Road Trip Stop #6 — Muir Woods, Pacific Highway, and Carmel-by-the-Sea

There's nothing in the world quite like swinging in the matter of hours between such different sites and smells. It puts you in entirely different worlds, each one as surreal as the last. 

The journey to Muir Woods is a narrow, weaving one. Parking is limited so we ended up in a line of cars on the side a dirt road and walking our way there. A hush fell over everyone around upon walking into the grove of Redwoods, the temperature dropped to a dewy chill, and the crisp, clean pine wafts towards you. It's the picture of peace and beauty. 

We headed straight down the coast to try to make it to The 17 mile drive along Pebble Beach by sunset before resting in Monterey for the night. It was a close call having to find our way through back roads and wrong directions from people. We just barely made it in time to see the pink sky over the rolling fog. 

We rose early to eat at the highly recommended Tuck Box. Verging on excessively charming, we walked into a fairytale full of biscuits, jam, and eggs benedict. Delicious and over priced and definitely worth it. 

Down the coastal highway we ooh'ed and aah'ed all day long. It was hard to resist the desire to pull over and take in the stunning new sights around every turn. We didn't always succeed in our resistance and ignored the ETA on our gps as it got later and later. I think you could do this drive over and over and still find the you missed some amazing new sight each time. I can't wait to do it again someday. 

 

 

 

Road Trip Stop #5 — San Francisco

Blindly bidding for a hotel online has an array of outcomes. More often than not, you end up at a solid, pleasant feeling stay. There is the occasional sketchy, sirens all night long, empty the car of everything valuable from the car, hotels. Unfortunately, we rolled up to the latter at 11pm in San Francisco. 

We rose early, fresh faced and ready for our planned one day tour of the city to find that our car window had been smashed in and the car next us had bright blue paint smeared all over it. In was a less than ideal way to start our day but after police reports, insurance calls and finding a auto shop that happened to have just the window we needed a few blocks away.

We jumped in, decided to cut a couple things out and had a wonderful day. Cable cars to Lombard St.>Renting bikes on the Presidio>biking along and over the Golden Gate Bridge>Walt Disney museum>in-n-out on Fishermans Wharf. The day flowed in a way that couldn't be planned.  

Dropping the car off forced us to really utilize the practicality of the cable car transportation. For a day that started out in a way that could make you think less of a city and it's people, we had dramatically good experiences with every other person that day. From mechanics, to the young woman waiting for her car who upon finding out we were going to the Disney museum later, called a friend and had free tickets waiting for us at the desk, The man at the bike rentals hardly charging us and giving perfect advice, and cable car drivers being friendly and engaging. Every person seemed to care and want to make you love this city of theirs. They knew and talked openly about the flaws and how the crime rate is higher than ever, but communicated that there's still good in the people.