Daytrippin’ at Hog Island Oyster Farm

I've been living in the Bay Area for nearly 10 years now and to this day, I'm still amazed at how lucky we are to be in such close proximity to bounties of breathtakingly beautiful local escapes. One of my absolute favorite places to visit is Tomales Bay, a long narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean, where national parks, charming historic towns and sustainably farmed oysters lure nature, history and seafood lovers from all over. The best way to experience this truly unique part of the Bay is to spend an afternoon at Hog Island Oyster Farm, which is just an hour drive north of San Francisco. You can easily make an entire day, let alone a weekend, out of it. In collaboration with Metromile, a new car insurance company that is changing the industry with its practical pay-per-mile insurance, I'm excited to share how I love to spend a day around Tomales Bay.

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Getting There . . . with Metromile

I love to drive. However, I don't do much of it. We live in an enclave of Oakland where we're within a few minutes drive, if not walking distance, to public transportation, grocery stores, restaurants and boutiques - it's the perfect example of suburban and urban living. This is why we recently decided to switch our car insurance to Metromile. What I like about Metromile is just how easy, straightforward and sensible it is. Once you sign up, they send you a small GPS-enabled device, called The Pulse, that plugs into your car's diagnostic port so they can track how many miles you've driven within a month. Your monthly premium is then calculated by multiplying your per-mile rate by the number of miles driven per month, and then added to your low base rate. So you can imagine, we've saved a significant amount of money since making the switch. All of this information can be tracked on their convenient app, in addition to copies of your policy documents, reminders for engine checks, locations of your parked car and trip data like speed, money spent on gas and distance traveled.

Oh, and what about long distance drives, you ask? This was my biggest concern. Thankfully, daily mileage charges are capped at 250 miles per day for each vehicle so there's no charge for miles above the cap. Easy peasy. I'll drive!

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Hog Island Oyster Co.

I can't think of a better way to spend beautiful afternoon than at Hog Island. It's honestly my happy place. Hog Island Oyster Farm has been sustainably raising premium quality oysters and shellfish since 1983 and the farm, which sits right on Tomales Bay, is a hot spot for tourists and locals alike. The key to the best experience possible is to decide one thing: to shuck or not to shuck. If shucking your own oysters isn't your thing, or if you're short on time, hang out at The Boat Oyster bar, Hog Island's outdoor cafe. They serve raw & BBQ oysters and a small menu of local cheese, charcuterie, salads and house seafood specials. Shucking your own oysters at Hog Island also has its benefits. Oysters are nearly half the price (since you're doing all the labor), and you and your party can BYO just about anything to BBQ on your own charcoal grill. Either way, be sure to make a reservation!

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Point Reyes Station

On your drive back to the Bay, stop by the tiny old railroad town of Point Reyes Station. There you'll find the most charming book store, general store and bakery. It's also home to Cowgirl Creamery, on of my favorite artisanal cheese manufacturers. And in the summers, from 9am - 1pm, is the Point Reyes Farmer's market, where West Marin's agricultural bounty is available for purchase. I love stopping by here to pick up some goodies for the weekend or snacks for the car ride home.

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Don't Miss . . .
  • Point Reyes Lighthouse
  • Abbotts Lagoon
  • Heart's Desire Beach
  • Blue Waters Kayaking
  • Elephant Seal Overlook
  • Tule Elk Preserve
  • Cypress Tree Tunnel
  • Saltwater Oyster Depot
  • Tomales Farmstead Creamery
  • Nick's Cove Resort
  • The Marshall Store
  • Point Reyes Books
  • Toby's Feed Barn
  • Bovine Bakery
  • Cowgirl Creamery
  • Marin Sun Farms

Thank you, Metromile, for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. Photography by Andrea Posadas.

Leave a Comment

11 Comments

  1. Michelle wrote:

    What a beautiful place, I would love to taste those oysters!
    https://www.makeandmess.com/

    5.10.18
    Reply
  2. Carol wrote:

    Love the photos! I’ve been to Hog Island once and I loved it and can’t wait to return the next time I’m in the Bay Area. I’m in LA and we have Jolly Oyster in Ventura Beach when I’m craving oysters.

    5.10.18
    Reply
    • Erica wrote:

      Ohh, I’ll have to try Jolly Oyster the next time I’m down south!

      5.10.18
  3. It sounds like a heaven on earth, i wish i lived near that place. Those photos look amazing. About the car insurance, i would love to have something like that in my country, I would save loads of money.

    5.11.18
    Reply
  4. Michelle wrote:

    Would you be willing to share where you found your beautiful blouse? It is lovely and looks great on you. What a fun trip!

    5.12.18
    Reply
  5. Thanks

    5.14.18
    Reply
  6. roy wrote:

    this is truly an amazing article!

    5.14.18
    Reply
  7. eddie007 wrote:

    i m foody guy i love eat, i want to eat new dished daily

    5.23.18
    Reply