Boating on the Bay

     After our morning trip to Muir Woods, we had a late lunch at the Dipsea Cafe. The food was plentiful and very delicious. Nick and I had omelets that were bursting with cheese and other goodies. Lucy had whole-wheat mango ginger pancakes, and Grandma stuck with buttermilk. After sampling everyone's meals and finishing my own, I was satisfied.
      Then, we headed back into San Francisco and over to Pier 39. Lucy got us all tickets to go for a Wildlife Eco-tour via boat.

     A bit after 3pm, we boarded the tiny boat named the Kitty Kat. The weather was mostly sunny in San Francisco, but it appeared to be a bit foggy over the bay. The Captain ensured us it was a beautiful day for boating.

     As we pulled away from the pier, Nick and I sat on a bench along the side of the boat. Soon thereafter, we were sprayed several times by the cold water, and suddenly, it was like a water park ride. Grandmother sat inside where it was warm and dry. Once we made it into the bay, the waves calmed, and it was safe enough to stand up front. Nick, Lucy, and I stood at the front and listened to the tour guide describe the different kind of birds we saw. We floated by Alcatraz and stopped to take photos.

 

      Then, we continued past Alcatraz to Angel Island. We circled the island and looked for more wildlife. We saw several different kinds of birds, a couple seals, and a porpoise.

      After, we headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge. We passed under the bridge and turned back around on the other side.

      The scenery was very impressive. I certainly had never seen the bay or San Francisco from this viewpoint. It was a lot of fun, and I am very thankful Lucy was kind enough to plan this for us.

Muir Woods

         "This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew 
           is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. 
           Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas 
           and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls." 
                                               John Muir

     On Wednesday, Nick and I went on a day trip to Muir Woods with Aunt Lucy and Grandma. Muir Woods is one of the few places in the Bay Area remaining where you can find old growth Sequoias, or Redwoods. Unfortunately, we did not have much time to explore the depths of Muir Woods, but we did go for a short walk down a paved path. The woods were beautiful. It was very lush and green, much unlike anything you'll find in Colorado. 
     Honestly, my heart broke a little when shuffling through the throngs of tourists. I saw people wandering off the trail in places they weren't allowed, children ripping the leaves off ferns and carrying out giant sticks. It is hard to see these things and think of John Muir, a preservationist. However, I guess it is a blessing that it is preserved at all, no matter how much it has been commodified and desecrated. Often, I must remind myself these people are here to marvel at mother nature as well. They just may not have to same understanding of what it means to respect her. I look forward to our next visit to San Francisco to do more exploring around this park.

   

Pescadero

      The day after we arrived in San Francisco, Nick, Grandma, Lucy, and I went for a drive to Pescadero. It is an hour south off the coast. It was an overcast day, but the drive was still very scenic. Alison met us at the trail head, and we went for a short walk along the coast. Before we started, Lucy read from her hiking book that Pescadero is the tick capital of the nation. Nick and I found several on us later after returning home. (Sorry Jason)
     After our walk, we headed into the town of Pescadero to have dinner at Duarte's. Duarte's is a small but well-known restaurant. They are famous for their pie, and also, their cream of artichoke and cream of green chili soups. Nick got the cream of artichoke soup and a fresh salad with veggies grown right out back. I got the cream of green chili soup and some goat cheese ravioli, which I shared with Alison. Nick and I both got pecan pie for dessert. It certainly was not disappointing.