Today's gentle haven was once rough-and-tumble - Tiburon, California

Unlike many small towns around the San Francisco Bay, Tiburon has managed to save, restore, and make accessible many of its historic buildings, some of which date back nearly a century to when Tiburon was a busy terminus for the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad (later the Northwestern Pacific Railroad).

The tracks are gone now, replaced by condos, roads, and a bike path along Richardson Bay, but traces of the turn-of-the-century town - restored historic buildings and elegant Victorian mansions - still shape the character of the downtown area. This history is revealed in a new walking guide to historic downtown Tiburon and nearby points of interest. It's free for the asking at various locales downtown.

The self-guided tour begins at Main Street and Paradise Drive and takes about an hour. Along tree-lined Ark Row is a collection of restored 19th-century floating homes and summer cottages in which San Franciscans once spent their summers. The arks, now boutiques and shops, retain much of their original charm. The map also leads you to an 1889 sandstone tower that once marked the entrance to Lyford's Hygeia, a planned town site and health spa; the 1884 Train and Ferry Terminal of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad; and the China Cabin (52 Beach Rd.), an elegant social saloon salvaged from the side-wheel steamer China, which has been restored to its full gilded grandeur. (The latter is open 1 to 4 Wednesdays and Sundays, April through October.)

Perched on a hillside above town, Old St. Hilary's, a former Catholic church built in 1888 to serve the faithful of Tiburon during its railroad days, is a distinctive example of carpenter Gothic architecture. The church is surrounded by St. Hilary's Preserve, which protects 217 species of wildflowers, two-thirds of which are endemic to the Tiburon peninsula. Scenic paths lead through the preserve, which is most spectacular in spring. (Open 1 to 4 Wednesdays and Sundays, April through October.)

Ferry service from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf is the easiest and most pleasant way to visit Tiburon, especially on crowded summer weekends, when parking spaces can be scarce. For ferry schedules, call (415) 546-2896.

Driving from San Francisco, take U.S. Highway 101 north to the Tiburon Boulevard (State 131) exit; go 4 miles east to the town center. Parking lots are on Tiburon Boulevard next to Home Savings and on Main Street next to the Tiburon Playhouse movie theater. A parking lot on Mar West near Tiburon Boulevard offers the best all-day rate ($2). The free walking guide is available at several downtown shops (try Windsor Vineyards, 72 Main; Ark Angels, 116 Main; or The Watermark at Tiburon Books, 82 Main) and at the Tiburon Chamber of Commerce, 96B Main, lower level of Ark Row (open 8 to 4 weekdays; 435-5633).

COPYRIGHT 1996 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group