Muir Woods

I am now a proud owner of an annual membership to Muir Woods. Yes, you heard me right. Miss little-not-so-outdoorsy has a membership to a state park! What can I say? The smart shopper in me won out and it was a great deal seeing as how I've got company coming this summer and it will pay for itself after one more visit! This all came about when my friend Tonya was trying to squeeze in some sightseeing before her move north to start her next contract.

Our day started off with a walk around Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies (the West Coast version) that are most famous for being in the background of the opening scenes of the Full House intro. On a sunny day like we had, I could have easily spread a blanket and laid there all day reading my Kindle. It was so pretty and serene.

We then headed to Squat & Gobble for some food---which was supper yummy! Then made a pit stop at Crossroads, which is a store similar to Plato's Closet. I've been reading all these inspiring fashion blogs and this store had been mentioned several times so Tonya was gracious enough to let me explore since we were just a few blocks away. It was a let down, but maybe it will be a gold mine the next time!

Since we were heading north and had to cross the GG bridge we stopped so I could actually get out on the bridge to take some pics and feel how much it shakes 'n sways with the traffic! 

Our main destination for the day was Muir Woods, which is just north of San Fran, and is home to the famous California Redwood Trees. When doing the math---which occassionally I'm good at---it was better deal to pay $20 for the year long membership than $5 per person every visit. So in my purse, amidst my grocery store discount cards and Ann Taylor credit card sits my Muir Woods membership :) The trees were AMAZING! I've never seen trees this big, and these aren't even the biggest ones out here! I wore the wrong shoes so we stuck to a simple trail but I'm planning on going back...with tennis shoes...next time! Here are a few pics to give you an idea of just how "big" big is!

very unattractive pose and quite bright, but look how wide! 

Before leaving the park we stopped at the cafe to try their grilled cheese sandwich which was featured on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate" by Tyler Florence. It was yummy!

Of all the travelers in the group I started with, I'm going to miss her the most. She's definitely taken on a big sister role in my life and it's been so nice to have someone "look out for me" and share life advice. I have a feeling we'll be staying in touch :)