San Rafael is the county seat of Marin County, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The town itself is pleasant enough, but the real draw is its position as a base for exploring some of the Bay Area's finest outdoor spaces.
The futuristic Marin County Civic Center, the last building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is worth a visit for architecture fans. Beyond that, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — the largest urban park in the world — spans several counties from here. The Marin Headlands overlook the ocean and bay, and Muir Woods National Monument offers easy walking paths through majestic groves of redwoods. A day on Mount Tamalpais offers hiking with panoramic views, and Point Reyes National Seashore to the northwest has bird- and whale-watching, hiking trails, and a lighthouse reached by 300 steps. The Museum of International Propaganda is a free and surprisingly absorbing collection of state-sponsored art from around the world.
Nearby Sausalito has waterfront restaurants and galleries, and Tiburon's cafés look back across the bay to the San Francisco skyline.