MA = Minimal Attendance

If you go to MA, you know how many days we have off. We’ve probably had more short weeks than full ones. Are you wondering how to use your long weekends? In this article, we ask students for their opinions on these days off and their favorite uses for them. In our survey, 61.5% of people said they like to hang out with their friends on their days off. But what do people like to do in Marin? Some people said they enjoy going to the mall, getting lunch, and thrifting. So, where are the hotspots for doing these things?

Thrifting is a sustainable way to shop and prevent fast fashion while supporting local businesses.

Some favorites in Sonoma include:

• Opera House Collective in Petaluma is a finely curated store full of high-quality, stylish vintage items. 

• The Thrifty Hippy, also in Petaluma, is a thrift-flipper's happy place, with great finds waiting to be found and tons of jewelry and trinkets. 

• Spinning Threads in Sebastopol is jam-packed with high-quality vintage and also has a record store attached!   

• Cypress Gallery and Bazaar is a high-quality vintage store with a gallery attached.

Some favorites in Marin and San Francisco include:

• Crossroads Trading CO in San Francisco is a curated collection with trendy staple pieces at reasonable prices (which is perfect if you don’t want to dig for hours.) This store also follows a price guide to give you fair prices if you sell clothes. 

• Sugar Magnolias Powder Room in Larkspur is a fun, funky store with well-priced, high-quality items and a friendly atmosphere. 

Lunch at a delicious restaurant can be a great way to spend the day.

Some favorites in downtown Petaluma are:

• Wild Goat Bistro is a European-style restaurant right on the water. 

• The Shuckery is a seafood restaurant (with lots of non-seafood options). 

• Della Fattoria is a cafe and sandwich shop in the heart of downtown Petaluma. 

Some favorites in Marin include:  

• Il David is an Italian restaurant in downtown San Rafael with great vegetarian options. 

• Sol Food is a Puerto Rican restaurant in downtown San Rafael with excellent quality food and a comfortable environment.

• Playa in Mill Valley is a Mexican restaurant with a good environment and an extensive menu.

Marin, being the heart of mountain biking territory, has dozens of trails at a variety of levels. 

Some popular trails that are beloved by all levels of mountain bikers include:

• China Camp State Park Loop is a moderate-level loop in San Rafael.

• Coastal Trail in Marin Headlands is an easy-level loop. 

• Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail is a moderate trail in the Baltimore Open Space Preserve.

• Railroad Grade Fire Road is a hard-level trail on the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.

• Blithedale Ridge is an easy-level out-and-back trail in Corte Madera.

Community Service:

Finding reliable organizations to donate your time to can be quite difficult and time-consuming. To save you the time you could spend volunteering, we compiled a list of local organizations you can trust.

• Marin-SF Food Bank is an organization dedicated to “Help make a hands-on difference with a variety of volunteer projects for all ages, including food warehouse work and seasonal opportunities.”

• Marin Humane Society -“We help more than 10,000 domestic animals and wildlife each year through rescue, adoptions, foster care, behavior and training, humane education, pet assistance for people in need, lost-and-found pet services, low-cost services, and more.”

• Marine Mammals Center Youth Crew “…is an annual service learning program for high school students to become animal care and education volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center’s main hospital facility in Sausalito. Recruitment and application to the program occurs in the fall and the program runs from January through August each year.”

• Ceres Community Project- “Step into an experience that revolves around learning, growing and giving back to your community. Ceres helps nourish families struggling with illness by providing free meals. Learn how to cook, meet new friends, and gain real-life job skills as you work as part of a unified team.”

• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy- “Help with trail maintenance, remove invasive plants, restore native habitats, and more.”

• Nature Bridge Teen Environmental Education Mentorship- “Teen Environmental Education Mentorship (TEEM) is a volunteer environmental education internship and leadership program for San Francisco and Marin high school students. Through TEEM, participants discover their inner strength as leaders, their ability to positively influence others, and the importance of diversity, community, and hands-on learning. TEEM interns gain firsthand knowledge about the field of environmental education through field trips, one-on-one mentorships with our professional educators, and by leading interactive activities with our elementary school participants.”

Beaches and Surfing:

Because Marin is on the coast, there are numerous fun beaches where many people enjoy spending their time. 

Some popular beaches in Marin include:

• Stinson Beach is a fun spot for surfing and a relaxing day at the beach.

• Bolinas Beach is great for beginner surfers.

• Muir Beach is a popular destination because of its gorgeous beaches and entertaining hikes nearby.

• Dillon Beach is located in a beach town and is the perfect place for surfing and spending a day at the beach.