Trailblazing Muir Woods and exploring Sausalito

I had the opportunity last month to explore the Muir Woods National Monument (it's not a National Park!) and Sausalito with Extranomical Tours, after a friend in Toronto suggested my girlfriend and I check out the forest, famous for its California Redwoods.

Super happy to have taken up on his suggestion - cause it was fricking awesome. Once we arrived in SF, we looked up a reputable tour operator and booked a tour immediately.

Our tour guide, Phil, did everything right. He had much to share regarding the history of San Francisco and the Muir Woods.

We arrived at the Muir Woods before 8 AM - before the crowds had arrived, giving us plenty of time to soak up the fresh air in relative silence.

As you walk through the woods, you start to get a sense of how 'heavy' the atmosphere is, despite how quiet it can be. It truly is a wonderful place to be.

Honestly - the pictures I have are quite bad, and they don't do the Muir Woods any justice. It was difficult to capture the scale and weight of the Muir Woods atmosphere, or how captivating it was to walk through it.

I highly recommend walking out of the forest through one of the hill trails, instead of returning through the wooden walkways.

simply beautiful

By the time we got out of the woods, we could already see the beginnings of an influx of loud, boisterous visitors. Time to peace out. Highly suggest exploring the Muir Woods before 9 AM - it'll be quiet, uncrowded, and you don't have to pay the entrance fee if you enter before then.

After the Muir Woods, we decided to stay behind at Sausalito to explore, enjoy the weather and have lunch.

We decided to try out this restaurant called The Spinnaker just by the water

Obviously, it had a fantastic view of the bay.

A little pricey, but the food and view made it worth the visit.