Nausea comes before Oysters & Forts

Off we went, with the Golden Gate in our rear view and Portland our destination. I was probably the one more excited about venturing off Interstate 5 and winding north up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway or the 1 for some of you east coasters). Through beautiful Muir Beach, across strangely named Dogtown and spinning around Olema. That's when it happened, the stiffening of the neck, the tacky tongue and those burps, oh those burps. Yep, motion sickness. Some of the worst I had ever had. I felt like someone had me pinned against the passengers seat. Suddenly every twist, turn and dip moved me closer and closer to an eruption. What started as breathtaking vistas and exhilarating roadways had quickly become a potential 3rd grade science fair exhibit. Fortunately, for us and the car, we rolled into a small gas-stop town called Point Reyes Station - that to my surprise had a pharmacy. After gobbling down some non-drowsy Dramamine and a ginger beer, I told Yas I just needed to walk around a bit and I'd be ready to roll again.

I never thought I'd be grateful for motion sickness, but thanks to it we stumbled into a place renown for their BBQ oysters. As we were meandering around a couple of the cute shops in town waiting for my stomach to settle, we inquired about the best spot to get some shelled deliciousness. It turned out that the best place was actually about 10 miles north at a roadside stop called Marshall General Store. By this point Yas and I were so hyped about the oysters I had totally forgotten about my bout with nausea just a half hour before.

When we landed at The Marshall Store it smelled heavenly. Surrounded by small time boat repair shops, it was obviously a locals spot. We bellied up to the counter and ordered a half dozen raw oysters and a half dozen BBQ'd. Delicious local oysters pulled out of the north pacific waters only hours before they were on our plate. I'm no food journalist, so please take a gander at the pictures, they show our bliss.

What I was not expecting was to have possibly the best sweet beef jerky I've ever consumed. There it was just sitting at the register, so discrete and innocent. How were we to know our quick beefy hor d'oeuvre would nearly induce tears. Naturally, after we finished the oysters we marched back into the store and grabbed several more pieces and hit the road.

Hours later entering Fort Bragg still licking our well-seasoned fingers, we pulled into North Coast Brewing Company and had some surprisingly tasty nosh - a calamari steak to be exact. We also guzzled down a couple of Red Seal Ales, which unbeknown to me were brewed right across the street. Looking at the map, we really hadn't made it very far but it was getting late and my driver was getting tired so we ducked into a roadside motel and called it a night.

Photography exhibit in a Point Reyes gallery.



Half a dozen BBQ'd oysters at The Marshall Store.



Patiently waiting for their Red Seal Ales at the North Coast Brewing Company