California part 4!
San Fransisco
Our last stop on the Pacific Coast Highway was in San Fransisco. Our good friend Claire (from #DENventure back in October) lives there and works for the National Park System with One Tam and graciously offered to show us around the city and the Marin Headlands (across the Golden Gate bridge). We got in just after sunset and stopped for touristy things just across the bridge (hence all the nighttime pictures of Golden Gate).
We got to Claire's place after driving through a tunnel that has a 5 minute red light(!) and losing service. After spending a few minutes catching up, we hopped in the car and drove to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. Actually, we parked at Fort Mason and walked to Fisherman's Wharf...where we almost got run over by a cop car that was driving at least 45mph down the sidewalk to chase after someone. Logan and I quick-like hopped out of the way and Claire just stood there like a deer in the headlights! It was crazy but also terrifying so we got an Uber back to the car after dinner. Dinner was Wipeout, where I got an awesome burrito. The next morning we got up at 7 so we could get to Muir Woods before the tourists. If you don't know what Muir Woods is, this is what Muir himself had to say about it: "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world."
Pro tip: Get here early! If you get here before 9:00 admission is free and you can get a shot of this gorgeous sign without 100 other tourists underneath of it!
So nerdy happy at this moment.
I think this is approaching cathedral grove, my favorite place in the monument that we went to. It was so quiet and peaceful and the trees were huge and beautiful.
Claire doing what she does best & giving Logan and I free tours!
After Muir Woods, we drove up to East Peak. I don't know what I was expecting, but I got a gorgeous hike out of it. We hiked up maybe half a mile and reached the top. Claire was able to point out some really cool spots on the headlands from here, and we were able to see the Bay Bridge and Mount Diablo from the top! Plus, we got to see that famous San Fran fog rolling in and out of the Bay Area.
After East Peak, we headed to Hawk Hill, a gorgeous viewpoint of the Golden Gate. We were a little skeptical that we'd be able to see the bridge because of all of the fog, but it all rolled out with perfect timing.
We went from Hawk Hill to downtown Sausalito where a wrong turn took us to the best old-people restaurant on the bay. I had pasta with bay scallops, shrimp, and clams and it was amazing! We also had 2 baskets (3 loaves) of sourdough bread because when in Rome... After lunch we headed Fort Mason to see Claire's city office and meet some of the other interns as well as her bosses. It was really awesome to see how she spends her days and who she's hanging out with while she's here. Then Claire took us to Land's End for some gorgeous views.
Dolphins!
After Land's End we went back to viewpoints of the bridge because I wanted more pictures. My parking lot mojo came in handy and we found a spot that wasn't on the side of the road! The temperature had dropped so much by this point and the wind was so strong, but the view was perfect.
After running back by Claire's place to grab a blanket, some beer, and more layers, we headed to Rodeo Beach to watch the sunset. I don't think I've ever had that many clothes on while on a beach, but the view was gorgeous and worth freezing my toes off for.
THANK YOU CLAIRE for such an amazing day in San Fransisco. We were able to hit so many highlights in such a short amount of time. Logan and I will definitely be back so we can see Alcatraz, so keep your couches ready!