Recreation

Indian Valley Golf Club
Located off Highway 101 at San Marin Exit on Novato Blvd.
3035 Novato Blvd.
Novato CA 94947
415-897-1118
Fax 415-892-3934
www.ivgc.com

Indian Valley offers one of Northern California's most scenic 18-hole golf courses. Designed by Robert Nyberg, this challenging course features many rolling hills and trees. The course measures 6,253 yards from the championship tees, 5,842 from the regular tees and 5,238 from the women's tees. Indian Valley Golf Club also features a driving range and practice greens. Lessons are available from the Professional Staff of Indian Valley. Indian Valley comes equipped with a coffee shop, clubhouse facilities and a full service pro shop.

StoneTree Golf Club
9 StoneTree Lane
Novato CA 94945
415-209-6090
Fax 415-209-6925
www.stonetreegolf.com

StoneTree is designed to challenge and stimulate tournament level players and is rewarding for those with average or even less than average skills. The design's critical contouring and large number of approach strategies pay homage to the great classics of golf's most respected era. The course measures 6,810 yards from the championship tees to 5,232 from the regular tees. You'll find unparalleled attention to detail. The fairways are sand-plated to provide the very finest turf conditions year-around surrounded by oaks, maples, buckeyes, willows and firs and the cart paths have a distinctive salt finish. The Clubhouse, reminiscent of a country estate includes a grill, lounge, complete men's and women's locker rooms, a pro shop, as well as indoor and outdoor banquet, meeting and event facilities.

Stafford Lake Park
Located west of Novato on Novato Blvd.
415-499-6387

Situated on the shore of Stafford Lake, three miles west of Novato, this 139 acre park offers lake fishing, a nature trail, picnic areas with barbecue facilities for groups of up to 500 people, a popular children's play structure, lawn areas, a softball field, volleyball and horseshoe courts. The lake and Novato hills make for some wonderful vistas, and the picnic and play areas are lovely as well. Day use fee required.

Willow Tree Stables
3777 Vineyard Road, Novato
415-897-8212

Surrounded by interesting trails, Sunset Corral offers guided trail riding, horse rentals, instruction and boarding. Open 7 days a week.

Entertainment

Infineon Raceway
Located 15 minutes east of Novato at Hwy. 37 & 121
Ticket Office Hotline 800-870-7223 (RACE)
http://www.infineonraceway.com

Infineon Raceway is located 30 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and serves as the gateway to the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country. The track hosts several nationally televised events, including NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing, the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Superbike tour, and the IRL IndyCar Series. Infineon Raceway is a year-round motorsports complex with events scheduled 340 days and 50 weekends a year. More than one-half million fans passed through the gates during the 2005 season.

Six Flags Marine World
2001 Marine World Parkway
Vallejo, CA 94589
707-643-6722
http://www.sixflags.com/parks/marineworld/

Discover the wonders of wildlife at Six Flags Marine World with tigers, dolphins, sharks, elephants, giraffes and other amazing animals. Experience the best in wild rides with Vertical Velocity, the new tallest, fastest skyrocket of a thrill-coaster in Northern California. Seasonal Operation.

Cultural & Historical

Miwok Park/Marin Museum of The American Indian
2200 Novato Blvd, Novato
415-897-4064

Novato's 35 acre Miwok is a large, shady park built around the Marin Museum of the American Indian.The Marin Museum of the American Indian offers group tours, nature walks and "hands-on" programs available to all ages by appointment. Drop in visitors are welcome during Gallery hours. The gallery primarily houses exhibits of Coastal Miwok and Pomo Indian Cultures. There is also a museum store which features Native American gifts and books.

The Novato Arts Center at Hamilton Field
500 South Palm Drive, 501 South Palm Drive, 781 Hamilton Parkway
Novato, Ca
415-897-4323

The Novato Arts Center at Hamilton Field provides a campus setting for artists at the historic airfield, once called the "Hollywood of military bases". The facility has been recently renovated, retaining its original 1930's Spanish architectural style. The campus consists of three buildings connected by pathways and an interior garden area. A small café on-site
offers indoor and outdoor patio seating.
The campus provides approximately 24 artist studios and a facility run by Indian Valley Artists, a non-profit Bay Area arts organization. In fulfillment of their mission to provide community access to art, they have combined art studios for individual artists with both a gallery and a classroom area. Plans are underway for the addition of a commercial gallery operated by Indian Valley Artists in the central building. The gallery is being designed adjacent to a spacious entrance area, and will become the centerpiece of the campus.
Six to eight events are coordinated each year. Open hours are scheduled according to class, workshop, open studio, and exhibit schedules.

Novato History Museum
815 DeLong Ave, Novato
415-897-4320

Located in the restored home of Novato's first postmaster, the house was built in 1850. This unique building has been the home of the Novato History Museum since 1970 and contains many interesting displays: historical photographs, records, deeds, descriptions and maps, antiques, exhibits of bygone household goods, tools, toys, costumes, reference books and Hamilton Field memorabilia. Group tours are by appointment. Free admission, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday 12 noon to 4 pm, donations accepted.

Olompali State Historic Park
Located three miles north of Novato on U.S. 101.
The entrance is accessible only to southbound traffic from Highway 101.
The park overlooks the Petaluma River and San Pablo Bay from the east-facing slopes of 1,558 foot Mount Burdell. Several historic buildings are preserved within the park. Visitors may also use the hiking and horseback riding trail as well as shaded picnic areas.

Sightseeing

Muir Woods
Relax at Muir Woods, the coast redwoods are the tallest living things. The Bohemian and Cathedral groves contain the biggest trees in Muir Woods--one 252 feet tall and one 14 feet wide. Most of these trees range in age of 800-1000 years old! There are 3 walks, from one-half hour to 1.5 hours, and much longer hikes if you wish. The forest park is actually paved to make it easy for wheelchairs and mothers with strollers. The longer hikes are unpaved. The 560 acre park includes six miles of paved, mostly level trails on the canyon floor.

Napa/Sonoma Wine Country
Renowned for its wines and beautiful countryside. Many of the wineries offer wine tasting as well as winery tours and delicious food. In addition, there are also many cafes and bistros for lunch or snacks.You can explore new and different wines, and learn where to find these special tastes of the Wine Country.

Napa Wineries - www.napavalley.com/cvb/cvbwinry.html
Sonoma Wineries – www.sonoma.com/wineries/

Point Reyes
In 1579, Sir Francis Drake, sailing his Golden Hind, explored this treacherous and windy coastline that had been home to the Coast Miwok people for hundreds of years. Today, this harsh region is home to more than 470 species of birds that thrive in the 70,000-acre park. The park is also home to the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870. In the park are the Morgan Horse Ranch, a replica of a Coast Miwok Indian village called Kule Loklo and three easy, self-guiding trails. The Earthquake Trail follows the San Andreas Fault for 0.7 mile. Longer trails cross the pasturelands of Pierce Point and the Estero, chaparral ridges, California-laurel valleys, forests and meadowlands. Scenic roads lead to beaches, panoramic views, outstanding bird watching areas, and a tule elk grazing area. Visitors can watch bird-banding activities at the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and explore the fascinating tidepools.

San Francisco
Located 30 minutes south across the Golden Gate Bridge.
For more information, visit the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
www.sfvisitor.org
The City is situated on a 46.6 square-mile peninsula bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by the Golden Gate strait and from north to east by San Francisco Bay. The last provides it with one of the world's finest land-locked harbors. The Bay is spanned by two landmarks, the Golden Gate and San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges, and graced by four islands -- Alcatraz, Angel, Yerba Buena, and Treasure.
Its principal attractions are the century-old cable cars, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park among so many others.

Wine, Food & Fun

Marin French Cheese Company
7500 Red Hill Road
Petaluma CA 94952
800-292-6001
Fax 707-762-0430
www.marinfrenchcheese.com

Visit for a tour and picnic in over five acres of landscaped park! Selection of fine soft cheeses, single cheeses, gift boxes, and souvenir items are available for purchase.

Pacheco Ranch Winery
235 Alameda del Prado
Novato, CA 94949
415-883-5583

Estate Marin County Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown, produced and bottled at historic Pacheco Ranch established 1834, the oldest land grant property in California. Tasting by appointment.

Location to points of interest from Novato:
– Golden Gate National Recreation Area/Golden Gate Bridge (16 miles)
– Mount Tamalpais State Park (10 miles)
– Muir Woods National Monument (12 miles)
– Point Reyes National Seashore/Lighthouse (20 miles)
– Sausalito (15 miles)
– Sonoma & Napa Wine Country (20 miles)
– Stinson Beach (20 miles)
– Tomales Bay State Park (25 miles)