, whether they're just earning enough to pay for their equipment, or they're making mortgage payments from their photo sales. They all want a voice, and we have to give it to them, because really, the community is the company." The upside to this state of affairs should be obvious -- a dedicated, efficient workforce with no expectation of receiving a living wage -- but there are downsides as well: Even the smallest changes can roil the fickle, passionate community of iStockers. In March 2006, iStock launched a new feature on its web forums, a "forometer" which measured an iStocker's popularity through "bafflingly complex scientific methods" including the date and number of posts to the forum. The forometer displayed its results through a set of red, yellow or green bars. It did not go over well. The community questioned the principles behind the feature, as well as its functionality. Not long after its launch, the feature had been removed. Employees may be hell on overhead, but they're paid to accept all but the most draconian policies with a polite nod. Communities, on the other hand, aren't paid to stick around, and nothing stops them from selling their photos to one of iStock's many competitors. "They don't work for us," Livingstone laughs. "We work for them." If the iStocker feels a sense of ownership over the site, that's understandable: The iStock community predates iStock the company. Livingstone didn't set out to revolutionize an industry, he just wanted to fill a personal need and help a few friends at the same time. In 2000 Livingstone was running a small graphic design and web-hosting firm in Calgary. Bruce is an avid photographer himself, and over the years he had developed an extensive network of photographers and designers. Early in the year he took 2,000 of his images and put them online. Anyone could download his photos in exchange for giving him an e-mail address. Livingstone's friends decided they wanted to share their images with the public, too. That June the budding community instituted a credit system: A user could download one image for every image of theirs that had been downloaded by someone else. It was a classic example of the gift economy, the non-monetary exchange that grew up alongside the internet. During iStock's early years, everyone took something and gave something in turn. "The feeders and the eaters were the same people," as Livingstone puts it. Everyone profited by acquiring new images, though no one made (or spent) a dime. Soon friends of friends heard about Bruce's nifty idea and started uploading their images, too. Then around 2002 a wider public got wind of iStock, and the site began to hit critical mass. Soon Livingstone was paying $10,000 a month for the bandwidth to support it. He could have taken advertising to cover the cost of hosting, but he felt that would violate the spirit of the site. "The focus was on the community, and good design. Advertising would have cluttered the site," says Livingstone. Instead, he started charging a quarter for each image, and he opened the system up to the public. This proved to be a momentous decision. Word quickly spread among publishers that there was a site offering cheap, usable images, and photographers began flocking to iStock to upload their portfolios. Traffic to the site skyrocketed, and soon Livingstone raised the price to $1 per image. "I thought it might become a sideline business," he says. It quickly became much more than that. The quality of the images wasn't always as high (or as consistent) as a traditional stock agency's, but the differences were indiscernible to the general consumer, and after all, you couldn't beat the price. By 2004 a host of other so-called "micro-stocks" had sprung up with strategies similar to iStock's. The professionals panicked. Microstock photos, they charged, were flooding the market with subpar images. At first, the industry aligned itself against iStockphoto and other microstock agencies such as ShutterStock and Dreamstime. Then in early 2006, Getty announced it would buy iStockphoto for $50 million. "If someone's going to cannibalize your business, better it be one of your other businesses," Getty CEO Jonathan Klein told me shortly after the sale. Smaller magazines, nonprofit organizations, and all manner of websites have continued to flock to iStock's high-volume, low-cost model. As of February 2008, iStockphoto had 2 million regular customers purchasing photographs, video footage, illustrations and animations. "Bruce's brilliance," Jonathan Klein once told me, "is that he turned community into commerce." Livingstone uses a slightly different formulation: "I turned commerce into community," iStockphoto has perfected the Jedi Mind Trick that's at the heart of crowdsourcing. It's an incredibly cost-effective strategy -- iStock boasts a 55 percent profit margin. And yet, Livingstone stumbled into this business model by creating a context -- a community of like-minded enthusiasts -- in which financial measures take a backseat to considerably less tangible concerns. Ask someone in the office, and they'll tell you: It's not about the money. Ask an iStocker and they'll tell you the same thing. In fact -- would-be crowdsources take note: If it is about the money, it won't work. It will fizzle, not sizzle, as one of iStock's designers put it. "What's funny is, the money people, they pretty quickly get pulled aside in the forums by the core people. Or they just don't have a voice. People will ignore them, like 'Oh, that's just so and so, they're just here to make money.'" That doesn't mean the iStockers are unmotivated by self-interest. The more a photographer's images are downloaded, the more recognition they receive in the community, and the more credits they earn to download other people's photos to use in their own designs. And the additional income is also welcome, of course. Unlike other cases in which large corporations have attempted to monetize community, iStock does reward its contributors. It paid out $21 million in 2007. It's significant that people in online communities like iStock's react with great hostility to the idea that crowdsourcing is a form of cheap labor -- despite the fact it demonstrably is. After all, no one wants to feel exploited. In the end, what iStock provides is an invaluable if impossible-to-measure currency: meaning. The crowd will give away their time -- their excess capacity -- enthusiastically, but not for free. It has to be a meaningful exchange. http://articles.world-of-newave.info/news/breaking-news/crowdsourcing-book-excerpt-the-canary-in-the-coal-20080913513.htm 2008-09-05T22:00:00Z 2008-09-05T22:00:00Z Wired.Com http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/news/2008/09/crowdsourcing_excerpt Crowdsourcing Book Excerpt: The Canary in the Coal Mine {new window}   Www.Wired.Com - First identified by journalist Jeff Howe in a June 2006 Wired magazine article, "crowdsourcing" describes the process by which the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the province of the specialized few. Howe reveals that the crowd is more than wise -- it's talented, creative and stunningly productive. Crowdsourcing activates the transformative power of today's technology, liberating the latent potential within us all. It's a perfect meritocracy, where age, gender, race, education and job history no longer matter, where the quality of work is all that counts and every field is open to people of every imaginable background. If you can perform the service, design the product or solve the problem, you've got the job. But crowdsourcing has also triggered a dramatic shift in the way work is organized, talent employed, research conducted and products made and marketed. As the crowd comes to supplant traditional forms of labor, pain and disruption are inevitable. When the original article was published, crowdsourcing still constituted a nascent business model. A few small companies had achieved limited successes with it, and large companies had only begun to test the waters. In this excerpt, Howe argues that in just two years crowdsourcing has revolutionized an entire industry -- stock photography -- and may well be poised to create disruption in other fields as well. - - - Adapted from Crowdsourcing: How the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business, by Jeff Howe. More at Howe's Crowdsourcing Blog. Chapter 7: The Canary in the Coal Mine There's a story people like to tell about Bruce Livingstone. In late 2005, Getty Images, the world's largest photo agency, was looking to acquire Livingstone's company, iStockphoto, the world's most successful crowdsourcing company. Long before the contracts were drawn up, Livingstone, to show his commitment to the deal, tattooed the word "Getty" in cursive across the tender flesh on his inner wrist. Then he e-mailed Getty CEO Jonathan Klein photos of the tattoo under the message: "Don't make me write another word after this!" It's just the kind of tale -- emblematic of determination and just the right amount of quirky eccentricity -- that tends to burnish the reputation of its subject. In Livingstone's case, it has the added benefit of being demonstrably true. With his penchant for muscle cars, rockabilly haircuts and, yes, tattoos, it's tempting to call Livingstone an unlikely CEO. But I prefer to think of Livingstone as a perfectly reasonable chief for some corporation from, say, the year 2020. A company not unlike iStockphoto. Located in a single, cavernous room inside a former factory in downtown Calgary (Alberta, Canada), iStockphoto houses a tiny fraction of its actual workforce. And Livingstone, dressed in T-shirt and jeans, occupies a desk -- chosen, it would seem, at random -- in the middle of the floor. The corner office clearly loses significance in a company that thrives on decentralization. Jeff Howe explains crowdsourcing, which activates the transformative power of today's technology, liberating the latent potential within us all. Video: Courtesy of Jeff Howe Westeel Rosco built the factory in 1925 to manufacture nails, screws and other bits of hardware. Unlike Westeel Rosco, iStock's products -- stock photos, illustrations and videos -- aren't manufactured on-site. They're created by a global, fluid workforce of 60,000 part-time photographers and artists, only a fraction of whom make a living from the work they sell on iStock. Yet they have a devotion to the company matched by few traditional firms. The full-time staffers who spend their days in the old Westeel Rosco plant play a support role for the community -- and community is the only applicable word -- that is making the product iStock brings to market every day. And that community has been very, very good to Livingstone and his investors. In the course of several years iStock has grown from a hobby to the third-largest purveyor of stock images in the world. When Getty purchased iStock in early 2006, Livingstone took home more than half of the $50 million Getty paid for the company. The first stock photo agency was founded in 1920, and for most of the 20th century the industry was an afterthought, trafficking in the outtakes from commercial magazine assignments. Very few photographers tried to make a living off the market in preexisting images alone. This changed after the desktop publishing revolution of the mid-1980s led to a rapid growth in the publishing industry, and to a commensurate demand for images. Suddenly photographers were making six figures a year selling photos they'd already been paid to shoot. It was like minting money. Stock photography is, in relative terms, a tiny industry. The annual global gross for the entire business is estimated to be around $2 billion, which makes it a bit bigger than the market for gift baskets, but a little smaller than the annual sales of orchids. But this little industry has undergone big changes, and could well be a case study in how the crowd will impact much larger businesses. In just the last few years the influx of talented amateurs armed with inexpensive, high-resolution digital cameras has upended the economics of stock photography. Five years ago, a professional-quality image was still a scarce resource. No more. This isn't to say the market for high-end photographs has disappeared. A gifted photographer will always find work. But the professional no longer has a lock on the middle and lower ends of the stock photo business. With a modicum of training, just about anyone can take a decent shot. Sophisticated cameras and photo-editing software do the rest. iStock exploits this fact. Design firms and other small companies working on a budget quickly embraced what became known as the "microstock" model. One graphic designer told me he went from paying hundreds of dollars an image to less than $10. "I pass on some of the savings to my clients and keep the rest. We're both delighted." iStock might be great for buyers, but it's caused all sorts of headaches for professional stock photographers. In my original Wired article about crowdsourcing I quoted a Los Angeles-based photographer, Mark Harmel, saying that this influx of cheap images had caused a slight decline in his income from stock photo sales, which had dropped to $60,000. But in the two years since that decline has fallen off a cliff, to $35,000 in 2007. "If I look at the trend line, it just keeps going down. I'm really concentrating on getting assignments now," says Harmel. "I recently came back from London with 70 really wonderful shots. I'll probably use them on my website, but it's not worth my time to bother submitting them to a stock agency. They won't sell." Harmel's far from alone. In fact, Getty's other businesses have struggled in the crowdsourced era. In the year I spent writing this book the company's stock slid 60 percent, falling to just under $22 by February 2008. That month Getty was acquired by the private equity firm Hellman Friedman for $2.4 billion, a considerably lower figure than the company had originally sought. According to a report released at the time of the sale, Goldman Sachs estimates that Getty's core business -- the sale of rights-managed, professionally produced images -- will continue to suffer an irreversible decline, falling to just 29 percent of its revenues by 2012. In the same period the investment bank projects iStock to continue its rapid rate of growth. iStock sold $72 million worth of images in 2007, a figure expected to jump to $262 million by 2012. In this light, paying $50 million for a crowdsourced photo company looks like the smartest decision Getty ever made. The company is in the midst of transforming its business, from one reliant exclusively on professionals to one that is at least equally reliant on amateurs. As the Goliath of the industry, where Getty goes its competitors are sure to follow, which is to say, stock photography itself has been utterly transformed through crowdsourcing, in which a once-scarce commodity has become abundant. The question to ask is whether the upheaval roiling stock photography is only a leading indicator, like the minor volcanic eruptions that can precede a catastrophic earthquake. Already the trend is migrating to other fields. Most immediately, the same dynamics that made the stock photo ubiquitous -- affordable digital SLR cameras and burgeoning communities of enthusiastic amateurs -- are affecting other markets for visual images. So-called "citizen paparazzi" use cellphone cameras to snap impromptu shots of stars and then sell them to new photo agencies such as Scoopt, which specialize in buying up and marketing their work. Amateurs can beat professional paparazzi for the simple reason that they vastly outnumber them. It's a question of probability: The throng of pedestrians in Greenwich Village, for instance, have a much better chance of catching an unkempt Gwyneth Paltrow than a single paparazzo. And photography may well be just the beginning. iStock itself is doing a burgeoning business in the sale of stock video footage, and the crowd is also making commercials, collaborating on TV scripts, and recording and distributing their own music. They're writing political analysis, creating their own video games, and making feature-length movies. For the time being, all this activity has taken place in something of a parallel universe, without causing any of the economic upheaval visited on the stock photo or pornography industries. But those universes are beginning to collide as more companies attempt to package all this outpouring of creativity into a marketable product. While crowdsourcing has already emerged as a potent force in the media and entertainment industries, it's also profoundly influenced the way even Fortune 100 companies like Procter & Gamble do business. Once famous for its insular culture, Procter & Gamble now crowdsources much of its R&D process, using global networks of scientists such as InnoCentive and NineSigma, which boast a combined membership of 2 million professional and amateur researchers. Even companies operating in a conventional field such as mining have found crowdsourcing applications. The Canadian gold-mining group Goldcorp put geological survey data online and offered a $575,000 prize to anyone who could identify likely areas for exploration. Goldcorp says the contest produced 110 targets that yielded $3 billion in gold. Following its lead, the mining giant Barrick Gold Corporation recently offered $10 million to anyone who could improve its silver-extraction process. The open call of crowdsourcing is also being used by companies such as Google (to develop applications for its Android mobile platform) and Netflix (to improve its recommendation system). The question is whether the iStock secret sauce can be applied to industries like television and journalism and, possibly, even beyond to any business that traffics in bits and bytes. To answer that question, it helps to know what's in the secret sauce. The Community Is the Company iStock has been compared to a cult, and the analogy isn't entirely unfair. It's no accident that the most successful companies in the web's second coming -- most of whom traffic in the crowd's creative output -- are led by outsize personalities. "Bruce is to iStock what Tom is to MySpace," notes Garth Johnson, iStock's VP of Business Development. (Johnson resigned his position after this book went to press.) For those readers over the age of 30, Tom is Tom Anderson, the president of the social networking behemoth MySpace and the first "friend" to greet any new user. Under this new archetype of a company -- in which the community, as much as the customer, comes first -- the cult of personality plays a crucial role in community building, and Livingstone has been as essential to the growth of the iStock community as Anderson has been to MySpace's. "Bruce has a really strong, extremely charismatic personality online," says Johnson. "And that's really helped us build the community." It's safe to say that iStock has left the community-building phase behind: Sixty-thousand people have combined to create an enormous portfolio of over 3.5 million images and 100,000 videos. By contrast, Getty's other divisions combined only use 2,500 photographers. The iStockers offer the company their artwork, and in return iStock goes to extraordinary lengths to keep the iStockers happy. The site offers the budding photographer all manner of free tutorials, and the forums buzz -- at a rate of 38 posts per minute -- with questions about lens sizes, polarized filters and F-stop settings. iStock doesn't offer a chance to get rich. It offers the chance to make friends and become a better photographer. "We don't own anything, the community does" says Johnson. "Everything we do affects these people, whether they're just earning enough to pay for their equipment, or they're making mortgage payments from their photo sales. They all want a voice, and we have to give it to them, because really, the community is the company." The upside to this state of affairs should be obvious -- a dedicated, efficient workforce with no expectation of receiving a living wage -- but there are downsides as well: Even the smallest changes can roil the fickle, passionate community of iStockers. In March 2006, iStock launched a new feature on its web forums, a "forometer" which measured an iStocker's popularity through "bafflingly complex scientific methods" including the date and number of posts to the forum. The forometer displayed its results through a set of red, yellow or green bars. It did not go over well. The community questioned the principles behind the feature, as well as its functionality. Not long after its launch, the feature had been removed. Employees may be hell on overhead, but they're paid to accept all but the most draconian policies with a polite nod. Communities, on the other hand, aren't paid to stick around, and nothing stops them from selling their photos to one of iStock's many competitors. "They don't work for us," Livingstone laughs. "We work for them." If the iStocker feels a sense of ownership over the site, that's understandable: The iStock community predates iStock the company. Livingstone didn't set out to revolutionize an industry, he just wanted to fill a personal need and help a few friends at the same time. In 2000 Livingstone was running a small graphic design and web-hosting firm in Calgary. Bruce is an avid photographer himself, and over the years he had developed an extensive network of photographers and designers. Early in the year he took 2,000 of his images and put them online. Anyone could download his photos in exchange for giving him an e-mail address. Livingstone's friends decided they wanted to share their images with the public, too. That June the budding community instituted a credit system: A user could download one image for every image of theirs that had been downloaded by someone else. It was a classic example of the gift economy, the non-monetary exchange that grew up alongside the internet. During iStock's early years, everyone took something and gave something in turn. "The feeders and the eaters were the same people," as Livingstone puts it. Everyone profited by acquiring new images, though no one made (or spent) a dime. Soon friends of friends heard about Bruce's nifty idea and started uploading their images, too. Then around 2002 a wider public got wind of iStock, and the site began to hit critical mass. Soon Livingstone was paying $10,000 a month for the bandwidth to support it. He could have taken advertising to cover the cost of hosting, but he felt that would violate the spirit of the site. "The focus was on the community, and good design. Advertising would have cluttered the site," says Livingstone. Instead, he started charging a quarter for each image, and he opened the system up to the public. This proved to be a momentous decision. Word quickly spread among publishers that there was a site offering cheap, usable images, and photographers began flocking to iStock to upload their portfolios. Traffic to the site skyrocketed, and soon Livingstone raised the price to $1 per image. "I thought it might become a sideline business," he says. It quickly became much more than that. The quality of the images wasn't always as high (or as consistent) as a traditional stock agency's, but the differences were indiscernible to the general consumer, and after all, you couldn't beat the price. By 2004 a host of other so-called "micro-stocks" had sprung up with strategies similar to iStock's. The professionals panicked. Microstock photos, they charged, were flooding the market with subpar images. At first, the industry aligned itself against iStockphoto and other microstock agencies such as ShutterStock and Dreamstime. Then in early 2006, Getty announced it would buy iStockphoto for $50 million. "If someone's going to cannibalize your business, better it be one of your other businesses," Getty CEO Jonathan Klein told me shortly after the sale. Smaller magazines, nonprofit organizations, and all manner of websites have continued to flock to iStock's high-volume, low-cost model. As of February 2008, iStockphoto had 2 million regular customers purchasing photographs, video footage, illustrations and animations. "Bruce's brilliance," Jonathan Klein once told me, "is that he turned community into commerce." Livingstone uses a slightly different formulation: "I turned commerce into community," iStockphoto has perfected the Jedi Mind Trick that's at the heart of crowdsourcing. It's an incredibly cost-effective strategy -- iStock boasts a 55 percent profit margin. And yet, Livingstone stumbled into this business model by creating a context -- a community of like-minded enthusiasts -- in which financial measures take a backseat to considerably less tangible concerns. Ask someone in the office, and they'll tell you: It's not about the money. Ask an iStocker and they'll tell you the same thing. In fact -- would-be crowdsources take note: If it is about the money, it won't work. It will fizzle, not sizzle, as one of iStock's designers put it. "What's funny is, the money people, they pretty quickly get pulled aside in the forums by the core people. Or they just don't have a voice. People will ignore them, like 'Oh, that's just so and so, they're just here to make money.'" That doesn't mean the iStockers are unmotivated by self-interest. The more a photographer's images are downloaded, the more recognition they receive in the community, and the more credits they earn to download other people's photos to use in their own designs. And the additional income is also welcome, of course. Unlike other cases in which large corporations have attempted to monetize community, iStock does reward its contributors. It paid out $21 million in 2007. It's significant that people in online communities like iStock's react with great hostility to the idea that crowdsourcing is a form of cheap labor -- despite the fact it demonstrably is. After all, no one wants to feel exploited. In the end, what iStock provides is an invaluable if impossible-to-measure currency: meaning. The crowd will give away their time -- their excess capacity -- enthusiastically, but not for free. It has to be a meaningful exchange.
In this excerpt from the new book {...}
Published: September 5, 2008, 10:00 pm - Indexed: September 8, 2008, 11:26 am - Page Size: 49KB
Category: News > Breaking News

]]> {NORTH AMERICA > LODGING} - Pacific Coast Trails up MT TAM+Muir Wood+BoLagoon+Audobon Canyon Ranch (W Bkfst+WiFi+HBO+Stinson Beach 94970 ) $75 1bd Indian Summer, by the Coast, Hot & Sunny, Lots of Elbow Room, Sun.-Fri., Call now, Space Limited, 415 868-1034 or 868-9828.Pet Friendly, Family Friendly, Inexpensive, Transportation Coordinated-awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, office #, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Also, West Marin Stagecoach stop, located on the corner of #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, at the porch of the Redwoods Haus Inn in Stinson Beach. Where? Tell me, can you forget the fires of No.& Central Ca., fill your lungs w the Pacific Breeze by the Seaside(No smoke or haze from the Napa/Sonoma, Mendocino/Shasta, Santa Barbara-Big Sur, Santa Cruz Fires)& only be, 45 minutes away from San Francisco. In a zero tolerance for smoking/excessive drinking family supportive establishment, in either the White or Redwood Room[see pics, www.stinson-beach.com or www.stinson-beach.de in German], for the unequaled rate of $75. a day[Sun.-Thurs.]add 10% TOT, for a single person, w a queen-size bed, provided Cable/HBO TV w VCR & a 200+ VCR Library, access to free long distance calling/computer usage/WiFi/ Fax Machine, Meals, including Buffet Style Breakfast prepared by the Proprietor & Guest Chefs(Gov Clintons Little Rock Arkansas Chef, from the Governors Favorite Tryst, the Excelsior Hotel & other visiting world class chefs )comprising of Eggs-Coffee-Tea-Milk-Fruit-Juice-Cereal-Honey-Jam/Maramalade-Brot mit Butter-Ham-Potatoes-Wknd. French Toast. Potlucks, where all our guests/friends get involved in, bringing foodstuffs/preparation/bbqing/plate distributing & cleanup, playing harmonious ad libs on guitars w Redwoods Piano & Trumpet Accompaniment. Where you can speak your mind, share in multi cultural points of interest at Breakfast, w fellow Guests/Friends at the Long Tables of the Redwoods, over subject matter, that is seldom encountered in the Establishment Media. If you are overwhelmed by the congestion of the City, experienced the cable cars, Lombard, Nob Hill, Coit Tower, view of the TransAmerica Pyramid, Alcatraz Tour, Cement+Cobblestone and Asphalt Streets of old S.F. & are suffering from a frustrated desire to pitch a tent in Golden Gate Park, then an Escape to the Coast, is what you need to add to your SFBay Area Visitors Agenda. Way out West in West Marin, where you can scale MT TAMALPAIS by way of the Pacific Coastal Trail, hike the Redwoods of Muir, trek the White Sands of Stinson Beach, see the Migratory Aquatic Bird Species of Bolinas Lagoon and their nesting chicks at the Audobon Canyon Ranch, gambol at the Clothing Optional beaches of Muir & Red Rock by way of the Goat Trail off the Coast Redwoods Hwy. #1. Take advantage of the Inexpensive Rates, far from the Maddning Crowd in Stinson Beach, the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. No car? Then you can bus from the City, on the Golden Gate Transit, catch the West Marin StageCoach to the Redwoods or use the local West Marin Taxi Service, AWESTMARINTAXI, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Tour the Coast Places of Interest w a up to date local historian/tour specialist and only pay for the ride. Taxi service by request, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, servicing and offering tours of Greater/West Marin, SFO+Oak pickups, SFBAY AREA & the Wine Country, Conventional and Luxury Cars. Have you ever imagined yourself living in the Great Outdoors, beneath the Redwoods, by the Sea, as one of the denizens of those interdependent environments? Imagine life as a skunk, a raccoon, an elk, a squirrel, a possum, a pelican/egret/blue heron, a fox, a coyote[all the animals of the forest & sea, are not to be fed for pics, that makes them dependent on humans not the wild] a mountain lion, a coho salmon, a whale or elephant seal. That Quest is what brings beach goers, hikers, bikers, bird/whale/elephant seal watchers, to the Biodiverse Paradise of the Coast, seeking/observing & participating in the continued survival of species that depend on the nurturing of an unspoiled environment. Enjoy the Nature of Living in the Redwoods Forest of Mt. Tamalpais, Muir Woods, Marshlands of Bolinas Lagoon & the 3 mile Shoreline of the White Sand Beach of Stinson. Observations of the Denizens of the Pacific, Elephant Seals & Whales, happening now, through Spring, rendezvous at the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. Receive an itinerary, detailing where to find the land animals, sea mammals, birds and fish, in the Redwoods Forests & Coastline that surrounds the Coastal Village of Stinson Beach. Tips on Hiking in the West Marin Coastal Redwoods Area Download Internet Site, "Marin County: A Wild Ramble, Near the Golden Gate", NYTimes Reporters Multiple Days Epic Hike through West Marin Trails to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus then over MT Tamalpais to Muir Woods & Beyond, travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/travel/03Explorer.html. See the Multi Media slide show, of Trails & Views of West Marin. Discover, the least priced but most enjoyable lodging in all of Marin County. The Cal-Trans/County of Marin Retrofits of Coast Hwy. #1 & Panoramic Hwy., over Scenic/Sacred MT TAMALPAIS & along the Coast, was a Success, not only for the unimpeded flow of Visitors/Residents on the Roadways, tested by the Ultimate Weather of Jan. 3rd, but also for the preservation/opening of Spectacular Scenic Views & Inviting Scenic Turnouts/Safe Rest Areas along their respective routes, South of Stinson Beach to Mill Valley. Future Plans for the continued improvements of the Redwoods Coast Hwy. #1, No. of Stinson, is guaranteed to continue the trend, of Safe & Scenic as well as Storm Resilient Roadways. Don't be left out, visit the Coast, enjoy our Roadways, marvel Pristine Nature, behind the Wheel. All Alone? You are always welcome, at the World at Peace, Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed + Breakfast in Stinson Beach. Our doors, are open, 24hrs. daily, call 415 868-9828 or 868-1034 in advance. The Redwoods Haus, offers a model of Life in the Great Outdoors: living harmoniously w the Old Growth Redwoods of Muir; the Panoramic View of the City from MT Tamalpais; witnessing the Winter and Spring Migration of Aquatic Birds to the Bolinas Lagoon, Monarch Butterflies, Whales & Elephant Seals to the Coastline; next to the Waves of the Pacific Ocean breaking on the White Sand Beach of Stinson. More importantly, the Love and Happiness that emanates from surviving in the basics, living w/o artificial environments, malls, sports stadiums as well as movie theaters. Come, Break Bread at our Table, discuss and sing, play the piano, guitar, chess, cards & intelligent games with our friends & National/International Guests. Clear Sunlit Skies are the Norm, Crabs on the Beach, Aquatic Birds[Pelicans, Egrets, Blue Herons] Circling Beach Area & Alighting in the Lagoon, Crisp Redwood Scent by the Forest, Salt Air Freshness of the Beach, Redwood Trails of Muir and MT TAMALPAIS, see Migratory Whales and Elephant Seals, Bugling Tule Elk, Red Rock Hot Springs, all part of the Stinson Beach Experience. Going Fast, 1-7 Day Reservations, for the New Year. Lodging{{accommodations capability of 1 to 15)w Staff, Meals Nightly for the Guests and Friends of the Redwoods. Complimentary WiFi/ DSL/Computer+Phone Onsite w VCR/200 Videos/HBO/Cable T.V., Biergartren w BBQ, Boogie Boards/Wetsuits. Welcome to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Beach, Bed & Breakfast in the Socially Acknowledged Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach....brought to you by folks you should get to know, way out West in West Marin. See our sites for pics: www.stinson-beach.com; or in German, www.stinson-beach.de; phone 415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828. If you are coming to the SF Bay Area, for business or pleasure, you will want to take advantage of our unparalleled rates and unequaled benefits of being close to the City & Bay Area, plenty of safe parking for non-polluting vehicles, services, peace, solitude, beach, national parks, hiking trails, pristine coastline w abundance of Bo Lagoon migrating birds, whale, elephant seal, tule elk, white deer[locally called unicorns], mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, turkey vulture, hawk, spring Monarch Butterfly Jamboree, great white and animal species, all here on Natures Coast of West Marin & Stinson Beach. DAILY SINGLE PERSON NIGHT RATES*Sunday-Thursday* -White/Redwood Room-$75. for a single Little Cabin-$110.-for two Wknd-$150. . Pink Room $120.-for two Wknd Rate-$160. Crows Nest $130.-for two Wknd Rates $160. ***Critical Mass Member Discount: Bring your Bikes to this Bike Friendly Area, Mountain Bikes for designated Bike Trails offer ecologically friendly riding, Road Bikes for Panoramic & Redwoods Coast Scenic Hwy. #1 Spectacular Views. The World at Peace Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed and Breakfast in Stinson Beach: "98 yrs. of Striving for Peace, Equality and Justice for One World at Peace, its 5 rooms, grounds and group facilities are available for Birthdays, Weddings, Christmas/New Years Gatherings of up to 15 extended family/group holiday revelers. Have the use of the entire facility and grounds w breakfast service, optional dinner caterin, proprietor in separate quarters. Euros sind Wilkommen-Inexpensive WINTER RATES/Spring/Summer/Fall, are to good to miss at the Redwoods Haus.. Our INEXPENSIVE RATE, is due to the generosity of our selfless proprietor, who passes on the savings to you, of: performing all the service work, herself, wholesale restaurant food buying of breakfast, optional potluck dinner & happy hour commodities. So you can visit/see/hike/bike/surf the Pacific Coast Beach by MT TAMALPAIS-Redwoods Trails of MUIR WOODS-Pelicans of BoLagoon. Accommodations include American/German/Texan breakfast, WiFi/HBO/VCR, 200+ Video Library/Free Long Distance Calling/Computer on site/B.B.Q./Washer & Dryer/+Itinerary. We have, space available for 1-5-or 7 day reservation package deals, Way Out West in West Marin, Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach, Politically -- Ecologically -- Motivated. Call now, 415 868-9828. Escape the Maddning Crowd, relax, rest and appreciate Pristine Paradise. Be sure, to leave the Greater Stinson Beach Area, as you found our SW Marin Community, pick up litter, on the beach, in the forest, protect our environment, shop w a environmental safe reusable bag at the marketplace. For updates on issues of the SW Marin Community & the S.F. Oil Spill of November 2007, see the Stinson Beach Chamber of Commerce site, www.stinson-beach.org. Also, the Stinson Beach Community Newsletter at www.stinson-beach.net. Winter Season on the Coast, gives plenty of elbow room, to the aficionado of migratory whale/bird/tule elk watching, salmon fishing, surfing, biking and hiking. Our Rates and Service with a Smile, are individually provided in a less crowded environment. When the Sun is out, a Vacation at the Shore is in. However you choose to celebrate the coming of the Sun, May it be a joyous time for you & yours . May love, joy, wellness, happiness & peace abound in your life. Have your chance to see the Winter Migration of Whales, Seafowl and Landbirds as well as the return of the Elephant Seals to Chimney Rock near the Point Reyes Lighthouse for Spring Breeding. Experience the herd of Tule Elk, bugling and competing to mate, off Pierce Point Road in Tomales State Park in Point Reyes as well as the many species of land and sea mammals/fish that abound in the Point Reyes Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Mt Tamalpais State Park, throughout the winter and spring season. May we live in a World at Peace, with the awareness of Natures Creation in every Sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every drumbeat of Pacific Waves breaking on the Beach, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart. Cinematic History, Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies: Play It Again Sam The Fog Memoirs of an Invisible Man Basic Instinct On The Edge The Unbearable Lightness of Being The town was mentioned in an episode of M*A*S*H. Theme nights at the Coast Cafe in BoBo[Bolinas] every Monday Night, decorated w antique wooden Kayaks hanging from the ceiling and buoys, fishnets, multi colored cork ballasts everywhere.. Dining inside an outside next to the oyster bar. Nautical, Open Water theme... The Blue Heron, also located on Wharf Road, black tie dining atmosphere w a baby Grand on an upraised dais for dinner guests to play.. ***Open Mic, every tues. of the week during the Parkside Restaurants Open Mic All You Can Eat Night at $7.50 per person , 5:30-9:30, pasta, soup or salad, reservations and info. at 415 868-1272. All Musicians, Poets and Performers Welcome,*** practice beforehand at the Redwoods, which has a Piano, acoustic guitar, Amp and Jazzed Trumpeteer, onsite.*** The Sandollar and Stinson Grill in Stinson, offer not only great land/sea food but musical entertainment on the weekends. Breakfast Topics: Share in the telling of the Stinson Beach Coast history: of its ethnic diversity of explorers, pirates, 49ers and settlers over breakfast; discuss why facts-truth-reason play such a minor role in our democracy; receive Guidance & Individual Itinerary Needs of the Greater SF Bay Area/Wine Country/Coastal Paradise; being part of the Spanish then Mexican Rancho of Baulinas; discovery and claim of the West Marin Coastline of Drakes Bay for the Throne of England by Sir Francis Drake; 1800's Russian exploration and colonization as far south as Nicasio from Fort Ross near Russian River; 49er Gold Rush Pacific Ocean conduit to neighboring Bolinas Lagoon, then to the Goldfields; building of the Laffalot[original name of the Redwoods Haus] by Norwegian Ship Captain Nielson using pier logs that fell into the Bay during the 1906 Earthquake, for footings; route of the Gravity Train over Mt Tam, beachgoers after debarking, hiring drivers of horse and buggy teams to bring them to the Laffalot; smuggling into Bolinas fom the Pacific of-Duty free goods of the 1800's, Al Capones Prohibition Alcohol from British Columbia and 60's Contraband from the Golden Triangle; the colorful history of the Redwoods Haus-being an inn then speakeasy, girlie haus/casino; neighbor to the 60's migration of the Psychedelic Counterculture of the Haight-Ashbury with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to Bolinas; the Artistry/Openness of Opinion and Environmental/Non-developmental Concerns of our Community of SW Marin. No Car or Horse & Buggy? See Public Transportation, below. In the Spirit of the Season we invite you & yours to Promenade on the Beach, scribe Love Letters on the Sand to one another on the the Edge of the Pacific Ocean & the Bolinas Lagoon. Frolic in the Redwood Rain Forests of the National & State Parks of West Marin amidst the environs of many endangered species. Dine in the Shadow of Mt. Tamalpais, retiring at the Redwoods with champagne-wine or port of Your choice from Sergio & Susanas, Stinson Market by the Beach, select from their fully stocked cellar of domestic, exotic liqueurs & appetizers, 415 868-1923, www.stinsonbeachmarket.net. Roses can be ordered, delivered & placed in your room, beforehand by Stinson's own, Meristem Florists, 415 868-0666. Wake up in the Morning to the welcome smell of gourmet food preparation in our kitchen, designed to satisfy your needs in both quality & quantity. We are a casual family oriented establishment, emphasizing discussion & the need to free thought and ideas, over breakfast, promoting Peace on Earth & Goodwill to our fellow men and all the Species of our Planet, as well as interjecting the need for facts, truth & reason to play a major role in our democracy. We also provide full service, unequaled value and much gratitude for your welcomed material & spiritual support as well as many happy memories. About Our Location: 6 mi. N of Muir Woods 6 mi. North of the Green Gulch Zen Center 16 miles South of Vedanta Retreat, in Olema 24 mi. SW of San Geronimo Valleys Spirit Rock Retreat & S.G. Golf Course We are located just a short 40 minutes NW of San Francisco, 6 miles SE of Bolinas and 6 miles N of Muir Beach Bolinas is located at the southern end of the Point Reyes National Seashore, surrounded by ocean and unspoiled parkland, Muir Beach is off Shoreline Hwy. #1, only minutes SW of the Muir Woods Entrance on Muir Woods Road. Because of the unique coastal position of Bolinas & Stinson, the surf is protected from the winds and huge swells that make other beaches in Northern California too dangerous for beginners. Muir Beach offers more advanced surfers a differentiated plethora of wave action. Please be respectful of town/village residents, pack your trash when you leave the beach, be mindful of posted speed limits & don't drink & drive. Choose from our Comfortable suites The Redwood Room: Queen bed ($65.si weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The White Room: Queen bed ($65. si. weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The Pink Room: Queen Bed & Futon Queen{doubles as couch} The Crows Nest: Queen bed & futon Queen(can be used as seating) Private deck & 360 degree picture windows, featuring panoramic views of Mt. Tamalpias, Bolinas Mesa Ridgeline & the Pacific Seascape *($150.per couple weekdays) Big Cabin Room: Queen Size Bed, Complete w Shower Bathroom, Detached, $100. per couple weekdays. Weekends:Add $25. to posted prices for extra person or canine. Children and Pet Friendly.... About our Breakfast Daily: MF - Prepared Ham & Eggs with tomatoes-onion- greens-potatoes, Bread, Butter, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Fruit, Juice, Jam, Honey, Cereal,(French Toast, Pancakes by order}. Our Sunday Special Offering (ham & cheese, seasonal surprises) Eggs In Any Style Grandmere’s French Toast Roasted Provincial Potatoes The Finest Coffees & Teas Fresh Local, Fruit & Fruit Juices Additional Amenities: Wireless/Wifi/Computer & Phone On-site, Cable/HBO, VCR/ 200 Video library, Biergarten w Barbeque Contact & View Pics See our sites www.stinson-beach.com; www.stinson-beach.de in German. Phone #s: Reservations-415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828 E-Mail: Paradise@stinson-beach.com Address: #1 Belvedere and Shoreline Highway #1, Stinson Beach 94970 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 404 , Stinson Beach 94970 The Places to Explore We offer information on all of the local natural viewing locations of interest where you can see Whales, Seal and Elephant Seal colonies, Egrets, Herons, Pelicans, and the Tule Elk. Visit the Sulphur Hot Springs at Red Rock Beach , 4-5 days a month during negative tide periods of the Full Moon, the Ocean rolls back, giving 2 hrs., to enjoy the 110 degree heated Seawater, in a open pool of rock, by the edge of the Ocean. Walk into the tide pools of Duxbury Reef during minus tide, study close up the indigenous sea life of the Reef: Sea Anemones; Clams; Mussels; Starfish; Crabs; Coral; and the reef fishes in small pools of water. On Visitors Days of the Week, walk down the 300 steps leading to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, on the Point Reyes Peninsula, see the interior and the antique beacon light of French Manufacture, dating back over a 100 yrs. Kayak with Point Reyes Outdoors www.pointreyesoutdoors.com, 415 663-8192 Sea Kayaking Tours & Classes Guided Nature Hikes Mesa Road in Bolinas: Visit the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and take part in banding expeditions of migratory birds as well as study statistics of their numbers and sightings; Hike to Bass Lake on the Panoramic Trail head, from the parking lot at the end of Mesa Road ; See Agate Beach, where all the rocks are green agate. Hike the many trails that abound in the Golden Gate Recreation Area, Mt. Tamalpais and Tomales State Parks , as well as the Point Reyes National Seashore: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine-Dipsea-Lake Lagunitas-Kent & Nicasio Lakes. Gather Mussels in Season, for ethnic & old fashioned soups/stews. Dance at Smiley's Schooner Saloon & dance/dine at Rancho Nicasio, Sat. Nights to live music. Eat at your pick of 3 art bedecked and fine food dining establishments here in Stinson & two in Bolinas. Rent/Ride Horseback at Five Brooks Stable, Horse Rental, Open Year Round in Olema. 415 663-1570, Fax 415 663-8766, www.fivebrooks.com Workout Regimen, Beach Accessories, Kayaks, Surfboards: At the Stinson Beach Health Club, open daily, 7a.m.-9p.m.,415 868-8801, 3605 Shoreline Hwy.#1 , full range gym, offers weight sets, stationary bikes, Pilates studio, w views of Easkoot Creek in a Polynesian Village Natural Setting Ambiance. Stinson Beach Surf and Kayak Co., same location, Rent and Sell Beach Accessories, Full Range of Kayaks & Client friendly surfboards, Donny 415 868-8801, cell 415 257-1831. Los Banos Surf & Adventure Camp-: Coach Dave Lich, certified lifeguard, 415 847-2221 or 415 380-8900, www.stinsonbeachsurfcamp.com, Surf School Classes beginning 6/11, all ages welcome. Free shuttle from Mill Valley. "Bringing the beach to the kids of Marin & Fellow Travelers." BoBo Bikes located in Bolinas, 6 Wharf Rd., 415 450-0621Bike & Surfboard Impresario Sports Czar Terrence, Proprietor. Sales, Upload High Tech State of the Art Bikes, Surboards, Skates from the Czar of Sports Gear. Every detail of hardware can be found as well as Terrences Extensive Knowledge of what is right for you, in Sports Gear.. Visit/Shop: Claudia Chaplines Art Gallery, Annies Bookstore for Hiking/Biking Maps/Postcards, SurfGear/Beach Wear, Live Water Surf Shop. Many Villages, 2264 Hwy. #1, where you can select from a vast emporium of indigenous jewelry, buddhist artifacts, sacred totems, folk art of Bali, Handmade Oracles Mystical Talismans from the Island Jungles of Thailand and the floating Villages of Indochina. Astute World Expert/Time Traveler of White Light, Oshen, 415 868-1419. Experience: The Museum of Miwok Native American Artifacts at Slide Ranch; Nicasios Russian Orthodox Church, dating back to the Russian Colonial Period at Fort Ross; Smileys Schooner Saloon, an English Pub imported in 1850, oldest functioning alcohol establishment in California; Bodega Schoolhouse made famous in Alfred Hithcocks, "The Birds"; Muir Woods Trail, the setting for Hitchcocks "VERTIGO", where Jimmy Stewart followed Kim Novak into Muir Woods,on the Matt Davis Trailhead, beginning at Belvedere in Stinson(Right up from the Redwoods, #1 Belvedere]; Skywalker Ranch, East of Nicasio, creative brainchild of George Lucas; Peak of Sacred Mount Tamalpais-from which the viewer can experience 360 degree panorama views, of the Greater S.F. Bay Area & the City, Mt. Diablo, the Farollone Islands of the Pacific Ocean. These and many more view spots as well as Treasures of Wild West Architecture in West Marin Towns, will be addressed, directions will be given & an itinerary for all points of interest in Marin, Sonoma and the S.F. Greater Bay Area. Public Transportation: For all points in the SF Bay Area, Use the Transit Planner site, www.511.org From San Francisco , take #70 or #80 Golden Gate Transit, to Marin City Transfer to West Marin Stage Coach, website for schedule is: www.marintransit.org, call for info., M-F, 8 a.m.-5 a.m., 415 526-3239 AWMT, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, by email request or phone 415 868-1330. AWMTaxi, offers luxury or conventional taxi, for all occasions, drivers/owners, experienced in the places to visit in the Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, MT Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods National Monument, Tomales Bay State Park, Beaches, Surf, Hiking Trails. See Whales, Elephant Seals, Tule Elk, Tour Oyster & Organic Farms. Real Estate Entrepreneurs & Businessmen take a tour of Present and Future Opportunities for Investment/Speculation by knowledgeable founder of the SBChamber of Commmerce, www.stinson-beach.org, founder/GP of the AWMT. Future Homeowners, tour local listings, benefit from years of expertise in the field of Property Management, Remodeling w Plumbing & Electrical Experience, bottomless pit of fixer-upper experience. Tourists enjoy tales of early settlements, 49ers, seafarers, told by our native to West Marin tour hosts. See architectural artifacts of the 1800's, visit museums & replicas of Miwok Native American Sites, Way out West in West Marin, only our tour drivers can show you. Important Phone No.s Stinson Beach Lifeguard Tower-415 868-0942 Stinson Beach Visitor Center- 415 388-2596 Driving Directions to Stinson Beach From Highway 101 Exit Highway 1/Stinson Beach (there will be a sign for Muir Woods/ Mt. Tamalpais at this exit) Drive about .5 miles. At the stoplight, turn left. You now have two options, both about the same distance, both on winding steep roads. Shoreline Hwy. 1 takes you along the Pacific Ocean, through Muir Beach , to Stinson Beach. Panoramic Highway take you up and over Mt. Tamalpais, w breathtaking panorama views of the City, East Bay, Sonoma County, to within one block of the Redwood Haus in Stinson Beach. To get to Panoramic from Hwy. 101, Drive 3 miles on Shoreline Hwy. #1. At the top of the hill, turn right onto the Panoramic Highway. From Panoramic access, Muir Woods/Mount Tamalpais and Stinson Beach. Or Continue straight on Shoreline Highway #1 about 12 miles to Stinson Beach. When traveling South to North on Hwy.#1, upon entering Stinson Beach, Make a right at the Firehouse, onto Belvedere, a u turn and park alongside fence, at #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, the Redwoods Haus, On Street Parking. Olema intersection and Sir Francis Drake Blvd.-16 miles South to Stinson Beach. Point Reyes Station. So. to Stinson Beach-18 miles So. to Stinson Beach. Barbeque in the Bier-garten Bring your own fish/chicken/duck/lamb/meat cuts/zucchini/corn/beverages and b.b.q. coals for barbeque, we provide potatoes, rice, onions, bread, condiments & b.b.q. coals or mesquite. Oysters[Redwoods Chef gives instructions on B.B.Q. preparation] must be obtained beforehand at: the Tomales Bay Oyster Farm, located on Shoreline Hwy. #1, 4 miles No. of Point Reyes Station; the Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall ; the Johnsons Oyster Farm on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Gesucht: Deutscher Schreiner oder Zimmermann fuer Renovierungs- und Reparaturarbeiten fuer Redwood Haus fuer flexible Zeit. Keine Arbeitserlaubnis noetig. Kommen Sie zu uns an die traumhafte Pazifikkueste. Sagen Sie dies all Ihren Freunden. Siehe unsere Internetseite: www.stinson-beach.de Kontakt: 415 868-1330 info@stinson-beach.com *** Trade and Barter Section Overnight Lodging Service to Trade for Your Various Goods or Services Wanted: Upright Frostless Energy Saving Freezer, New Pillowtop Queen Mattress, Lincoln Town Car, Mini Van, conventional 4 cylinder 4 door station wagon or car.*** Sea Kayaks along the Coast from Stinson/Bolinas Lagoon See harbor seals and water fowl along the shoreline while paddling on beautiful Bolinas Lagoon. You will experience this extraordinary area and its inhabitants at a relaxing enjoyable pace. Gain a wealth of knowledge and skill on every trip making this a perfect refreshing getaway adventure. Include a Wildflower Hike through Bolinas, renowned for it's spectacular array of wildflowers. Hillsides blanketed with vibrant yellow mustard, coastal cliffs decorated with brilliant purple iris, and fields of Daffodils, red Indian Paint Brush, Blue Eyed Grass and Footsteps of Spring. Take a walk and discover this beautiful coast in bloom. We will share with you everything we know about wildflowers while taking in breathtaking views. At dusk paddling on Bolinas Lagoon can be peaceful, still and inviting. Whether it's the Full Moon rising, a stunning Sunset, star filled skies, or glowing bioluminescence Bolinas Lagoon always offers a magical experience. To top the evening off, treat yourselves to a gourmet meal at the Sand Dollar, Parkside, or Grill in Stinson or the Bolinas Coast Cafe, while the sun sets. ***Note*** You never know from one instant to the next what will happen, the best thing you can do is to be kind & pursue your quest for continued happiness. We live in a climate-changing world, live life accordingly. Take advantage of the sunny weather climate, clean air, happiness & friendliness, businesses offering services, here in Stinson Beach. http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/travel-and-tourism/lodging/pacific-coast-trails-up-mt-tam-muir-wood-bolagoon-2008095167.htm 2008-09-04T07:30:38Z 2008-09-04T07:30:38Z Sfbay.Craigslist.Org http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/vac/826494122.html Pacific Coast Trails up MT TAM+Muir Wood+BoLagoon+Audobon Canyon Ranch (W Bkfst+WiFi+HBO+Stinson Beach 94970 ) $75 1bd {new window}   Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Indian Summer, by the Coast, Hot & Sunny, Lots of Elbow Room, Sun.-Fri., Call now, Space Limited, 415 868-1034 or 868-9828.Pet Friendly, Family Friendly, Inexpensive, Transportation Coordinated-awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, office #, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Also, West Marin Stagecoach stop, located on the corner of #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, at the porch of the Redwoods Haus Inn in Stinson Beach. Where? Tell me, can you forget the fires of No.& Central Ca., fill your lungs w the Pacific Breeze by the Seaside(No smoke or haze from the Napa/Sonoma, Mendocino/Shasta, Santa Barbara-Big Sur, Santa Cruz Fires)& only be, 45 minutes away from San Francisco. In a zero tolerance for smoking/excessive drinking family supportive establishment, in either the White or Redwood Room[see pics, www.stinson-beach.com or www.stinson-beach.de in German], for the unequaled rate of $75. a day[Sun.-Thurs.]add 10% TOT, for a single person, w a queen-size bed, provided Cable/HBO TV w VCR & a 200+ VCR Library, access to free long distance calling/computer usage/WiFi/ Fax Machine, Meals, including Buffet Style Breakfast prepared by the Proprietor & Guest Chefs(Gov Clintons Little Rock Arkansas Chef, from the Governors Favorite Tryst, the Excelsior Hotel & other visiting world class chefs )comprising of Eggs-Coffee-Tea-Milk-Fruit-Juice-Cereal-Honey-Jam/Maramalade-Brot mit Butter-Ham-Potatoes-Wknd. French Toast. Potlucks, where all our guests/friends get involved in, bringing foodstuffs/preparation/bbqing/plate distributing & cleanup, playing harmonious ad libs on guitars w Redwoods Piano & Trumpet Accompaniment. Where you can speak your mind, share in multi cultural points of interest at Breakfast, w fellow Guests/Friends at the Long Tables of the Redwoods, over subject matter, that is seldom encountered in the Establishment Media. If you are overwhelmed by the congestion of the City, experienced the cable cars, Lombard, Nob Hill, Coit Tower, view of the TransAmerica Pyramid, Alcatraz Tour, Cement+Cobblestone and Asphalt Streets of old S.F. & are suffering from a frustrated desire to pitch a tent in Golden Gate Park, then an Escape to the Coast, is what you need to add to your SFBay Area Visitors Agenda. Way out West in West Marin, where you can scale MT TAMALPAIS by way of the Pacific Coastal Trail, hike the Redwoods of Muir, trek the White Sands of Stinson Beach, see the Migratory Aquatic Bird Species of Bolinas Lagoon and their nesting chicks at the Audobon Canyon Ranch, gambol at the Clothing Optional beaches of Muir & Red Rock by way of the Goat Trail off the Coast Redwoods Hwy. #1. Take advantage of the Inexpensive Rates, far from the Maddning Crowd in Stinson Beach, the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. No car? Then you can bus from the City, on the Golden Gate Transit, catch the West Marin StageCoach to the Redwoods or use the local West Marin Taxi Service, AWESTMARINTAXI, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Tour the Coast Places of Interest w a up to date local historian/tour specialist and only pay for the ride. Taxi service by request, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, servicing and offering tours of Greater/West Marin, SFO+Oak pickups, SFBAY AREA & the Wine Country, Conventional and Luxury Cars. Have you ever imagined yourself living in the Great Outdoors, beneath the Redwoods, by the Sea, as one of the denizens of those interdependent environments? Imagine life as a skunk, a raccoon, an elk, a squirrel, a possum, a pelican/egret/blue heron, a fox, a coyote[all the animals of the forest & sea, are not to be fed for pics, that makes them dependent on humans not the wild] a mountain lion, a coho salmon, a whale or elephant seal. That Quest is what brings beach goers, hikers, bikers, bird/whale/elephant seal watchers, to the Biodiverse Paradise of the Coast, seeking/observing & participating in the continued survival of species that depend on the nurturing of an unspoiled environment. Enjoy the Nature of Living in the Redwoods Forest of Mt. Tamalpais, Muir Woods, Marshlands of Bolinas Lagoon & the 3 mile Shoreline of the White Sand Beach of Stinson. Observations of the Denizens of the Pacific, Elephant Seals & Whales, happening now, through Spring, rendezvous at the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. Receive an itinerary, detailing where to find the land animals, sea mammals, birds and fish, in the Redwoods Forests & Coastline that surrounds the Coastal Village of Stinson Beach. Tips on Hiking in the West Marin Coastal Redwoods Area Download Internet Site, "Marin County: A Wild Ramble, Near the Golden Gate", NYTimes Reporters Multiple Days Epic Hike through West Marin Trails to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus then over MT Tamalpais to Muir Woods & Beyond, travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/travel/03Explorer.html. See the Multi Media slide show, of Trails & Views of West Marin. Discover, the least priced but most enjoyable lodging in all of Marin County. The Cal-Trans/County of Marin Retrofits of Coast Hwy. #1 & Panoramic Hwy., over Scenic/Sacred MT TAMALPAIS & along the Coast, was a Success, not only for the unimpeded flow of Visitors/Residents on the Roadways, tested by the Ultimate Weather of Jan. 3rd, but also for the preservation/opening of Spectacular Scenic Views & Inviting Scenic Turnouts/Safe Rest Areas along their respective routes, South of Stinson Beach to Mill Valley. Future Plans for the continued improvements of the Redwoods Coast Hwy. #1, No. of Stinson, is guaranteed to continue the trend, of Safe & Scenic as well as Storm Resilient Roadways. Don't be left out, visit the Coast, enjoy our Roadways, marvel Pristine Nature, behind the Wheel. All Alone? You are always welcome, at the World at Peace, Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed + Breakfast in Stinson Beach. Our doors, are open, 24hrs. daily, call 415 868-9828 or 868-1034 in advance. The Redwoods Haus, offers a model of Life in the Great Outdoors: living harmoniously w the Old Growth Redwoods of Muir; the Panoramic View of the City from MT Tamalpais; witnessing the Winter and Spring Migration of Aquatic Birds to the Bolinas Lagoon, Monarch Butterflies, Whales & Elephant Seals to the Coastline; next to the Waves of the Pacific Ocean breaking on the White Sand Beach of Stinson. More importantly, the Love and Happiness that emanates from surviving in the basics, living w/o artificial environments, malls, sports stadiums as well as movie theaters. Come, Break Bread at our Table, discuss and sing, play the piano, guitar, chess, cards & intelligent games with our friends & National/International Guests. Clear Sunlit Skies are the Norm, Crabs on the Beach, Aquatic Birds[Pelicans, Egrets, Blue Herons] Circling Beach Area & Alighting in the Lagoon, Crisp Redwood Scent by the Forest, Salt Air Freshness of the Beach, Redwood Trails of Muir and MT TAMALPAIS, see Migratory Whales and Elephant Seals, Bugling Tule Elk, Red Rock Hot Springs, all part of the Stinson Beach Experience. Going Fast, 1-7 Day Reservations, for the New Year. Lodging{{accommodations capability of 1 to 15)w Staff, Meals Nightly for the Guests and Friends of the Redwoods. Complimentary WiFi/ DSL/Computer+Phone Onsite w VCR/200 Videos/HBO/Cable T.V., Biergartren w BBQ, Boogie Boards/Wetsuits. Welcome to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Beach, Bed & Breakfast in the Socially Acknowledged Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach....brought to you by folks you should get to know, way out West in West Marin. See our sites for pics: www.stinson-beach.com; or in German, www.stinson-beach.de; phone 415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828. If you are coming to the SF Bay Area, for business or pleasure, you will want to take advantage of our unparalleled rates and unequaled benefits of being close to the City & Bay Area, plenty of safe parking for non-polluting vehicles, services, peace, solitude, beach, national parks, hiking trails, pristine coastline w abundance of Bo Lagoon migrating birds, whale, elephant seal, tule elk, white deer[locally called unicorns], mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, turkey vulture, hawk, spring Monarch Butterfly Jamboree, great white and animal species, all here on Natures Coast of West Marin & Stinson Beach. DAILY SINGLE PERSON NIGHT RATES*Sunday-Thursday* -White/Redwood Room-$75. for a single Little Cabin-$110.-for two Wknd-$150. . Pink Room $120.-for two Wknd Rate-$160. Crows Nest $130.-for two Wknd Rates $160. ***Critical Mass Member Discount: Bring your Bikes to this Bike Friendly Area, Mountain Bikes for designated Bike Trails offer ecologically friendly riding, Road Bikes for Panoramic & Redwoods Coast Scenic Hwy. #1 Spectacular Views. The World at Peace Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed and Breakfast in Stinson Beach: "98 yrs. of Striving for Peace, Equality and Justice for One World at Peace, its 5 rooms, grounds and group facilities are available for Birthdays, Weddings, Christmas/New Years Gatherings of up to 15 extended family/group holiday revelers. Have the use of the entire facility and grounds w breakfast service, optional dinner caterin, proprietor in separate quarters. Euros sind Wilkommen-Inexpensive WINTER RATES/Spring/Summer/Fall, are to good to miss at the Redwoods Haus.. Our INEXPENSIVE RATE, is due to the generosity of our selfless proprietor, who passes on the savings to you, of: performing all the service work, herself, wholesale restaurant food buying of breakfast, optional potluck dinner & happy hour commodities. So you can visit/see/hike/bike/surf the Pacific Coast Beach by MT TAMALPAIS-Redwoods Trails of MUIR WOODS-Pelicans of BoLagoon. Accommodations include American/German/Texan breakfast, WiFi/HBO/VCR, 200+ Video Library/Free Long Distance Calling/Computer on site/B.B.Q./Washer & Dryer/+Itinerary. We have, space available for 1-5-or 7 day reservation package deals, Way Out West in West Marin, Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach, Politically -- Ecologically -- Motivated. Call now, 415 868-9828. Escape the Maddning Crowd, relax, rest and appreciate Pristine Paradise. Be sure, to leave the Greater Stinson Beach Area, as you found our SW Marin Community, pick up litter, on the beach, in the forest, protect our environment, shop w a environmental safe reusable bag at the marketplace. For updates on issues of the SW Marin Community & the S.F. Oil Spill of November 2007, see the Stinson Beach Chamber of Commerce site, www.stinson-beach.org. Also, the Stinson Beach Community Newsletter at www.stinson-beach.net. Winter Season on the Coast, gives plenty of elbow room, to the aficionado of migratory whale/bird/tule elk watching, salmon fishing, surfing, biking and hiking. Our Rates and Service with a Smile, are individually provided in a less crowded environment. When the Sun is out, a Vacation at the Shore is in. However you choose to celebrate the coming of the Sun, May it be a joyous time for you & yours . May love, joy, wellness, happiness & peace abound in your life. Have your chance to see the Winter Migration of Whales, Seafowl and Landbirds as well as the return of the Elephant Seals to Chimney Rock near the Point Reyes Lighthouse for Spring Breeding. Experience the herd of Tule Elk, bugling and competing to mate, off Pierce Point Road in Tomales State Park in Point Reyes as well as the many species of land and sea mammals/fish that abound in the Point Reyes Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Mt Tamalpais State Park, throughout the winter and spring season. May we live in a World at Peace, with the awareness of Natures Creation in every Sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every drumbeat of Pacific Waves breaking on the Beach, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart. Cinematic History, Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies: Play It Again Sam The Fog Memoirs of an Invisible Man Basic Instinct On The Edge The Unbearable Lightness of Being The town was mentioned in an episode of M*A*S*H. Theme nights at the Coast Cafe in BoBo[Bolinas] every Monday Night, decorated w antique wooden Kayaks hanging from the ceiling and buoys, fishnets, multi colored cork ballasts everywhere.. Dining inside an outside next to the oyster bar. Nautical, Open Water theme... The Blue Heron, also located on Wharf Road, black tie dining atmosphere w a baby Grand on an upraised dais for dinner guests to play.. ***Open Mic, every tues. of the week during the Parkside Restaurants Open Mic All You Can Eat Night at $7.50 per person , 5:30-9:30, pasta, soup or salad, reservations and info. at 415 868-1272. All Musicians, Poets and Performers Welcome,*** practice beforehand at the Redwoods, which has a Piano, acoustic guitar, Amp and Jazzed Trumpeteer, onsite.*** The Sandollar and Stinson Grill in Stinson, offer not only great land/sea food but musical entertainment on the weekends. Breakfast Topics: Share in the telling of the Stinson Beach Coast history: of its ethnic diversity of explorers, pirates, 49ers and settlers over breakfast; discuss why facts-truth-reason play such a minor role in our democracy; receive Guidance & Individual Itinerary Needs of the Greater SF Bay Area/Wine Country/Coastal Paradise; being part of the Spanish then Mexican Rancho of Baulinas; discovery and claim of the West Marin Coastline of Drakes Bay for the Throne of England by Sir Francis Drake; 1800's Russian exploration and colonization as far south as Nicasio from Fort Ross near Russian River; 49er Gold Rush Pacific Ocean conduit to neighboring Bolinas Lagoon, then to the Goldfields; building of the Laffalot[original name of the Redwoods Haus] by Norwegian Ship Captain Nielson using pier logs that fell into the Bay during the 1906 Earthquake, for footings; route of the Gravity Train over Mt Tam, beachgoers after debarking, hiring drivers of horse and buggy teams to bring them to the Laffalot; smuggling into Bolinas fom the Pacific of-Duty free goods of the 1800's, Al Capones Prohibition Alcohol from British Columbia and 60's Contraband from the Golden Triangle; the colorful history of the Redwoods Haus-being an inn then speakeasy, girlie haus/casino; neighbor to the 60's migration of the Psychedelic Counterculture of the Haight-Ashbury with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to Bolinas; the Artistry/Openness of Opinion and Environmental/Non-developmental Concerns of our Community of SW Marin. No Car or Horse & Buggy? See Public Transportation, below. In the Spirit of the Season we invite you & yours to Promenade on the Beach, scribe Love Letters on the Sand to one another on the the Edge of the Pacific Ocean & the Bolinas Lagoon. Frolic in the Redwood Rain Forests of the National & State Parks of West Marin amidst the environs of many endangered species. Dine in the Shadow of Mt. Tamalpais, retiring at the Redwoods with champagne-wine or port of Your choice from Sergio & Susanas, Stinson Market by the Beach, select from their fully stocked cellar of domestic, exotic liqueurs & appetizers, 415 868-1923, www.stinsonbeachmarket.net. Roses can be ordered, delivered & placed in your room, beforehand by Stinson's own, Meristem Florists, 415 868-0666. Wake up in the Morning to the welcome smell of gourmet food preparation in our kitchen, designed to satisfy your needs in both quality & quantity. We are a casual family oriented establishment, emphasizing discussion & the need to free thought and ideas, over breakfast, promoting Peace on Earth & Goodwill to our fellow men and all the Species of our Planet, as well as interjecting the need for facts, truth & reason to play a major role in our democracy. We also provide full service, unequaled value and much gratitude for your welcomed material & spiritual support as well as many happy memories. About Our Location: 6 mi. N of Muir Woods 6 mi. North of the Green Gulch Zen Center 16 miles South of Vedanta Retreat, in Olema 24 mi. SW of San Geronimo Valleys Spirit Rock Retreat & S.G. Golf Course We are located just a short 40 minutes NW of San Francisco, 6 miles SE of Bolinas and 6 miles N of Muir Beach Bolinas is located at the southern end of the Point Reyes National Seashore, surrounded by ocean and unspoiled parkland, Muir Beach is off Shoreline Hwy. #1, only minutes SW of the Muir Woods Entrance on Muir Woods Road. Because of the unique coastal position of Bolinas & Stinson, the surf is protected from the winds and huge swells that make other beaches in Northern California too dangerous for beginners. Muir Beach offers more advanced surfers a differentiated plethora of wave action. Please be respectful of town/village residents, pack your trash when you leave the beach, be mindful of posted speed limits & don't drink & drive. Choose from our Comfortable suites The Redwood Room: Queen bed ($65.si weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The White Room: Queen bed ($65. si. weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The Pink Room: Queen Bed & Futon Queen{doubles as couch} The Crows Nest: Queen bed & futon Queen(can be used as seating) Private deck & 360 degree picture windows, featuring panoramic views of Mt. Tamalpias, Bolinas Mesa Ridgeline & the Pacific Seascape *($150.per couple weekdays) Big Cabin Room: Queen Size Bed, Complete w Shower Bathroom, Detached, $100. per couple weekdays. Weekends:Add $25. to posted prices for extra person or canine. Children and Pet Friendly.... About our Breakfast Daily: MF - Prepared Ham & Eggs with tomatoes-onion- greens-potatoes, Bread, Butter, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Fruit, Juice, Jam, Honey, Cereal,(French Toast, Pancakes by order}. Our Sunday Special Offering (ham & cheese, seasonal surprises) Eggs In Any Style Grandmere’s French Toast Roasted Provincial Potatoes The Finest Coffees & Teas Fresh Local, Fruit & Fruit Juices Additional Amenities: Wireless/Wifi/Computer & Phone On-site, Cable/HBO, VCR/ 200 Video library, Biergarten w Barbeque Contact & View Pics See our sites www.stinson-beach.com; www.stinson-beach.de in German. Phone #s: Reservations-415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828 E-Mail: Paradise@stinson-beach.com Address: #1 Belvedere and Shoreline Highway #1, Stinson Beach 94970 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 404 , Stinson Beach 94970 The Places to Explore We offer information on all of the local natural viewing locations of interest where you can see Whales, Seal and Elephant Seal colonies, Egrets, Herons, Pelicans, and the Tule Elk. Visit the Sulphur Hot Springs at Red Rock Beach , 4-5 days a month during negative tide periods of the Full Moon, the Ocean rolls back, giving 2 hrs., to enjoy the 110 degree heated Seawater, in a open pool of rock, by the edge of the Ocean. Walk into the tide pools of Duxbury Reef during minus tide, study close up the indigenous sea life of the Reef: Sea Anemones; Clams; Mussels; Starfish; Crabs; Coral; and the reef fishes in small pools of water. On Visitors Days of the Week, walk down the 300 steps leading to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, on the Point Reyes Peninsula, see the interior and the antique beacon light of French Manufacture, dating back over a 100 yrs. Kayak with Point Reyes Outdoors www.pointreyesoutdoors.com, 415 663-8192 Sea Kayaking Tours & Classes Guided Nature Hikes Mesa Road in Bolinas: Visit the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and take part in banding expeditions of migratory birds as well as study statistics of their numbers and sightings; Hike to Bass Lake on the Panoramic Trail head, from the parking lot at the end of Mesa Road ; See Agate Beach, where all the rocks are green agate. Hike the many trails that abound in the Golden Gate Recreation Area, Mt. Tamalpais and Tomales State Parks , as well as the Point Reyes National Seashore: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine-Dipsea-Lake Lagunitas-Kent & Nicasio Lakes. Gather Mussels in Season, for ethnic & old fashioned soups/stews. Dance at Smiley's Schooner Saloon & dance/dine at Rancho Nicasio, Sat. Nights to live music. Eat at your pick of 3 art bedecked and fine food dining establishments here in Stinson & two in Bolinas. Rent/Ride Horseback at Five Brooks Stable, Horse Rental, Open Year Round in Olema. 415 663-1570, Fax 415 663-8766, www.fivebrooks.com Workout Regimen, Beach Accessories, Kayaks, Surfboards: At the Stinson Beach Health Club, open daily, 7a.m.-9p.m.,415 868-8801, 3605 Shoreline Hwy.#1 , full range gym, offers weight sets, stationary bikes, Pilates studio, w views of Easkoot Creek in a Polynesian Village Natural Setting Ambiance. Stinson Beach Surf and Kayak Co., same location, Rent and Sell Beach Accessories, Full Range of Kayaks & Client friendly surfboards, Donny 415 868-8801, cell 415 257-1831. Los Banos Surf & Adventure Camp-: Coach Dave Lich, certified lifeguard, 415 847-2221 or 415 380-8900, www.stinsonbeachsurfcamp.com, Surf School Classes beginning 6/11, all ages welcome. Free shuttle from Mill Valley. "Bringing the beach to the kids of Marin & Fellow Travelers." BoBo Bikes located in Bolinas, 6 Wharf Rd., 415 450-0621Bike & Surfboard Impresario Sports Czar Terrence, Proprietor. Sales, Upload High Tech State of the Art Bikes, Surboards, Skates from the Czar of Sports Gear. Every detail of hardware can be found as well as Terrences Extensive Knowledge of what is right for you, in Sports Gear.. Visit/Shop: Claudia Chaplines Art Gallery, Annies Bookstore for Hiking/Biking Maps/Postcards, SurfGear/Beach Wear, Live Water Surf Shop. Many Villages, 2264 Hwy. #1, where you can select from a vast emporium of indigenous jewelry, buddhist artifacts, sacred totems, folk art of Bali, Handmade Oracles Mystical Talismans from the Island Jungles of Thailand and the floating Villages of Indochina. Astute World Expert/Time Traveler of White Light, Oshen, 415 868-1419. Experience: The Museum of Miwok Native American Artifacts at Slide Ranch; Nicasios Russian Orthodox Church, dating back to the Russian Colonial Period at Fort Ross; Smileys Schooner Saloon, an English Pub imported in 1850, oldest functioning alcohol establishment in California; Bodega Schoolhouse made famous in Alfred Hithcocks, "The Birds"; Muir Woods Trail, the setting for Hitchcocks "VERTIGO", where Jimmy Stewart followed Kim Novak into Muir Woods,on the Matt Davis Trailhead, beginning at Belvedere in Stinson(Right up from the Redwoods, #1 Belvedere]; Skywalker Ranch, East of Nicasio, creative brainchild of George Lucas; Peak of Sacred Mount Tamalpais-from which the viewer can experience 360 degree panorama views, of the Greater S.F. Bay Area & the City, Mt. Diablo, the Farollone Islands of the Pacific Ocean. These and many more view spots as well as Treasures of Wild West Architecture in West Marin Towns, will be addressed, directions will be given & an itinerary for all points of interest in Marin, Sonoma and the S.F. Greater Bay Area. Public Transportation: For all points in the SF Bay Area, Use the Transit Planner site, www.511.org From San Francisco , take #70 or #80 Golden Gate Transit, to Marin City Transfer to West Marin Stage Coach, website for schedule is: www.marintransit.org, call for info., M-F, 8 a.m.-5 a.m., 415 526-3239 AWMT, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, by email request or phone 415 868-1330. AWMTaxi, offers luxury or conventional taxi, for all occasions, drivers/owners, experienced in the places to visit in the Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, MT Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods National Monument, Tomales Bay State Park, Beaches, Surf, Hiking Trails. See Whales, Elephant Seals, Tule Elk, Tour Oyster & Organic Farms. Real Estate Entrepreneurs & Businessmen take a tour of Present and Future Opportunities for Investment/Speculation by knowledgeable founder of the SBChamber of Commmerce, www.stinson-beach.org, founder/GP of the AWMT. Future Homeowners, tour local listings, benefit from years of expertise in the field of Property Management, Remodeling w Plumbing & Electrical Experience, bottomless pit of fixer-upper experience. Tourists enjoy tales of early settlements, 49ers, seafarers, told by our native to West Marin tour hosts. See architectural artifacts of the 1800's, visit museums & replicas of Miwok Native American Sites, Way out West in West Marin, only our tour drivers can show you. Important Phone No.s Stinson Beach Lifeguard Tower-415 868-0942 Stinson Beach Visitor Center- 415 388-2596 Driving Directions to Stinson Beach From Highway 101 Exit Highway 1/Stinson Beach (there will be a sign for Muir Woods/ Mt. Tamalpais at this exit) Drive about .5 miles. At the stoplight, turn left. You now have two options, both about the same distance, both on winding steep roads. Shoreline Hwy. 1 takes you along the Pacific Ocean, through Muir Beach , to Stinson Beach. Panoramic Highway take you up and over Mt. Tamalpais, w breathtaking panorama views of the City, East Bay, Sonoma County, to within one block of the Redwood Haus in Stinson Beach. To get to Panoramic from Hwy. 101, Drive 3 miles on Shoreline Hwy. #1. At the top of the hill, turn right onto the Panoramic Highway. From Panoramic access, Muir Woods/Mount Tamalpais and Stinson Beach. Or Continue straight on Shoreline Highway #1 about 12 miles to Stinson Beach. When traveling South to North on Hwy.#1, upon entering Stinson Beach, Make a right at the Firehouse, onto Belvedere, a u turn and park alongside fence, at #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, the Redwoods Haus, On Street Parking. Olema intersection and Sir Francis Drake Blvd.-16 miles South to Stinson Beach. Point Reyes Station. So. to Stinson Beach-18 miles So. to Stinson Beach. Barbeque in the Bier-garten Bring your own fish/chicken/duck/lamb/meat cuts/zucchini/corn/beverages and b.b.q. coals for barbeque, we provide potatoes, rice, onions, bread, condiments & b.b.q. coals or mesquite. Oysters[Redwoods Chef gives instructions on B.B.Q. preparation] must be obtained beforehand at: the Tomales Bay Oyster Farm, located on Shoreline Hwy. #1, 4 miles No. of Point Reyes Station; the Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall ; the Johnsons Oyster Farm on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Gesucht: Deutscher Schreiner oder Zimmermann fuer Renovierungs- und Reparaturarbeiten fuer Redwood Haus fuer flexible Zeit. Keine Arbeitserlaubnis noetig. Kommen Sie zu uns an die traumhafte Pazifikkueste. Sagen Sie dies all Ihren Freunden. Siehe unsere Internetseite: www.stinson-beach.de Kontakt: 415 868-1330 info@stinson-beach.com *** Trade and Barter Section Overnight Lodging Service to Trade for Your Various Goods or Services Wanted: Upright Frostless Energy Saving Freezer, New Pillowtop Queen Mattress, Lincoln Town Car, Mini Van, conventional 4 cylinder 4 door station wagon or car.*** Sea Kayaks along the Coast from Stinson/Bolinas Lagoon See harbor seals and water fowl along the shoreline while paddling on beautiful Bolinas Lagoon. You will experience this extraordinary area and its inhabitants at a relaxing enjoyable pace. Gain a wealth of knowledge and skill on every trip making this a perfect refreshing getaway adventure. Include a Wildflower Hike through Bolinas, renowned for it's spectacular array of wildflowers. Hillsides blanketed with vibrant yellow mustard, coastal cliffs decorated with brilliant purple iris, and fields of Daffodils, red Indian Paint Brush, Blue Eyed Grass and Footsteps of Spring. Take a walk and discover this beautiful coast in bloom. We will share with you everything we know about wildflowers while taking in breathtaking views. At dusk paddling on Bolinas Lagoon can be peaceful, still and inviting. Whether it's the Full Moon rising, a stunning Sunset, star filled skies, or glowing bioluminescence Bolinas Lagoon always offers a magical experience. To top the evening off, treat yourselves to a gourmet meal at the Sand Dollar, Parkside, or Grill in Stinson or the Bolinas Coast Cafe, while the sun sets. ***Note*** You never know from one instant to the next what will happen, the best thing you can do is to be kind & pursue your quest for continued happiness. We live in a climate-changing world, live life accordingly. Take advantage of the sunny weather climate, clean air, happiness & friendliness, businesses offering services, here in Stinson Beach.
Pacific Coast Trails up MT TAM+Muir Wood+BoLagoon+Audobon Canyon Ranch {...}
Published: September 4, 2008, 7:30 am - Indexed: September 4, 2008, 9:13 am - Page Size: 33KB
Category: Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Travel and Tourism > Lodging

]]> {NORTH AMERICA > LODGING} - SF Greenxperience-MT TAMALPAIS+Redwoods of Muir+Audobon Aquatic Birds (Inexpensive Lodging w WiFi-Stinson Beach) $75 1bd Pet Friendly, Family Friendly, Inexpensive, Transportation Coordinated-awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, office #, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Also, West Marin Stagecoach stop, located on the corner of #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, at the porch of the Redwoods Haus Inn in Stinson Beach. ***Note*** You never know from one instant to the next what will happen, the best thing you can do is to be kind & pursue your quest for continued happiness. We live in a climate-changing world, live life accordingly. Take advantage of the sunny weather climate, clean air, happiness & friendliness, businesses offering services, here in Stinson Beach. Where? Tell me, can you forget the fires of No.& Central Ca., fill your lungs w the Pacific Breeze by the Seaside(No smoke or haze from the Napa/Sonoma, Mendocino/Shasta, Santa Barbara-Big Sur, Santa Cruz Fires)& only be, 45 minutes away from San Francisco. In a zero tolerance for smoking/excessive drinking family supportive establishment, in either the White or Redwood Room[see pics, www.stinson-beach.com or www.stinson-beach.de in German], for the unequaled rate of $75. a day[Sun.-Thurs.]add 10% TOT, for a single person, w a queen-size bed, provided Cable/HBO TV w VCR & a 200+ VCR Library, access to free long distance calling/computer usage/WiFi/ Fax Machine, Meals, including Buffet Style Breakfast prepared by the Proprietor & Guest Chefs(Gov Clintons Little Rock Arkansas Chef, from the Governors Favorite Tryst, the Excelsior Hotel & other visiting world class chefs )comprising of Eggs-Coffee-Tea-Milk-Fruit-Juice-Cereal-Honey-Jam/Maramalade-Brot mit Butter-Ham-Potatoes-Wknd. French Toast. Potlucks, where all our guests/friends get involved in, bringing foodstuffs/preparation/bbqing/plate distributing & cleanup, playing harmonious ad libs on guitars w Redwoods Piano & Trumpet Accompaniment. Where you can speak your mind, share in multi cultural points of interest at Breakfast, w fellow Guests/Friends at the Long Tables of the Redwoods, over subject matter, that is seldom encountered in the Establishment Media. If you are overwhelmed by the congestion of the City, experienced the cable cars, Lombard, Nob Hill, Coit Tower, view of the TransAmerica Pyramid, Alcatraz Tour, Cement+Cobblestone and Asphalt Streets of old S.F. & are suffering from a frustrated desire to pitch a tent in Golden Gate Park, then an Escape to the Coast, is what you need to add to your SFBay Area Visitors Agenda. Way out West in West Marin, where you can scale MT TAMALPAIS by way of the Pacific Coastal Trail, hike the Redwoods of Muir, trek the White Sands of Stinson Beach, see the Migratory Aquatic Bird Species of Bolinas Lagoon and their nesting chicks at the Audobon Canyon Ranch, gambol at the Clothing Optional beaches of Muir & Red Rock by way of the Goat Trail off the Coast Redwoods Hwy. #1. Take advantage of the Inexpensive Rates, far from the Maddning Crowd in Stinson Beach, the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. No car? Then you can bus from the City, on the Golden Gate Transit, catch the West Marin StageCoach to the Redwoods or use the local West Marin Taxi Service, AWESTMARINTAXI, 415 868-1330, cell 415 497-6656. Tour the Coast Places of Interest w a up to date local historian/tour specialist and only pay for the ride. Taxi service by request, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, servicing and offering tours of Greater/West Marin, SFO+Oak pickups, SFBAY AREA & the Wine Country, Conventional and Luxury Cars. Have you ever imagined yourself living in the Great Outdoors, beneath the Redwoods, by the Sea, as one of the denizens of those interdependent environments? Imagine life as a skunk, a raccoon, an elk, a squirrel, a possum, a pelican/egret/blue heron, a fox, a coyote[all the animals of the forest & sea, are not to be fed for pics, that makes them dependent on humans not the wild] a mountain lion, a coho salmon, a whale or elephant seal. That Quest is what brings beach goers, hikers, bikers, bird/whale/elephant seal watchers, to the Biodiverse Paradise of the Coast, seeking/observing & participating in the continued survival of species that depend on the nurturing of an unspoiled environment. Enjoy the Nature of Living in the Redwoods Forest of Mt. Tamalpais, Muir Woods, Marshlands of Bolinas Lagoon & the 3 mile Shoreline of the White Sand Beach of Stinson. Observations of the Denizens of the Pacific, Elephant Seals & Whales, happening now, through Spring, rendezvous at the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Inn. Receive an itinerary, detailing where to find the land animals, sea mammals, birds and fish, in the Redwoods Forests & Coastline that surrounds the Coastal Village of Stinson Beach. Tips on Hiking in the West Marin Coastal Redwoods Area Download Internet Site, "Marin County: A Wild Ramble, Near the Golden Gate", NYTimes Reporters Multiple Days Epic Hike through West Marin Trails to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus then over MT Tamalpais to Muir Woods & Beyond, travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/travel/03Explorer.html. See the Multi Media slide show, of Trails & Views of West Marin. Discover, the least priced but most enjoyable lodging in all of Marin County. The Cal-Trans/County of Marin Retrofits of Coast Hwy. #1 & Panoramic Hwy., over Scenic/Sacred MT TAMALPAIS & along the Coast, was a Success, not only for the unimpeded flow of Visitors/Residents on the Roadways, tested by the Ultimate Weather of Jan. 3rd, but also for the preservation/opening of Spectacular Scenic Views & Inviting Scenic Turnouts/Safe Rest Areas along their respective routes, South of Stinson Beach to Mill Valley. Future Plans for the continued improvements of the Redwoods Coast Hwy. #1, No. of Stinson, is guaranteed to continue the trend, of Safe & Scenic as well as Storm Resilient Roadways. Don't be left out, visit the Coast, enjoy our Roadways, marvel Pristine Nature, behind the Wheel. All Alone? You are always welcome, at the World at Peace, Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed + Breakfast in Stinson Beach. Our doors, are open, 24hrs. daily, call 415 868-9828 or 868-1034 in advance. The Redwoods Haus, offers a model of Life in the Great Outdoors: living harmoniously w the Old Growth Redwoods of Muir; the Panoramic View of the City from MT Tamalpais; witnessing the Winter and Spring Migration of Aquatic Birds to the Bolinas Lagoon, Monarch Butterflies, Whales & Elephant Seals to the Coastline; next to the Waves of the Pacific Ocean breaking on the White Sand Beach of Stinson. More importantly, the Love and Happiness that emanates from surviving in the basics, living w/o artificial environments, malls, sports stadiums as well as movie theaters. Come, Break Bread at our Table, discuss and sing, play the piano, guitar, chess, cards & intelligent games with our friends & National/International Guests. Clear Sunlit Skies are the Norm, Crabs on the Beach, Aquatic Birds[Pelicans, Egrets, Blue Herons] Circling Beach Area & Alighting in the Lagoon, Crisp Redwood Scent by the Forest, Salt Air Freshness of the Beach, Redwood Trails of Muir and MT TAMALPAIS, see Migratory Whales and Elephant Seals, Bugling Tule Elk, Red Rock Hot Springs, all part of the Stinson Beach Experience. Going Fast, 1-7 Day Reservations, for the New Year. Lodging{{accommodations capability of 1 to 15)w Staff, Meals Nightly for the Guests and Friends of the Redwoods. Complimentary WiFi/ DSL/Computer+Phone Onsite w VCR/200 Videos/HBO/Cable T.V., Biergartren w BBQ, Boogie Boards/Wetsuits. Welcome to the World at Peace Redwoods Haus Beach, Bed & Breakfast in the Socially Acknowledged Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach....brought to you by folks you should get to know, way out West in West Marin. See our sites for pics: www.stinson-beach.com; or in German, www.stinson-beach.de; phone 415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828. If you are coming to the SF Bay Area, for business or pleasure, you will want to take advantage of our unparalleled rates and unequaled benefits of being close to the City & Bay Area, plenty of safe parking for non-polluting vehicles, services, peace, solitude, beach, national parks, hiking trails, pristine coastline w abundance of Bo Lagoon migrating birds, whale, elephant seal, tule elk, white deer[locally called unicorns], mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, turkey vulture, hawk, spring Monarch Butterfly Jamboree, great white and animal species, all here on Natures Coast of West Marin & Stinson Beach. DAILY SINGLE PERSON NIGHT RATES*Sunday-Thursday* -White/Redwood Room-$75. for a single Little Cabin-$110.-for two Wknd-$150. . Pink Room $120.-for two Wknd Rate-$160. Crows Nest $130.-for two Wknd Rates $160. ***Critical Mass Member Discount: Bring your Bikes to this Bike Friendly Area, Mountain Bikes for designated Bike Trails offer ecologically friendly riding, Road Bikes for Panoramic & Redwoods Coast Scenic Hwy. #1 Spectacular Views. The World at Peace Redwoods Haus-Beach, Bed and Breakfast in Stinson Beach: "98 yrs. of Striving for Peace, Equality and Justice for One World at Peace, its 5 rooms, grounds and group facilities are available for Birthdays, Weddings, Christmas/New Years Gatherings of up to 15 extended family/group holiday revelers. Have the use of the entire facility and grounds w breakfast service, optional dinner caterin, proprietor in separate quarters. Euros sind Wilkommen-Inexpensive WINTER RATES/Spring/Summer/Fall, are to good to miss at the Redwoods Haus.. Our INEXPENSIVE RATE, is due to the generosity of our selfless proprietor, who passes on the savings to you, of: performing all the service work, herself, wholesale restaurant food buying of breakfast, optional potluck dinner & happy hour commodities. So you can visit/see/hike/bike/surf the Pacific Coast Beach by MT TAMALPAIS-Redwoods Trails of MUIR WOODS-Pelicans of BoLagoon. Accommodations include American/German/Texan breakfast, WiFi/HBO/VCR, 200+ Video Library/Free Long Distance Calling/Computer on site/B.B.Q./Washer & Dryer/+Itinerary. We have, space available for 1-5-or 7 day reservation package deals, Way Out West in West Marin, Nature Loving Village of Stinson Beach, Politically -- Ecologically -- Motivated. Call now, 415 868-9828. Escape the Maddning Crowd, relax, rest and appreciate Pristine Paradise. Be sure, to leave the Greater Stinson Beach Area, as you found our SW Marin Community, pick up litter, on the beach, in the forest, protect our environment, shop w a environmental safe reusable bag at the marketplace. For updates on issues of the SW Marin Community & the S.F. Oil Spill of November 2007, see the Stinson Beach Chamber of Commerce site, www.stinson-beach.org. Also, the Stinson Beach Community Newsletter at www.stinson-beach.net. Winter Season on the Coast, gives plenty of elbow room, to the aficionado of migratory whale/bird/tule elk watching, salmon fishing, surfing, biking and hiking. Our Rates and Service with a Smile, are individually provided in a less crowded environment. When the Sun is out, a Vacation at the Shore is in. However you choose to celebrate the coming of the Sun, May it be a joyous time for you & yours . May love, joy, wellness, happiness & peace abound in your life. Have your chance to see the Winter Migration of Whales, Seafowl and Landbirds as well as the return of the Elephant Seals to Chimney Rock near the Point Reyes Lighthouse for Spring Breeding. Experience the herd of Tule Elk, bugling and competing to mate, off Pierce Point Road in Tomales State Park in Point Reyes as well as the many species of land and sea mammals/fish that abound in the Point Reyes Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Mt Tamalpais State Park, throughout the winter and spring season. May we live in a World at Peace, with the awareness of Natures Creation in every Sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every drumbeat of Pacific Waves breaking on the Beach, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart. Cinematic History, Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies: Play It Again Sam The Fog Memoirs of an Invisible Man Basic Instinct On The Edge The Unbearable Lightness of Being The town was mentioned in an episode of M*A*S*H. Theme nights at the Coast Cafe in BoBo[Bolinas] every Monday Night, decorated w antique wooden Kayaks hanging from the ceiling and buoys, fishnets, multi colored cork ballasts everywhere.. Dining inside an outside next to the oyster bar. Nautical, Open Water theme... The Blue Heron, also located on Wharf Road, black tie dining atmosphere w a baby Grand on an upraised dais for dinner guests to play.. ***Open Mic, every tues. of the week during the Parkside Restaurants Open Mic All You Can Eat Night at $7.50 per person , 5:30-9:30, pasta, soup or salad, reservations and info. at 415 868-1272. All Musicians, Poets and Performers Welcome,*** practice beforehand at the Redwoods, which has a Piano, acoustic guitar, Amp and Jazzed Trumpeteer, onsite.*** The Sandollar and Stinson Grill in Stinson, offer not only great land/sea food but musical entertainment on the weekends. Breakfast Topics: Share in the telling of the Stinson Beach Coast history: of its ethnic diversity of explorers, pirates, 49ers and settlers over breakfast; discuss why facts-truth-reason play such a minor role in our democracy; receive Guidance & Individual Itinerary Needs of the Greater SF Bay Area/Wine Country/Coastal Paradise; being part of the Spanish then Mexican Rancho of Baulinas; discovery and claim of the West Marin Coastline of Drakes Bay for the Throne of England by Sir Francis Drake; 1800's Russian exploration and colonization as far south as Nicasio from Fort Ross near Russian River; 49er Gold Rush Pacific Ocean conduit to neighboring Bolinas Lagoon, then to the Goldfields; building of the Laffalot[original name of the Redwoods Haus] by Norwegian Ship Captain Nielson using pier logs that fell into the Bay during the 1906 Earthquake, for footings; route of the Gravity Train over Mt Tam, beachgoers after debarking, hiring drivers of horse and buggy teams to bring them to the Laffalot; smuggling into Bolinas fom the Pacific of-Duty free goods of the 1800's, Al Capones Prohibition Alcohol from British Columbia and 60's Contraband from the Golden Triangle; the colorful history of the Redwoods Haus-being an inn then speakeasy, girlie haus/casino; neighbor to the 60's migration of the Psychedelic Counterculture of the Haight-Ashbury with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to Bolinas; the Artistry/Openness of Opinion and Environmental/Non-developmental Concerns of our Community of SW Marin. No Car or Horse & Buggy? See Public Transportation, below. In the Spirit of the Season we invite you & yours to Promenade on the Beach, scribe Love Letters on the Sand to one another on the the Edge of the Pacific Ocean & the Bolinas Lagoon. Frolic in the Redwood Rain Forests of the National & State Parks of West Marin amidst the environs of many endangered species. Dine in the Shadow of Mt. Tamalpais, retiring at the Redwoods with champagne-wine or port of Your choice from Sergio & Susanas, Stinson Market by the Beach, select from their fully stocked cellar of domestic, exotic liqueurs & appetizers, 415 868-1923, www.stinsonbeachmarket.net. Roses can be ordered, delivered & placed in your room, beforehand by Stinson's own, Meristem Florists, 415 868-0666. Wake up in the Morning to the welcome smell of gourmet food preparation in our kitchen, designed to satisfy your needs in both quality & quantity. We are a casual family oriented establishment, emphasizing discussion & the need to free thought and ideas, over breakfast, promoting Peace on Earth & Goodwill to our fellow men and all the Species of our Planet, as well as interjecting the need for facts, truth & reason to play a major role in our democracy. We also provide full service, unequaled value and much gratitude for your welcomed material & spiritual support as well as many happy memories. About Our Location: 6 mi. N of Muir Woods 6 mi. North of the Green Gulch Zen Center 16 miles South of Vedanta Retreat, in Olema 24 mi. SW of San Geronimo Valleys Spirit Rock Retreat & S.G. Golf Course We are located just a short 40 minutes NW of San Francisco, 6 miles SE of Bolinas and 6 miles N of Muir Beach Bolinas is located at the southern end of the Point Reyes National Seashore, surrounded by ocean and unspoiled parkland, Muir Beach is off Shoreline Hwy. #1, only minutes SW of the Muir Woods Entrance on Muir Woods Road. Because of the unique coastal position of Bolinas & Stinson, the surf is protected from the winds and huge swells that make other beaches in Northern California too dangerous for beginners. Muir Beach offers more advanced surfers a differentiated plethora of wave action. Please be respectful of town/village residents, pack your trash when you leave the beach, be mindful of posted speed limits & don't drink & drive. Choose from our Comfortable suites The Redwood Room: Queen bed ($65.si weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The White Room: Queen bed ($65. si. weekdays, Email/Call for Weekend Reservations) The Pink Room: Queen Bed & Futon Queen{doubles as couch} The Crows Nest: Queen bed & futon Queen(can be used as seating) Private deck & 360 degree picture windows, featuring panoramic views of Mt. Tamalpias, Bolinas Mesa Ridgeline & the Pacific Seascape *($150.per couple weekdays) Big Cabin Room: Queen Size Bed, Complete w Shower Bathroom, Detached, $100. per couple weekdays. Weekends:Add $25. to posted prices for extra person or canine. Children and Pet Friendly.... About our Breakfast Daily: MF - Prepared Ham & Eggs with tomatoes-onion- greens-potatoes, Bread, Butter, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Fruit, Juice, Jam, Honey, Cereal,(French Toast, Pancakes by order}. Our Sunday Special Offering (ham & cheese, seasonal surprises) Eggs In Any Style Grandmere’s French Toast Roasted Provincial Potatoes The Finest Coffees & Teas Fresh Local, Fruit & Fruit Juices Additional Amenities: Wireless/Wifi/Computer & Phone On-site, Cable/HBO, VCR/ 200 Video library, Biergarten w Barbeque Contact & View Pics See our sites www.stinson-beach.com; www.stinson-beach.de in German. Phone #s: Reservations-415 868-1034 or 415 868-9828 E-Mail: Paradise@stinson-beach.com Address: #1 Belvedere and Shoreline Highway #1, Stinson Beach 94970 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 404 , Stinson Beach 94970 The Places to Explore We offer information on all of the local natural viewing locations of interest where you can see Whales, Seal and Elephant Seal colonies, Egrets, Herons, Pelicans, and the Tule Elk. Visit the Sulphur Hot Springs at Red Rock Beach , 4-5 days a month during negative tide periods of the Full Moon, the Ocean rolls back, giving 2 hrs., to enjoy the 110 degree heated Seawater, in a open pool of rock, by the edge of the Ocean. Walk into the tide pools of Duxbury Reef during minus tide, study close up the indigenous sea life of the Reef: Sea Anemones; Clams; Mussels; Starfish; Crabs; Coral; and the reef fishes in small pools of water. On Visitors Days of the Week, walk down the 300 steps leading to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, on the Point Reyes Peninsula, see the interior and the antique beacon light of French Manufacture, dating back over a 100 yrs. Kayak with Point Reyes Outdoors www.pointreyesoutdoors.com, 415 663-8192 Sea Kayaking Tours & Classes Guided Nature Hikes Mesa Road in Bolinas: Visit the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and take part in banding expeditions of migratory birds as well as study statistics of their numbers and sightings; Hike to Bass Lake on the Panoramic Trail head, from the parking lot at the end of Mesa Road ; See Agate Beach, where all the rocks are green agate. Hike the many trails that abound in the Golden Gate Recreation Area, Mt. Tamalpais and Tomales State Parks , as well as the Point Reyes National Seashore: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine-Dipsea-Lake Lagunitas-Kent & Nicasio Lakes. Gather Mussels in Season, for ethnic & old fashioned soups/stews. Dance at Smiley's Schooner Saloon & dance/dine at Rancho Nicasio, Sat. Nights to live music. Eat at your pick of 3 art bedecked and fine food dining establishments here in Stinson & two in Bolinas. Rent/Ride Horseback at Five Brooks Stable, Horse Rental, Open Year Round in Olema. 415 663-1570, Fax 415 663-8766, www.fivebrooks.com Workout Regimen, Beach Accessories, Kayaks, Surfboards: At the Stinson Beach Health Club, open daily, 7a.m.-9p.m.,415 868-8801, 3605 Shoreline Hwy.#1 , full range gym, offers weight sets, stationary bikes, Pilates studio, w views of Easkoot Creek in a Polynesian Village Natural Setting Ambiance. Stinson Beach Surf and Kayak Co., same location, Rent and Sell Beach Accessories, Full Range of Kayaks & Client friendly surfboards, Donny 415 868-8801, cell 415 257-1831. Los Banos Surf & Adventure Camp-: Coach Dave Lich, certified lifeguard, 415 847-2221 or 415 380-8900, www.stinsonbeachsurfcamp.com, Surf School Classes beginning 6/11, all ages welcome. Free shuttle from Mill Valley. "Bringing the beach to the kids of Marin & Fellow Travelers." BoBo Bikes located in Bolinas, 6 Wharf Rd., 415 450-0621Bike & Surfboard Impresario Sports Czar Terrence, Proprietor. Sales, Upload High Tech State of the Art Bikes, Surboards, Skates from the Czar of Sports Gear. Every detail of hardware can be found as well as Terrences Extensive Knowledge of what is right for you, in Sports Gear.. Visit/Shop: Claudia Chaplines Art Gallery, Annies Bookstore for Hiking/Biking Maps/Postcards, SurfGear/Beach Wear, Live Water Surf Shop. Many Villages, 2264 Hwy. #1, where you can select from a vast emporium of indigenous jewelry, buddhist artifacts, sacred totems, folk art of Bali, Handmade Oracles Mystical Talismans from the Island Jungles of Thailand and the floating Villages of Indochina. Astute World Expert/Time Traveler of White Light, Oshen, 415 868-1419. Experience: The Museum of Miwok Native American Artifacts at Slide Ranch; Nicasios Russian Orthodox Church, dating back to the Russian Colonial Period at Fort Ross; Smileys Schooner Saloon, an English Pub imported in 1850, oldest functioning alcohol establishment in California; Bodega Schoolhouse made famous in Alfred Hithcocks, "The Birds"; Muir Woods Trail, the setting for Hitchcocks "VERTIGO", where Jimmy Stewart followed Kim Novak into Muir Woods,on the Matt Davis Trailhead, beginning at Belvedere in Stinson(Right up from the Redwoods, #1 Belvedere]; Skywalker Ranch, East of Nicasio, creative brainchild of George Lucas; Peak of Sacred Mount Tamalpais-from which the viewer can experience 360 degree panorama views, of the Greater S.F. Bay Area & the City, Mt. Diablo, the Farollone Islands of the Pacific Ocean. These and many more view spots as well as Treasures of Wild West Architecture in West Marin Towns, will be addressed, directions will be given & an itinerary for all points of interest in Marin, Sonoma and the S.F. Greater Bay Area. Public Transportation: For all points in the SF Bay Area, Use the Transit Planner site, www.511.org From San Francisco , take #70 or #80 Golden Gate Transit, to Marin City Transfer to West Marin Stage Coach, website for schedule is: www.marintransit.org, call for info., M-F, 8 a.m.-5 a.m., 415 526-3239 AWMT, awestmarintaxi@gmail.com, by email request or phone 415 868-1330. AWMTaxi, offers luxury or conventional taxi, for all occasions, drivers/owners, experienced in the places to visit in the Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, MT Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods National Monument, Tomales Bay State Park, Beaches, Surf, Hiking Trails. See Whales, Elephant Seals, Tule Elk, Tour Oyster & Organic Farms. Real Estate Entrepreneurs & Businessmen take a tour of Present and Future Opportunities for Investment/Speculation by knowledgeable founder of the SBChamber of Commmerce, www.stinson-beach.org, founder/GP of the AWMT. Future Homeowners, tour local listings, benefit from years of expertise in the field of Property Management, Remodeling w Plumbing & Electrical Experience, bottomless pit of fixer-upper experience. Tourists enjoy tales of early settlements, 49ers, seafarers, told by our native to West Marin tour hosts. See architectural artifacts of the 1800's, visit museums & replicas of Miwok Native American Sites, Way out West in West Marin, only our tour drivers can show you. Important Phone No.s Stinson Beach Lifeguard Tower-415 868-0942 Stinson Beach Visitor Center- 415 388-2596 Driving Directions to Stinson Beach From Highway 101 Exit Highway 1/Stinson Beach (there will be a sign for Muir Woods/ Mt. Tamalpais at this exit) Drive about .5 miles. At the stoplight, turn left. You now have two options, both about the same distance, both on winding steep roads. Shoreline Hwy. 1 takes you along the Pacific Ocean, through Muir Beach , to Stinson Beach. Panoramic Highway take you up and over Mt. Tamalpais, w breathtaking panorama views of the City, East Bay, Sonoma County, to within one block of the Redwood Haus in Stinson Beach. To get to Panoramic from Hwy. 101, Drive 3 miles on Shoreline Hwy. #1. At the top of the hill, turn right onto the Panoramic Highway. From Panoramic access, Muir Woods/Mount Tamalpais and Stinson Beach. Or Continue straight on Shoreline Highway #1 about 12 miles to Stinson Beach. When traveling South to North on Hwy.#1, upon entering Stinson Beach, Make a right at the Firehouse, onto Belvedere, a u turn and park alongside fence, at #1 Belvedere and Hwy. #1, the Redwoods Haus, On Street Parking. Olema intersection and Sir Francis Drake Blvd.-16 miles South to Stinson Beach. Point Reyes Station. So. to Stinson Beach-18 miles So. to Stinson Beach. Barbeque in the Bier-garten Bring your own fish/chicken/duck/lamb/meat cuts/zucchini/corn/beverages and b.b.q. coals for barbeque, we provide potatoes, rice, onions, bread, condiments & b.b.q. coals or mesquite. Oysters[Redwoods Chef gives instructions