.Random City: The Curious Case of San Rafael

The city of San Rafael has a long and eclectic history, full of oh-so-many curiosities and curios to reflect on, celebrate and maybe even question. From the Museum of International Propaganda to the origin story of both Jedis and the highest of holidays, 4/20, San Rafael sure does pack a veritable pinball machine’s worth of points of interest from which to bounce.

The San Rafael of now is home to a vibrant and bustling culture and community. Its streets play host to some of the most delicious restaurants, super snazzy bars and a certain sense of joie de vivre that’s very unique to the city.

Current cultural hype aside, San Rafael’s real claim to fame may very well be in its undercurrent of well-rounded randomness. This city’s tidbits of history, culture and miscellaneous crisscross such a wide array of seemingly unrelated topics that to put them in one place is almost chaotic.

So, let’s embrace the chaos and jump right into this rabbit hole spotlighting San Rafael’s truly fascinating, multi-faceted cultural cornerstones.

This story, like many, is best if told from the beginning. And since Californian history didn’t spontaneously combust into existence with the arrival of colonists with writing implements, the real beginning of San Rafael has to start with an acknowledgment of the native civilizations and citizens who were local to the land long before colonization irreversibly changed the course of history.

San Rafael itself was officially founded in 1817 by Spanish settlers on a mission to, well, make missions. The San Rafael Chamber website describes this act of colonization by highlighting the benevolent origin story of the naming of San Rafael by Spanish settlers: “The mission and city are named for the Archangel Raphael, the Angel of Healing…[and] the mission was originally planned as a hospital site for Central Valley American Indians who had become ill at the cold San Francisco Mission Dolores.”

This description of Spanish settlers nursing Native Americans back to health sure is heartwarming. As is this totally neutral description of the success of the mission’s religious coerci—ahem, conversion: “San Rafael was later upgraded to full mission status in 1822. The mission had 300 converts within its first year, and 1,140 converts by 1828.” For an alternative source on the early history and diversity of San Rafael, check out the Friends of China Camp State Park website at friendsofchinacamp.org.

Leaving 1817 (the year Jane Austen died and both Henry David Thoreau and San Rafael were born, for added context), let’s instead fast forward a bit to a more modern timeline with significantly more upbeat facts.

In the 1970s, San Rafael took to the spotlight of strange claims to fame when the master of sci-fi movie making himself, George Lucas, arrived in Marin. Of course, just about everyone and their grandmother knows about this now historical tidbit of California’s cinematic legacy. But a list of San Rafael’s most amazing and strange things would not be complete without at least mentioning the crown jewel: the creator of Star Wars himself.

And although the streets of downtown are (regrettably) lacking in the kitschy Star Wars decor department, there’s no time like the present to start a new cultural trend of representing a more intergalactic spirit with cardboard cutouts or no-context Wookiee costumes.

But before anyone gets too comfortable talking shop about Lucas and Star Wars, it’s time to touch on another topic and embrace the chaos by pivoting to pot. To be more blunt, let’s talk about San Rafael’s historical ties with cannabis, hashish or, to use slang for the more old-fashioned folks out there, the devil’s lettuce. Stoners of every generation can rejoice in knowing that the term 4/20 is said to have originated in San Rafael, all thanks to a group of high school kids called The Waldos who, as legend has it, gathered daily to smoke weed together after school at 4:20pm.

Star Wars and weed may be part of what puts San Rafael on the map for famous factoids, but they certainly don’t overshadow the Grateful Dead’s historical spotlight. This rock band’s connection to San Rafael is a cultural cornerstone locals aren’t likely to forget anytime soon. But, as a refresher, the Grateful Dead are among the most renowned rock bands of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. While much of this band’s prolific career took place across the bridge in San Francisco, its ties to San Rafael are as local as local gets.

With drugs and rock ’n’ roll out of the way, we can finally focus on what really matters in San Rafael—the Museum of International Propaganda. It’s at this museum where visitors can get a shift in perspective through history’s most influential relics. And hey, who knows, maybe learning about propaganda and its international effects could be useful in the world’s current political climate.

Oh, and if all of these unrelated San Rafael facts aren’t enough to tickle readers pink, then perhaps what will do it is knowing that the 11th top employer in San Rafael is, according to Wikipedia, Guide Dogs for the Blind. That’s right—on a list with major medical companies and supermarket chains and other such Goliaths of capital gain stands a literal underdog of hundreds of people who make it their business to train pups and graduate guide dogs.

Then there’s the fact that the most recent and random piece of history that San Rafael can add to its cap of truly bizarre feathery folderol is a silver coin the size of a dinner plate.

So, between Star Wars, weed, propaganda, puppies, treasure and the Grateful Dead, what other cool claims to fame can San Rafael locals call their own? Well, aside from Frank Lloyd Wright’s celebrated design of the Marin County Civic Center, there’s also a lovely canal running the length of much of the city that, apparently, is not the ideal spot for locals to go swimming in to beat the heat this summer.

Instead of diving right into the canal, one can instead experience the plethora of unique attractions that make San Rafael such a fun city to live in and frequent. One such fun upcoming event is the annual Art Walk, where local artists and art lovers can enjoy the best of San Rafael’s inspired works. The Rebound Bookstore really embraces the random spirit of San Rafael, as well as its roots in cultural advocacy and art. On the opening night of this year’s Art Walk, for instance, Rebound Bookstore is opening its doors to host an Activist Photo Exhibit amidst the store’s eclectic decor and goods.

San Rafael’s overall randomness may seem unrelated, but it makes for a culturally rich city, community and culture worth celebrating and, even better, anticipating. After all, the city is likely to have more than a few more cool tricks up its sleeve.