Our plan was to hike through the Muir Woods in the morning and check out the redwood trees. Little did we know that this outdoor area now requires reservations to park. The Great California Shutdown means that no workers could be present to verify parking reservations, and so of course, an outdoor hiking area had to be closed.
So we headed down to the Marin Headlands a little earlier than planned. I had hoped for some nice pictures of the bridge and the city, but the morning sun was still in front of us. We hiked around Battery 129 at the top of the hill. The boys desperately wanted to get into the old bunkers to find what they were sure would be secret tunnels filled with hidden treasure. Alas, the entrances were all sealed off, so no treasure hunting on this day!
Next we went down for an obligatory walk across the bridge. It turned out to be a beautiful spring day in the city. When the boys saw Alcatraz, they lamented the tour that was supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. We then went for a stroll along Fisherman’s Wharf to check out the sea lions. Since all of the stores and attractions were closed, we went for a little drive around the city, from Lombard Street to the Presidio, where we paused for one more family picture before heading off to the airport.
Nothing about this trip went as we had planned several months ago, but yet everything seemed to work out. We had a great time, saw some wonderful sights, and as far as we can tell all survived without catching any new virus. We’re sure to come back someday, but for now, it’s back to Denver, and more snow…
