23 Dec Muir Woods and Sausalito

With the smoke covering San Francisco in a deadly version of Karl the Fog, we decided that staying in the city was a rather depressing concept as we could not go outside without a face mask. So we took the opportunity to go for a walk around Muir Woods, a redwood reserve North of the Bay Area. Redwoods are impressive as an idea, but in person they are almost magical to wander around. The sheer height alone is incredible as they seem to go on forever. Muir Woods offers trails around the forest with secluded groves and plenty of opportunity to go inside the giant trees. We enjoyed a 2 hour walk in a refreshing break from the day-to-day city life that we experience.

After this, we decided to head to Stinson Beach which is famous for its Great White Shark breeding grounds. We decided this was perhaps not the best place for a swim so actively walked as far away from the water as possible. We were accompanied by a seal who had clearly spotted us walking along the beach and decided to tail us for the entire thing, even when we turned around to walk back. Clearly he was braver than us.

By this point we were ready for a sit down and a snack, so we decided to stop by in Sausalito. Sausalito is high on my list of my favourite Bay Area places with its upmarket modernist houses right on the coast overlooking San Francisco. It’s a beautiful place to wander around with independent shops and an incredible ice cream parlour. Would definitely recommend to anyone who can drive or cycle over.