Yes, the "good old days" always were better than today. That's a snide remark, but also the truth, because of our selective memories. In my case, I had a couple of relatives who lived in Marin, in the newer parts (at the time) of Fairfax and Novato, and as kids we always looked forward to Sunday family get-togethers there due to sunshine, places to play, and even the odd Doughboy pool in the yard (those never lasted long). Since my family and most of the relatives at the time lived in San Francisco or Daly City (Westlake), a little sunshine was to be treasured. In those days, it was a big trip to pile into the family beast and drive all the way to Novato or Fairfax!

School or day-camp trips to Marin T&C Club (in a charter bus) also were standard summer fare. By then (late 1950s/early 1960s) it seemed a little seedy, but again sunshine and swimming pools (don't worry about the crowding and odd things floating and occasionally getting sick) was great compared to fog and, in SF city pools, cold water inside a building in the fog.

Of course, by the time I got out of college (not in the Bay Area) and got a job (north of Marin) the aunts and uncles and cousins had scattered, Marin housing had become unobtainium, and the traffic was horrible at commute times (maybe an hour in Santa Rosa; up to 2-3 hours in Marin and at the Bridge) in all directions. Nothing much has changed there other than the spatial and temporal dimensions of the gridlock (will SMART help, a little?) and unaffordability (the whole Bay Area now, really). Didn't last long (first jobs seldom do) but it was especially fun to be there in the early days of modern Sonoma County wine. That was before they started to charge you and fill the glass, so you get drunk after only a stop or 2 and need a limo to stumble into rather than your car (or even a bicycle). Tasting back then was something you did in a corner of the (often rustic) winery (not a fancy bar) with very small amounts to decide which wines to buy (with a discount from liquor stors, often, not a premium). There was even a place in Alexander Valley where they would fill your jugs with serviceable (not rotgut) red for a buck or 2 a gallon.