Skywalking Back in Time in Nicasio, California
Ok, you can’t really skywalk in Nicasio, but I’ll get to that later. I first saw Nicasio on a trip back from Point Reyes to Monterey. I love old architecture and the fact that this tiny town was full of old Victorian buildings and cute little picket fences attracted me immediately. Nicasio has a population of fewer than 100 people per Wikipedia but the Nicasio website indicates they have “a few hundred families”. Let’s just say it’s very small. This quaint little town is located in a secluded valley eight miles southwest of Novato and is less than an hour drive north of San Francisco. It is the meeting place of four drainage areas for the Nicasio Creek and is the location of the man-made and quite lovely Nicasio Reservoir.
Nicasio is also home to a post office, general store, volunteer fire department, church, and what has to be the teeny tiniest historical society building ever. There is also a baseball field in the town square, a restaurant, and a Druid’s Hall. I am ashamed to say that at first, I imagined the Druid’s Hall was for people dressed like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings as a place to occasionally gain a reprieve from hours spent cavorting in copses of trees with their walking sticks and long white beards. I now realize they are a fraternal group similar to the Masons or the Shriners, the latter those guys who wear fezzes and speed around in itty bitty motorized cars in parades. They may look or seem odd but they are merely hanging out and doing wonderful philanthropic things to help other people.
Most of the land around the town is filled with peacefully grazing cattle, rustic farms, and vineyards. After driving through town you enter a thick redwood forest to the east which is shadowy, elusive and possibly enchanted. (This is where I initially thought the Druids hung out). Ornithology buffs may be interested to know there is a bird named after the area. The Nicasio chickadee, which is a subspecies of the chestnut-backed chickadee, is a native here, so all you bird watchers should bring your binoculars if you want to catch a glimpse of these feathered friends.
The town was also once home to a 22-room hotel which opened in 1867. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1940. A new restaurant/bar was built on the site and is now home to Rancho Nicasio, which features food, dancing and live music and is a venue for weddings as well as private parties and events. Rancho Nicasio is owned by Bob Brown, who was previously the manager for Pablo Cruise and Huey Lewis and the News. He is also part owner (with Boz Scaggs) of a San Francisco nightclub called Slim’s. His son, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy heads the kitchen. I am hoping to check this place out on my next visit to Nicasio, it sounds amazing!
Nicasio has its own website and it is described as “The Marin County town that time forgot”. Time may have forgotten it but it has certainly been the source for modern inspiration. This little town is actually the headquarters for George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch. What? Seriously? Yes, George Lucas can skywalk away here on his ranch and relive his Star Wars and Indiana Jones glory while we mortals are doomed to pathetically shamble about on the ground. That’s life. By the way, Skywalker Ranch is closed to the public, and there are tons of armed security guards patrolling the grounds. I am sorry to dash your dreams of convincing George to let you skywalk with him. Yet, before you are completely crestfallen, let me tell you that George Lucas has his own winery here! Yes, you can drown your sorrows in a big glass of chardonnay or pinot noir from Skywalker Vineyards. Unfortunately, there is no public tasting room at Skywalker Vineyards, they have a private tasting room by invitation only. However, you can order Skywalker wines online at their website: Skywalker Vineyards. The SV website states that Lucas was inspired by his friend Francis Ford Coppola to create the vineyard and winery. Coppola and Lucas have known each other for decades and worked together on the famous 1973 film American Graffiti which Lucas co-wrote and directed and Coppola produced.
Nicasio also served as a film location for a few movies including The People, which stars William Shatner in his hipster years, Shoot the Moon, which features Albert Finney and Diane Keaton (and garnered them both Golden Globe nominations), and Village of the Damned. The latter, shot in 1995, features the Nicasio School as well as multiple homes and landmarks in the area. Village of the Damned is an American remake of an old 1960 British horror film. It stars Christopher Reeve in his last film role before becoming paralyzed, as well as Kirstie Alley and Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker). Before you rush to see this movie, be aware that in addition to being a pretty sorry failure at the box office, it was nominated at the 16th Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.
Pearl Jam fans may be interested to know that their 1993 song “Daughter” was recorded here. Apparently, it is about a girl with dyslexia. I love this song, especially the part where they yell “She will rise above!”. Just gives me goosebumps.
So now, if you drive through a little town called Nicasio, you will know that there is much more to this pastoral, quiet village than meets the eye. You may want to crank up Pearl Jam and pay homage to George Lucas as you pass through by whispering the following words, “I’m one with the Force. The Force is with me”. Perhaps, one day, he will open Skywalker Ranch or Vineyards to us so we can live our skywalking dreams. Until then, thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas.
