Joe ~ my bad, I was indeed thinking of Highway 1, not 101. It's been too long...

Years ago, I spent a summer in Bolinas, which is on the coast of Marin County about halfway between the Golden Gate and Point Reyes. It is indeed quiet and very beautiful in that area, and great for whale-watching (the word "bolinas" means "whales" in either Spanish or Portuguese). But people should be forewarned that it's almost always foggy and surprisingly cool in the summer months, even moreso than in the city of San Francisco.