Muir Woods National Monument ~ 2022

This year I celebrated my 82nd birthday on February 4th in Reno! My friend Virginia was in the hospital getting therapy for her standing and walking capabilities so I Chuck on Amtrak

went by myself.

I hadn't been to Muir Woods for almost 35 or more years so thought a day trip from the City to the woods, then a quick walk around Sausalito and finally, a ride on the ferry back to San Francisco was a good idea!

Most people know Muir Woods has some of the tallest trees in the world! Some as tall as a 30 story building!

There are other red wood trees in California that are over 2,000 years old!

I live on the 28th floor and it is hard to visualize trees that would top out by my windows!

I decided to ask my neighbor Trish if she wanted to go with me to Muir Woods as a treat. She also hasn't been to Muir Woods for many years. She is a good friend and we have done many things together over the last 20 years!

Here we are at the 50th Anniversay Party for the Curry Senior Center! It was celebrated on the top floor of the new Hastings Law School building overlooking the Civic Center. Most of the attendies were Curry donors and board members.

David was there and we got to meet him again after a few years. He is the Chief Financial Officer of the University of California Hastings College of Law that Trish and I are friends with! We worked together for several years trying to get the YMCA to build a replacement Y for the neighborhood. We failed but worked hard to try and get the Tenderloin an up-to-date YMCA with David's help.

Trish & Chuck & David

I decided it was easier to take a bus tour from downtown Union Squre, to Muir Woods, all inclusive, ride, ticket entrance fee and a ride back from Sausalito on the ferry ending up at Fisherman's Wharf! (I eventually found out the small private bus left Fisherman's Wharf, not Union Square, and there were only 17 people on the tour from all over the world!)

Itinerary

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument is located in Marin County, California, just 17 miles north of San Francisco. Although only 554 acres in size, the park receives nearly 1 million visitors a year. The park was established in 1908 to protect one of the last stands of old-growth redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) in the Bay Area. The age of trees within the park range up to 800 years and fall within a mosaic of redwood, Douglas-fir, hardwood, scrub, and grassland vegetation types. Within this fragment of old-growth habitat live several federally threatened and endangered species including northern spotted owls, coho salmon, California red-legged frogs, and steelhead trout. Sequoia Sempervirens Trees

Visitors are invited to step back in time to the days of one of the earliest park advocates. Hike through the soaring redwoods and immerse yourself in the sights that inspired John Muir to be such a strong voice for the preservation and conservation of America's most special places.

Muir Woods is the first National Monument that was created solely because of a land donation from a individual. Congressman William Kent donated the land to protect redwoods, some of which are over 150 years old, from the logging industry boom. He also insisted it be named for John Muir.

Today, visitors flock to the Cathedral Grove of Muir Woods and hike through these famed woods and to see fairy ring trees - some truly remarkable sights await.

The Pacific Coast is long-famed for its temperate weather, and Muir Woods is no exception. Most times of the year, temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees, making Muir Woods the perfect escape.

Camping is not allowed within the park, though several options are available in the area nearby. Muir Woods is a perfect retreat for hikers looking for the solitude of a redwood forest.

Due to the dense nature of the redwoods, wildlife in this park is elusive. However, intrepid visitors might be lucky enough to see a spotted oil or bobcat lurking in the trees.

This is a view of San Francisco and the Bay Area as Trish and I left our apartments to take a bus to Union Square downtown to catch the bus to Muir Woods! Trish lives four doors down from my apartment! It was taken from my apartment at Fox Plaza on the 28th floor, a fantastic view day or night, regardless of the weather! Leaving one great location to view another one, Muir Woods, only 17 miles north of San Francisco.

Chuck's View of San Francisco

This evening view of down town San Francisco was taken from my apartment at Fox Plaza on the 28th floor after I came back from the Muir Woods day trip.

Chuck's View of San Francisco at Night - Full Moon