WATERY WONDERS... come and go with the seasons. Sometimes Pacific gray whales are passing by on their way to Mexico, and sometimes there's a full-on algae bloom, along certain shorelines, making for a hue-tastic sight. Perhaps your friend has seen the green flash, at sunset, and another has spied a bunch of crabs or turtles or dolphins all in one place. It can stir a little bit of old-fashioned, true blue -- or true green-eyed -- jealousy, of the friendliest sort, to learn from a pal that you missed something super amazing out on the ocean, just because of timing or luck.
MYSTERIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL: But catching of the Golden State's most spectacular just-off-short sights is a matter of being around Point Reyes and Tomales Bay at the right time of year. We speak of bioluminescence, the product of all of those eensy-weensy teeny-tiny dinoflaggelates that seem to go a shimmery, glow-pretty green. Getting a little one-on-one time with a dinoflaggelate, say, in palm of your hand probably isn't possibly, given that they're single-cell organisms. But seeing a bunch illuminate the waters of Tomales Bay is possibly, and Nick's Cove Restaurant, Oyster Bar & Cottages is pairing up nature lovers with these microscopic marvels via evening kayaking jaunts in February.
MAKE THAT FRIDAY EVENINGS: You can book your spot, and a spot for your BFF, and snag a "cozy cottage for two," too, on "select" Friday evenings through the end of April. Blue Waters Kayak is your out-on-the-waves outfitter, and you're sure to learn more about how those wee creatures produce phosphorescent views. Plus? You'll be out kayaking in the evening, which is a bit offbeat as well. A cottage near the water, a kayak by night, and dinoflaggelates doing their ancient glow-y things -- fingers and paddles crossed -- makes for an un-run-of-the-mill adventure. And don't those make we humans rather glow inside, dinoflaggelate-style? Details on the package are right here, wonder lovers.