With Julie in Oregon attending Carissa's bridal shower.. it was up to me to make my own fun. So, I decided to check out Mt. Tamalpais - which is just north of the Golden Gate bridge in Marin Country. I've never visited since moving to California (which is pretty pathetic when you realize it is only 60 miles away!).
Mt. Tamalpais (Miwok Indian for 'coast mountain') is 2,571 ft tall rising majestically from the heart of Marin County. I didn't have a map.. so I basically drove to the park and started looking for trail heads for some hiking. It was a gorgeous day (75-80 degrees!) which made Julie jealous because she's been dealing with clear but COLD weather in Oregon).
There's no lack of trails. The first hike I made was out towards the ocean through the grasslands that overlook the Pacific.
Next, I found a trail that went along the watershed.. which I imagine would be way more spectacular in Spring when the water levels are higher! I followed the trail for a mile and a half or so and back. It was a very pleasant walk through some beautiful woods (got me out of the sun!) and Fall foliage. Here's a few pictures I took along the way.
Then, I made a push for the peak. The following picture was my goal.. the ranger fire monitoring station at the top of the mountain. Since there is a parking lot fairly close.. it wasn't too bad or too long of a hike up to be honest. And getting to the top was well worth the effort. Check out all the people just hanging at the top (which would make Julie a smidge nervous!).
From the peak you have a 360 degree panoramic view of the the entire bay area (Click the image below to enlarge it to see the details!). You can see the cargo ships making their way to the Golden Gate.. through and into the bay. The picture shows Marin county down to San Francisco in the background. That's the Bay Bridge to the left of San Francisco - connecting SF to Oakland. The Bay Bridge is very unique because it is a suspension bridge between SF and Treasure Island.. then transitions into a more standard bridge to the east (left) of the island. That's Alcatraz - The Rock - out in the middle of the Bay.
It was fun to get to play with my camera a bit and just get out and get some fun exercise. I can't wait to return again. Next time I'll have to get Tim to go with me!
1st.. there are TONS of bikes in this country. Here’s a bike rack… or should I say a series of bike racks outside a public building. That’s a lot of bikes.
2nd.. our Hotel, the Des Indes, is really beautiful. 14’ ceilings in the guest rooms. Georgous architecture. Very ornate! Here’s a picture of part of my room. It’s comfortable.. but lonely without Julie ;(
3rd.. this is a cool mixture of old and new Europe. Here’s a picture I got in the brief time period where there wasn’t rain and I got to get outside and walk around. Everywhere in Holland there are rivers/or canals.. or whatever you would call them. I tried to capture this picture that is an old style building with lights reflected in the canal… with the outlines of more modern buildings in the background. The old with the new. Anyways.. I tried ;)
