In addition to touring the wine country during our San Francisco trip, we also paid a visit to the famed Muir Woods – the 295-acre site of California giant redwood just half an hour north of the city. This particular place has been on my lust list for quite some time now, and I can’t really articulate the exact reasons why. There’s just something about the beautiful red oak, the tranquil forest, and the beguiling setting that simply spoke to me. What could be more soothing and calming?
In fact, the last time I visited San Francisco in April, I had wanted to come here. Sadly (and perhaps ironically) my girlfriend and I got horribly lost somewhere on Lombard street in the late afternoon – whereupon we gave up, and went shopping in the Mission instead.
Looking back, it was lucky that we did! Divine intervention I call it.
The best time to see the woods is early in the morning (we arrived around 9am), so as to beat the crowds and the impossible parking situation (which I’m sure my girlfriend and I would have encountered). There’s also nothing more relaxing and divine than to find yourself (nearly) alone amidst some of the oldest living things on the planet. By the time hubby and I left the park, it would have taken half an hour just to walk from the faraway parking sites to the entrance of Muir Woods. Say no to that!
Of course, being 30 weeks pregnant, we opted not to do any crazy hikes, and went for the man-made path instead (very preggy friendly indeed). Even so, I would venture to say that this is probably one of the more active things I’ll do during my third trimester! Well, apart from giving birth I suppose.
Similar to our wine-touring experience, we did Muir Woods with the lovely folks over at Extranomical tours, with Mark, our extremely knowledgeable guide. I highly recommend taking this approach, since navigating the steep hills to the park is no small feat. My only lament is that we didn’t stay longer – but there is always next time!!!
