I lived in this idyllic village just north of San Francisco for a decade or more and, now that I pause to describe it, realize that time and place was all about revitalization. We bought a small house and remodeled. I went back to work, repurposing my career in journalism to public relations. I wrote stories late at night, retooling my past. And I joined The Larkspur Community (TLC) to help my friend, Maryjane Dunstan, save the downtown merchants from the drain of two shopping malls in the neighboring town.

We started with pole banners, which are still flying. And then an Historic District, a street party and eventually an annual Food and Flower Festival to celebrate our climate and the cluster of fine restaurants. Meanwhile, my friends Joyce Ortega and Phyllis Maytii, spearheaded a drive to save King Mountain, hovering above in the background, as official open space. Rulli's moved in next to Maryjane's bookstore, offering gorgeous desserts with Italian ices and coffees, and soon after, The Left Bank graced the corner with the best of French cuisine. The Lark Theater reopened as an independent film venue and thank goodness, The Silver Peso held on as an unholy den of smoke and tall tales.

If you visit Northern California, I highly recommend the 12-mile drive from the City. Take a shopping stroll along Magnolia Avenue, grab lunch or maybe coffee on the sidewalk at Rulli's while you narrow down your choices. You can follow with a hike into the redwood canyon, a bike ride on miles of paved trails, or a slow drive through what has become a very tony haven of liberal prosperity. Drop me a line and let me know if you fell in love with it, too.