A ‘Spooky Shoreline' Will Soon Shimmer at Nick's Cove

TOMALES BAY... is beloved for oodles of spectacular sights, but high on the list for many visitors has to be the bay's bioluminescent dinoflagellates, the small, very small, oh-so-super-small single-cell organisms that sometimes give the water a mysterious glow. That glow isn't a constant, but rather appears at certain times, drawing kayakers in search of an ethereal, on-the-waves experience. But there's another Tomales Bay glow that famously glimmers, and while this one isn't in the H2O, it is H2O-adjacent, at Nick's Cove & Cottages. We speak of the...

SPOOKY SHORELINE, the line-up of eeky pumpkins that atmospherically appear near the inn on one special October evening. The jacks offer a joyful reminder of the season, while also appearing against the incredible backdrop of the moody water. So when will this whimsical glow show add fall-esque fabulousness to the beautiful bay? In 2021, the magical date is Sunday, Oct. 24. The "Javelins & Jack O'Lanterns" event is free to join, and Nick's Cove is supplying the squashery, meaning if you show early you may get a pumpkin to carve (the destination doubled its pumpkin order from 2020, which should make for an extra-ethereal presentation as night falls).

THE PUMPKINS? They're complimentary, but also first-come, first-served, so do arrive close to the 2 p.m. start time, if you can. Making an autumnal afternoon of it? That's a major and merry element to that happening, and Nick's Cove is ready to further that feeling with a line-up of seasonal sips and bites (just bring funds to purchase, of course). Also good to pack? A jacket, as temperatures can dip along Tomales Bay as an October evening deepens. For more on this Halloween-meets-the-water whimsy, a sweet Tomales Bay tradition, visit the Nick's Cove social pages now.