Tomales Bay is a long, narrow finger of water that lies in a straight line for fifteen miles along the San Andreas Fault, so straight that it looks as if it has been ruled on the map. The east shore, where Highway 1 runs, gives you the long view over the water, with the Point Reyes peninsula rising on the far side as a low, dark rampart of firs and grassland. The water is calm and shallow compared with the open coast, and the light changes constantly, from pale silver in the morning to deep blue and gold at dusk.
The bay is famous for oysters, and a string of small farms along the shore raise them in racks and bags. You can stop at roadside tables near Marshall and eat them shucked on the spot, usually with a bottle of local white wine and a view of the tide. The shore is also a mecca for birds, with egrets, herons, pelicans and ducks working the mudflats, and harbour seals hauled out on sandbars. Kayakers paddle the quieter coves, and the bay has a long history as a fishing ground for Miwok people and later Portuguese and Italian fishermen.
Riding here is a pleasure of a mellow kind. The road bends along the shoreline, with gentle gradients, small climbs and short straights, and the views are almost constant. A few blind corners and parked cars at the oyster farms require attention, and weekend traffic can be slow. Fog rolls in from the sea in summer, sometimes thick enough to hide the water entirely, while autumn brings clear, still days. The wind picks up in the afternoon, and a layer is useful at any time of year.
Fuel is not available on this stretch, so plan from Petaluma, twenty-four kilometres east, or fill up before leaving the main highways. The villages of Marshall, Tomales and Point Reyes Station have places to eat and drink, though many are small and close early in the evening. Pull over at the signed turn-outs only, because the shoulders are narrow.