5 Surprising Things To Know About Sausalito
Just a quick skip from San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, or a breezy ferry ride that feels like a mini-vacation in itself, Sausalito delivers on waterfront dining, sailboats galore, and postcard views. But this bayside beauty has layers, quirks, and wild backstories most visitors never hear about.
Behind the marinas and gelato shops is a history shaped by shipbuilders, bohemians, rock legends, and world-class artisans.
Here are five surprising things that make Sausalito more than just a pretty tourist town.
1. Sausalito used to be one of the biggest wartime shipyards on the West Coast
During World War II, Sausalito’s Marinship yard operated around the clock, employing nearly 20,000 workers and cranking out 15 Liberty Ships and a total of 93 other ships during the war effort.
Be sure to drop by the Bay Model Visitor Center (it’s free to enter), which houses a Marinship exhibit.
While it was not built in Sausalito, the SS Jeremiah O'Brien is docked at Pier 35 in San Francisco, and is one of two remaining and operating Liberty ships of more than 2,700 built during World War II. Most of the ship is open to visitors. Read more about what to do in San Francisco here
Otis Redding wrote the lyrics to “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” while staying in Sausalito
2. Sausalito has one of the largest houseboat communities in the U.S.
More than 400 floating homes bob in Richardson Bay, a neighborhood born post World War II, when workers and artists began living in the many abandoned ships from the Marinship shipyard.
You’ll find defunct ferryboats turned into residences, whimsically shaped houses resembling pagodas and cubes, and even storybook-style cottages painted in candy colors.
Sausalito has a vibrant Bay Area sailing community
3. Otis Redding wrote “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” in Sausalito
While staying on a houseboat in Sausalito, Redding penned most of this hit song while, literally, watching the tide roll away on Richardson Bay.
Once you know this, it’s hard to hear the tune in the same way again. Sausalito’s laid-back, slightly dreamy vibe seeped right in, and few places can claim to be the backdrop for such a timeless soundtrack.
Sorry, not sorry, if you now have the song stuck in your head all day, too.
Rumor has it Janis Joplin had her own side-door entrance to The Trident, and her own booth (this one) with epic views
4. The Trident was a hangout for rock legends
In the ’60s and ’70s, The Trident wasn’t just a restaurant—it was counterculture headquarters. Janis Joplin had her own table (and a side door entrance to it), Jerry Garcia dropped by often, Joan Baez was a regular, and The Rolling Stones once partied there with promoter Bill Graham. Jazz great Vince Guaraldi even recorded live sets in the dining room. The restaurant/ bar is also the originator of the Tequila Sunrise (supposedly Mick Jagger’s drink of choice).
Today, the Trident attracts more tourists than rock stars, but I love to go in for a drink and sit amidst the dark wood walls that hold a few stories, and where the views and vibes are still legendary.
Heath Ceramics pieces are known for its sleek, chic, and minimalist design
5. Sausalito is home to one of the most iconic pottery studios in America
Founded in 1948 by designer Edith Heath, the original Heath Ceramics factory still handcrafts its signature plates, bowls, and tiles using many of the same midcentury techniques.
Best of all, you can tour the factory floor, where artisans still mix glazes in small batches and craft each piece by hand, and shop in their factory store for sleek, mid-century-mimimalist vases, cups, and dinnerware that are beloved by chefs, architects, and collectors worldwide.
Read more about Sausalito here
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