There were 12 going on the trip today! Half were doing the trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito while half were doing the same trip with a bay cruise add on. Craig was their and they got their transfer voucher and got a chance to thank Craig and give him his 'tip'! This aspect ofthe trip had caused some discussion and generally took some people by surprise!
However, Craig had provided a great service and had kept everyone right and had been very helpful in telling people what to do, the best options to do at a place in a short time and his general commentary on the trip had helped pass the time with some laughs.
So, they were picked up by a Sightseeing Tour Bus. It was going to take them to their main office where everyone wold get dispatched to their bus for the trip they were going on.
They had a wait to et their tickets so they managed to get a tea and coffee while they waited. Soon they were off and the driver/guide said he would give us a commentary as we went and that of course any tip at the end would be most gratefully accepted! Here we go again!
The great thing about this trip is that to get to The Muir Woods they would have to cross THE bridge! Not the Bay bridge which they have crossed a couple of times but The Golden Gate Bridge! They could see the bridge coming up and it was a CLEAR day which depressed them as they had not had the chance to get a great bridge picture. The journey over the bridge was great but the bus was so shoogly it was no use trying to take photos! :-(
Once over the bridge they had to drive about 12 miles to get to the woods. The woods are special because they are one of the few places in the area where the giant redwood trees grow. The whole of the east coast of California used to be covered in forests of redwoods but as man took over the area and developed it for their own use the trees quickly disappeared. This area was saved by a William Kent who bought a section of land and gifted it to the federal government so that the trees would not be chopped down. Then President Roosevelt proclaimed the area a National Park in 1908 which would save and preserve the area for all americans for generations to come.
Once they arrived the guide told them they had 1 hour 15 minutes and if they were late he would go without them! Cheery chap! They would also need to factor in going to the 'reatroom', the shop and the cafe if they needed any of them! So, it was another time oriented visit!
They would love to have walked further as the woods were amazing. They followed the board walk and it was just a shame there were others there too! The redwoods are amazing. Sme of them have been know to live for 800-1000 years and some have lived even longer than that! They grow straight up and the examples here could be between 270-300 feet tall. The guide said that people often find the woods like visiting a cathedral. The tree grows tall and straight but four or five other tress can grow round the original tree and they are genetically identical to the main tree as they are off shoots of the original. The colours were amazing and when the sun was shining the trees came to life. Despite the height of the trees you could still see clearly and walking round the boardwalk was very different to the likes of walking down The Strip in Vegas! They would happily have walked for longer if they could and it was not as chilly as they had expected it to be!
They made it round one of the walks and had time to grab a bite to eat and visit the shop before making their way back to the bus. They just hoped the journey from here on would be a little more sedate than the one out! Of course it is a smaller and less luxurious bus but the driver, despite being an older guy, seemed to think he was a race driver and had to get from A to B as quick as possible! The road in to the woods had been very windy and this time they had to climb back up the road to the main road.
It was disappointing to leave the woods and they would have gladly spent longer there and have walked more. The redwoods are very impressive and it is quite awe inspiring to see them rise into the sky in the way they do considering they have quite small roots! Again it is lucky that such an area of natural beauty has been saved and will be preserved for generations to come to see. The woods were named after John Muir, a Scot, who had been instrumental in setting up a number of America's national parks. The wood that remains covers quite a small area of land but it is vital that it is looked after and kept open to the public.
Once they left here they were on their way to Sausalito. This is one of the Bays most stunning areas and is a haven for the very rich. The house prices are very high and it is a very desirable area to live.
They were dropped there for an hour or so and so they decided not to try and have lunch there so they old look about. First of all they spent some time sitting on a bench by the bay admiring the view. They could look across to Angel Island, Alcatraz and to spectacular views of the city across the bay. They moved on and walked along the waterside before looking at some ofthe shops in the town before heading back to the park for a seat in the heat of the sunshine. So much for Craig's forecast of fog and cold conditions!
Soon they were off once again and they thought they were heading straight back to the city? However, the driver swung off the road near the bridge and took us down to the waterside so that we would have an opportunity to take some photos! This was great as A really thought he would not get the chance to get decent photos of the bridge at all. I got my one taken too and was delighted to ad that one to my collection.
They got off the bus at the tour offices and decided not to take a shuttle back to the hotel. They would walk in to the city centre and go through Chinatown before heading to Union Square before heading along Sutter to the hotel.
Chinatown was fascination and the decorations, the shops and the liveliness of the area created a real buzz about the place. Then once they arrived n Union Square the sun was very hot and they felt quite tired and sweaty after their walk to the city. They decided to have a seat there with an icecream and people watch. They spent around an hour there before getting some passerbys to take their photo beside two of the Heart sculptures located in the square. Well, it was their anniversary!
Then it was back to the hotel for a rest before Theyhad out for a nice meal tonight to celebrate!
So, not long to go now before it's time to pack up and come home! Another update will be put up tomorrow!
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