Not far into my adult life, I acquired a new piece of vocabulary that I’ve since carried with me for years, dishing it out at the most opportune moments. I’d say I reserve it for only very pressing situations, but truthfully, and in hindsight, either life has become increasingly discombobulated or I just love saying the word discombobulated.
Case in point: the tiny towns tucked within the Bay Area, far and away from the other 7 million inhabitants that surround them. There are a few of these micro communities literally nestled within, behind, over, and under, while the rest of the world whizzes by. Standing on the main street of each and watching planes fly over, trains roll by, boats and freeways pass without a glance left us feeling quite discombobulated- how can two such worlds coexist?
If you visit the bay often, you may be like me- the museums, the stadiums, the piers, the wharf, the beaches, and throw in some eclectic shopping districts and foodie hotspots, and you feel like you know the bay well enough. But ever the curious cat I am, Google Earth is a good friend of mine, and a sweep of the waterlines revealed a few towns previously unvisited by me: Port Costa, Crockett, Point San Pablo Harbor, and Mare Island. Depending on your adventuring style, you can easily hit up all four destinations in one day. Here are some highlights of what we discovered
Port Costa, population 200. A one-lane twisting road offers a single chance to turn east into Port Costa, and very quickly, you are assaulted with signs everywhere, which makes up for the lack of signage leading you here. These signs, however, make it abundantly clear that not only are the entire 200 people united on the same issues, but you’d better be too for the duration of your visit. Here commences your broad-minded willingness to be entertained and stroll without expectations. This is important because there is much to take in once you hit the final 100-yard stretch of Port Costa, lest you crash right into the ocean that serves as the dead end to its one main street.
We have visited more than once in recent years, and while the businesses shift and stretch, some things remain unchanged, such as The Warehouse cafe. Possibly the oldest standing business here, and if it is not, it certainly creates the atmosphere that it is. More of a saloon than a cafe vibe, it often hosts live entertainment, whether that’s a band or the locals. Indoor/outdoor seating, it comes with all the classic signs of a Pub with history deep within all of its many corners and crevices. We are convinced their door never actually closes, maybe because of the delta breeze, maybe because of the rusted hinges, maybe because of the vibes.
The other notable anchors to this town are the Bull Valley Roadhouse and the Theatre of Dreams, which face each other from opposite sides of the street and both take to task serving visitors a unique encounter. The Bull Valley Roadhouse, a hipster’s dream with signature cocktails and
signature decor, and the Theatre of Dreams, a curiosities and oddities shop with baskets and floor-to-ceiling shelves of everything you didn’t know you needed. In between these two businesses are alleys, makeshift lounges, plant life, art, relics, and more relics. Perhaps this is a photographer’s paradise? As you round out your visit to Port Costa, make sure you don’t depart before you’ve crossed the tracks to take in the wide open bay and all its ferries, as well as stopped to feel the train’s vibrations as they pass through.
I would be remiss not to also highlight the town of Crockett, population 3,000, which one must drive through to get to Port Costa. Most notably, my home of the C&H Sugar Cane factory and the Dead Fish Restaurant- both of which are easily spotted landmarks while crossing the Carquinez Bridge- I’d argue that Crockett can also put itself on the map for its bizarre layout of DIY streets and collection of DIY houses. Difficult to sum up with a photograph, we were not prepared for this off-roading adventure. Surely nothing here is up to code, in compliance, or permitted, and for some reason, this delights me more than anything in our heavily regulated state. If you ever want to know a life without structural engineering enforcement…. Drive the streets of Crockett for fun.
Across the bay is our other highlight for this story: Point San Pablo Harbor. Technically considered Richmond, these residents beg to argue this, and I stand with team PSP. Last known headcount was 35 houseboat dwellers and hundreds of visitors throughout the week, who together make this place a literal party strip. The trek also starts out with a twisting one-lane road through the hills (always a promising sign) that drops you again down into a one-road town with a dead end at the dock overlooking the bay. This time, however, the major draw is the sneak peek you get if ever you were curious about the Burning Man experience- we were told many of the larger-than-life and ever-rotating art installations found at PSP Harbor also spent time at Black Rock City. But for the small exchange of driving into the wild, wild Bay Area, you can walk amongst these giants for free. Also found here is the Sailing Goat Restaurant, again with live entertainment (possibly also brought in from Burning Man as well), occasional pop up curiosity shops, a pier worth walking after splurging on comfort diner foods, wide open views of the North bay and wide open conversations on whether or not you could live full time on a pier over the water yourself.
Rounding out this bay area loop is a drive onto Mare Island. Actually, probably well known as once a military base, it has long been decommissioned, and in a rare instance of approval, a subtle version of gentrification has taken over with the refitting of old buildings and warehouses into thriving small businesses, including Mare Island Brewing Company. It was fascinating to first stroll the old naval shipyards (still intact and in the ongoing preservation process), follow up with a beer once again overlooking the waters, and cruise around old historic homes of retro military years mixed in with new development- a town just shy of 1,000 residents.
Feeling the gravity of total isolation within each of these towns while being fully aware of the massive metropolis surroundings felt much like a mind trick- a discombobulated experience unlike any other had you done a typical day trip to the Bay. Their own versions of the Mystery Spot, these towns existences toy with your perceptions of what it means to be immersed in
chaos and yet only hear it all as a distant buzz. When was the last time you felt this type of discombobulation?
To discover more about these micro communities, you’ll probably just need to drive there, or follow @ca.love.fornia on Instagram for more tips and information.
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