Day trips from SF

Mountains

Overlooking Muir Beach

One of my favorite aspects of living in SF is the ability to take off to the great outdoors at a moment's notice. The ability to see oceans, mountains, and forests all in an hour's radius. Living at the southern edge of the the Golden Gate bridge makes it a cinch to drive north to Marin, where some of the world's best hiking trails reside. Over the past few months, taking day trips north of SF has been one of my favorite ways to rewind from work and escape the city. 

I went to Muir Beach back in November, when J came to visit SF. His visit was way too short, but we climbed the 4 mile Coastal Trail up a mountain and then finally down to the gorgeous Muir Beach at sunset. 

J at home in a vegetable field

Ocean

After Christmas break, I took a day trip to Half Moon Bay, which reminded me of what the the coast of Ireland would look like with its dramatic cliff and pounding waves. 

Pretending we stayed at the Ritz Carlton. Maybe in a few years ;)

Forest 

Just a few weeks ago, I finally made the trip to Muir Woods again after my last visit 4 years ago which was damped by the rain. This time, the weather was perfect and the trail we picked (Deer Fire Road) was a deserted back-woods entrance to the famous Muir Woods. Starting from the other end of the trail allowed us to see mountains and oceans before delving into a serene redwood grove. 

Happy camper! 

When you spend 6 out of 7 days in the hospital, nothing beats driving out of the city on your day off, breathing the fresh air and soaking in the great outdoors, especially in Northern California. I don't remember what I expected when I moved to SF, but I'm glad this is my new idea of fun. The good news is that there seems to be an endless amount of trails in and around the Bay Area and I have a few more years to enjoy them all!