Today felt like the perfect way to end our California road trip. After days of driving along the coast, we finally made our way into San Francisco, and the drive itself felt special. The familiar sight of the Bay, the hills and the Golden Gate coming into view made the arrival feel like the trip was coming full circle.
Our first stop was Muir Woods, and for Ana, this was probably one of the most anticipated stops of the entire trip. Her love for plants made the redwoods, ferns and forest trails feel like a giant playground. She kept stopping to look at the trees, notice the greenery and take in all the little details along the trail. After seeing her excitement around succulents earlier in the trip, Muir Woods felt like the perfect place for her. The towering redwoods made everything feel quieter and slower, and the cool forest air was a welcome change from the coastline we had spent so much time exploring.
Then came Sausalito for lunch. Sitting by the waterfront, eating and taking in the views was exactly what we needed after the forest walk. Somewhere along the way, Ana and Keanah found a piano and turned it into their own little roadside concert. Watching the two of them play together was one of those small moments that ends up becoming one of the best memories from a trip.
From Sausalito, we headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Battery Spencer gave us that postcard-perfect view of the bridge stretching across the Bay, with San Francisco sitting in the distance. We stayed there for a while because it was impossible not to keep looking back at it.
We then stopped at North Vista Point for another perspective of the bridge. Every viewpoint seemed to show something different, and the weather gave us a beautiful backdrop for the photos.
Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge was the highlight of the afternoon. The scale of it is hard to appreciate until you are actually standing on it, surrounded by the Bay, the city and the constant movement of people crossing alongside you. Keanah had a completely different priority. She was far more interested in running around and enjoying the space, turning the bridge walk into her own little adventure.
By the end of the day, we had gone from ancient redwoods to the waterfront streets of Sausalito and then stood on one of the world’s most famous bridges. For Ana, it was a day surrounded by the kind of greenery she loves. For Keanah, it was a day to run, explore and play. For all of us, it was a pretty perfect San Francisco day.
Kenrick Vaz 