Green Traveler Guides
08/19/08

Green at the Gate

Our government? Green? Ironic, but the very same US government that still spurns the Koyoto Protocols, is rightly pilloried for its damnable environmental record of the past 8 years, and, until very recently, has refused to concede that the globe is dangerously warming and we wuz why - well, we guess a ray of green sunshine must occasionally slip through the cracks. Kudos to those rebels (!) at the National Park Service. They've succeeded (with the help of other green-spirited souls) in shepherding to completion the newest - and one of the best - green gems in the Bay Area.

Cavallo Point - the Lodge at the Golden Gate. Right after it opened in June, the New York Times named it one its top summer destinations, so you may have heard that it is a former Civil War-era military post in Sausalito that is now a luxury urban national park lodge at the foot of the world's most famous bridge. Restored were 29 historic 2-story buildings around a vast parade ground - pressed-tin ceilings deleaded and reused, hardwood floors and fireplaces restored. Reclaimed materials for furnishings and decor. LEED design standards integrated with original windows and other historic elements of the former officers' quarters, barracks, gym, and chapel. Fourteen new buildings replaced 1960s-vintage (read: ugly) army homes. These guest rooms and suites have rooftop solar panels; radiant heating; low-VOC glues, paints, and carpets; insulation made from recycled denim; and windows that minimize heat loss. Organic bedding is standard in all guest accommodations.

Several big hotel chains wanted at this choice spot, but Cavallo Point's management was awarded to a development group that included management by eco-minded Passport Resorts (Hotel Hana-Maui, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur). The park service liked the scale of their proposal (142 rooms) and the guaranteed space for a new organization, the Institute at the Golden Gate.

The Institute promises to be a beacon for the most important voices and minds in the green world. A joint project of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the park service, it will host conferences and sponsor free lectures. A Going Green conference will take place there September 15-17, 2008. In November 2009, the Aspen Institute and National Geographic magazine will mount a major green program.

Much more could be said about the superb job that is being done here, and about its unique setting and style. Its excellent restaurant, Murray Circle, that showcases local and organic blessed by 2-star Michelin chef Joseph Humphrey. Art exhibits and classes. Cooking school for "learning vacations." A spa. Music and yoga in the restored chapel. Outdoor adventures in the Marin Headlands and beyond.

Cavallo Point exemplifies stewardship of the past, present, and future.