Day 15 September 24 - Muir Woods and Point Reyesa National Seashore

Over the river and to the woods, then through the woods we went. Caravaning over hills and on winding roads in the fog we entered Muir Woods National Monument and stood in awe of the giant redwood trees.
In 1905 William and Elizabeth Thach Kent bought land in the valley in order to protect the last stands of giant redwoods. So many of them had been cut down to build and then rebuild San Francisco they were afraid of extinction. To ensure its permanent protection, they donated 295 acres of forest to the Federal Government and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it a national monument. Kent requested that it be named to honor John Muir, a noted conservationist, author and earlyadvocate of preservation of wilderness. Now there are also areas of redwood that are protected in other State and National Parks.


Muir Woods is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible of the famous redwood groves which covered a great deal of the northern hemisphere 140 million years ago. These coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) now only grow in a 500 mile strip of Pacific coast from Big Sur to southern Oregon. They are the tallest of all tree life although not as large in girth as the giant Sequoia (Sequoia gigantea). The coastal redwoods reach heights of 380 feet and a diameter of 22 feet. We actually gazed upon some redwoods that are over 1000 years old.


It was a serene, beautiful walk through the woods. One group opted to do the two mile loop and enjoyed getting out and stretching our legs for a change (and maybe using up just a few of our wine calories).

Next stop was supposed to be the Muir Beach overlook for group picture taking and to see the high coastal bluff. However, "somehow" we missed it in the fog.

Onward over the coastal mountains our "hungry" gang drove. At a few points as we rose higher, we were above the fog and could see some of the beauty of the forest below and glimpses of the ocean. Ending up at Olema we were treated to a delightful lunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant. If you ever go there, be sure to share a dessert. Each of us were served a fresh berry and apple cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream served in a large cereal bowl very hot. Each one could have served 4 people but I did notice a few clean bowls.


Someone began to wonder if there were any geocaches in the area. John pulled out his magical Iphone and sure enough, he found one near our cars. Everyone gathered around to watch while John, Barbara and Gene signed in as finders.



Point Reyes National Seashore's main visitor center is the Bear Valley Center a short distance from our lunch stop. More than 350 species of birds and 72 species of mammals inhabit the 65,300 acres along the coast and inland. Due to the fog no one opted to travel the additional distance to see the famous lighthouse built in 1870 to help prevent ships from hitting the rocky shore.

The main attraction for our group was the Earthquake Trail which circles near the San Andreas Fault (blue posts mark the fault line). Along the trail were many interpretive signs explaining what was happening beneath the earth below our feet. We were standing where the Pacific Plate that creeps northwestward about two inches each year and the North American plate moving even slower westward grind together. At one point there were pictures of the fault and a fence demonstrating how one side of had been displaced 16 feet during the 1906 earthquake.

Each car could then decide where to go next, where to stop and what to do on the way "home". One group took their "pups" down to the ocean for a romp in the water. Another group opted to continue on to San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge and have dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. Others took different highways home seeing more of the beautiful country side where cattle and dairy farms thrive.


Another successful day came to an end.