After discovering the damage to our truck we had to pick a place to hunker down for a few weeks while repairs could be made. It was the perfect time to head back to where The Local Branch was born – Marin County, CA. When we first moved to California we lived in Lagunitas – a tiny rural town amidst the Redwoods in West Marin, and right down the road was Point Reyes National Seashore.
The large chunk of land that is Point Reyes is just across the San Andreas Fault line on the Pacific Tectonic Plate and has been slowly sliding its way North along the coast. It’s a unique and magical place and our excitement grew as we weaved our way along the Lagunitas Creek through the Redwoods to the lovely Olema Campground, which would be our home for the next several weeks. The town of Olema is hardly a town at all, but the Inn was a short walk down the road and provided a great opportunity to enjoy locally grown oysters, grass fed beef, and many more of the bounties that the area has to offer.
We were able to get plenty of work done – including printing a large batch of apparel that will be tagged “Made in Olema, CA”. The campground is situated right at the edge of the National Seashore Boundary, meaning we were able to walk right into the park for hikes through historic pastureland, douglas fir forests, and one of our favorite spots when we lived in the area – a recreation Miwok tribal village called Kule Loklo, nestled among towering Eucalyptus trees.
On several morning walks we also spotted the rare herd of Fallow deer that roam the park. They are the descendants of deer imported from Asia many years ago and thus not native to the area. In an attempt to remove the species from the park the females have all been sterilized and will slowly die off over the next decade. Fallow deer have many coat color variations and some are completely white – it’s entrancing to see them silently moving through the forest.
We’ve also spent many days and hours along the Point Reyes coast over the years. The breadth of wildlife and diversity in the park is incredible and the beach is no different. On this visit we saw whales breaching and dolphins swimming by as we sat in the sand with friends.
Our time in Olema was the perfect opportunity for a small crew from the show Tiny House Nation to catch up with us. We had a lovely day being interviewed and filming our home/workshop on wheels. It was a great experience to help promote the amazing (albeit tiny) way of life we get to enjoy.
Next stop – The Mojave Desert on our return journey back to the East Coast.
The Local Branch 
