On those treasured weekend days when the fog has lifted and the sun is scorching the Northern California coast, blurry-eyed Bay Area residents grab their morning paper and beach chairs, pile into their SUVs, and scramble to the sandy shores of popular Stinson Beach--the North Coast’s nice-try answer to the fabled beaches of Southern California.

A 3-1⁄2 mile stretch of beige sand provides elbow room for everyone to spread out beach blankets, picnic baskets, and toys. Swimming is allowed, and lifeguards are on duty from May through mid-September, though notices about riptides (plus the sea’s toe-numbing temperatures and the threat of sharks) tend to discourage folks from venturing too far into the water. Call 415/868-1922 for recorded weather and surf conditions.

Joined at the hip with la playa is a village filled with art galleries, specialty shops, and informal cafés. There are plenty of adventurous things to do in the area. For example, Off the Beach Boats (15 Calle del Mar, next to the Stinson Beach Post Office; 415/868-9445) offers three-hour lessons on the basics of sea and surf kayaking. They also rent sea and surf kayaks, surfboards, bodyboards, and wetsuits.

Skinny-dipping is the trend at Red Rock (www.redrockbeach.com), one of the few nude beaches on the Marin coast. Located about 1 mile south of Stinson Beach on Highway 1, it’s easy to miss since you can’t see it from the road. Park at the first dirt pull off on your right after leaving Stinson and look for a steep path leading down to the water.