Leaving Oregon for Northren California

Once leaving Oregon driving into California be sure to full up with gas; then when you start getting down to a half of a tank fill it up again. Gas stations seem to be farther apart than they are in Montana. It was a good thing that I had filled up my extra five-gal gas can before leaving home. I hadn’t planned on needing it quite so soon, I was thinking somewhere out in the desert or maybe in Mexico, not Northern California.

Mount Tamalpais State Park (June 19-22, 2012) is an environmental site right on the cliffs edge overlooking the ocean north of San Francisco. This is one of those sites that you have to tote everything in and leave your car in a parking lot. But this site has wheel barrows for you to use in and out of your site. The view was spectator and road down to the site was very thin. I do not recommend trying to drive it anytime but daylight. It only has pit toilets and no showers but, well worth the inconvenience for the view. Outstanding!!! 

Muir Woods Nation Monument, north of San Francisco is one of my favorites from many years back and still a must for anyone traveling through the San Francisco bay area. It was established in 1908 so few of these old redwood trees are still around and this 295 acres not only protect the trees but, an ecological treasure. The Redwood Creek watershed and Muir Woods are part of the Golden Gate International Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life.

Next time you’re in this area please take the time to visit; it was nice to be able to take a step back in time. More information can be attained at http://www.nps.gov/muwo

San Francisco has changed so much in the last 20 plus years since I last drove through. One thing is still the same, the streets are up, down and one-way much the same as Seattle. I still recommend parking the car and taking the cable cars. The Golden Gate Bridge is still stoic and Fisherman’s Wharf is impressive and seafood fresh. Ghirardelli Square is a must for anyone in need of a chocolate fix. Be sure to bring lots of money a small bag of chocolate runs $25.

We rode the cable cars to Chinatown, Austin and Brecklynn loved looking into all the store windows. They even wanted to stop for lunch. I stopped in a small place and ordered a few appetizers I thought would be fun; some eggrolls, dumplings and a serving of jellyfish. I enjoyed everything, the kids not so much (LOL)

But at the fortune cookie factory the kids had a lot more fun. It was fun to watch the cookies being made. We did buy a big bag of the cookies that of course gotten eaten right away. I got several great fortunes like: “You should be able to undertake and complete anything”,

“You will have a fine capacity for the enjoyment of life”,

“You have a great deal of energy and self-reliance”,

 “Your present plans are going to succeed if you stick to them”,

“You have a strong desire for personal freedom”,

“You will travel far and wide for both pleasure and business”.

They all work for me!!