Hike: Cataract Falls
As much as I love having plans to follow (or at least general idea of what’s going on for the day), there’s something so nice about letting go of plans and living in the moment, seeing where things naturally take you. Which is exactly what happened this last weekend…
We decided to take Zeus up north for a day hike and invited our friends to join us at the last minute. They told us they wanted to grab breakfast first but all we wanted to do was get going on our hike. Needless to say, by the time we got across the Golden Gate bridge, our stomachs got the best of us and we all agreed to stop for food.
On our friend’s recommendation, we stopped at Cibo in Sausalito to grab some pre-hike fuel. AKA lots of coffee, breakfast paninis, avocado toast and delicious pastries — highly recommend the Morning Bun (Chris practically inhaled it all before I could get a bite).
From Cibo, we hopped back in our cars and continued north along the winding road to Cataract Falls. There’s not much of a parking lot for the trailhead so we just pulled off and parked along the side of the road with everyone else. The trailhead is clearly marked and the entire trail was very well maintained. It also has plenty of tree coverage which is nice for warmer, sunny days like the one we had. The trail is an out-and-back one, so you can basically choose to add on more distance or turn back at any point.
We decided to add an extra mile towards the “Laurel Dell Picnic Area” and stopped for a quick dip in our own private swimming hole. The water was a bit too cold for my liking, but Chris jumped all the way in, our friends dipped their toes, and even Zeus went for a swim. It was the perfect place to grab a drink and while you could continue further, this is where we chose to turn around.
The hike back down was a breeze and when we returned to the cars, we decided we were ready for some more food and a nice cold beer. Driving back north to the 101, we stopped through the cutest little town, Fairfax.
We started at Mas Masa, which looked like the perfect spot for tacos, guac, and margaritas — unfortunately, we caught them between 3:30-5pm, with a very limited menu. I’m sure we’ll be back another time!
Instead, we walked through town to Way Station for some delicious BBQ and local beers. Their decor and service was top notch, and they’ve got an awesome dog-friendly patio with plenty of seating and outdoor games. You can scope out their dessert menu (including pies and s’mores) or head back to Fairfax Scoop in town for a sweet dessert treat! They’ve got tons of fun flavors, like Vanilla Honey Lavender and Mexican Chocolate, as well as the classics, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla. For me, a scoop each of Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Coffee!
If you go or have been on the Cataract Falls hike, let me know what you think of it! I’d also love to go back to Fairfax sometime, so feel free to share any other recommendations :)
