Muir Woods

     It must have been meant-to-be for us to see the giant Red Wood trees in Muir Woods, CA. We were very close to missing out on the entire experience... This is how our day went... 6 am: woke up, got packed and started out on our drive from Paso Robles to San Francisco. 9 am: stopped for breakfast at a doughnut shop, ordered some bagels, chatted with some local elderly men, and got a huge bag of free doughnut holes. 11:45 am: made it to the airport, got all checked in and ran to the gate hoping to make a twelve thirty flight. 12:50 pm: didn't get on the 12:30 flight, so we tried for the 2:00 flight. 2:15 pm: We were extremely close to making this flight but passengers ran up and took the seats at the last minute. 2:30 pm: We realized that there were no more flights until 10:50 that night!!!
    So....., instead of waiting around in the airport for hours, we got to go back out and explore California! We decided to cross the golden gate bridge and go through Sausalito and up to Muir Woods. It was a beautiful clear day (perfect weather to visit the golden gate bridge), and driving across the golden gate bridge is an amazing experience! After crossing the bridge we pulled over at the first stop to take pictures and get a better look at the bridge and its surroundings. Looking out over Sausalito reminded us of an island you would see on the coast of Italy or the Caribbean. Absolutely beautiful! Next time we would love to spend more time in that area!
     Next, we made our way up the winding road to Muir Woods. When we got there, we had to pay a $5 entry fee to enter the park, but trust us... it was well worth it!! The trees were gigantic and the forrest was beautiful and enchanting. We could have spent hours looking at the trees, but for times sake we only stayed for about 45 minutes. Muir Woods is one of the only forests left in the world that contains these amazing trees. The Red Wood trees are God's tallest creation on earth, and that is reason enough for a visit!!! The tallest Red Wood in Muir woods is 258 feet tall; if you want proof then go see for yourself! It's an incredible experience and a great thing about Muir Woods, compared to Yosemite or Red Wood National Park, is that its not far at all from San Francisco, which makes it an easy and unforgettable day trip.
      After seeing Muir Woods, we still had time to get back to San Fransicso, eat deep dish pizza, get frozen yogurt (our daily tradition for the trip), and get back to the airport in time for the 10:50 flight (which we actually did not get on either, but no big deal - we made it back home the next day). In the end, I think we were all glad that the flights were full earlier in the day... because otherwise, we never would have had these amazing experiences!

Shell Beach

• Shell Beach is a part of the famous Pismo beach, CA. When we arrived in Pismo beach we drove all around the cliffside neighborhoods and discovered many adorable houses with colorful gardens and incredible views. Definitely not a bad place to live! When you arrive at Shell Beach you have to walk down many flights of stairs to get to the "beach" which actually has no shells and it completely made of rock, sand, and algae. Be sure to get there when the tide is low, because you won't be able to go down the stairs during high tide! Despite the lack of shells, Shell Beach is absolutely amazing. Our cameras were glued to our hand the entire time. There is no such thing as a bad view here; everywhere you look there are sheer cliffs and rolling hills. 

Morro Bay and Avila Beach

• While we were staying in Paso Robles, CA, we decided to take a day trip to some of the coastal towns nearby. The first stop we made was in Morro Bay, a location that was recommended to us by a girl we met at one of the wineries. She told us about an aquarium that we had to see. When we arrived we found that it was a tiny, old building in a beautiful location. We were pleased to find out that tickets are just $2!! When you enter the first room there are three sea lions that you can feed and play with while they are in their cages. They will jump out of the water, climb up ramps, and make A LOT of noise. You can buy a bag of food for just 50 cents and the seals will do tricks for you! View their website. Overall this was one of our favorite things that we did all week. After leaving the aquarium, we walked down to a ledge overlooking the incredible bay. We watched kids learning how to sail in little sailboats and wealthy men relaxing on their yachts. We definitely recommend visiting Morro Bay for a day trip!

•  Our second stop was Avila Beach, which was about an hour drive from Paso Robles. This is a very small town with a great family-friendly beach. It was too chilly to swim, so we spent our time walking past the shops and up the hills around town. Avila was full of children running around, making sand castles, playing on the swing sets, and eating ice cream. Even on a cold day Avila Beach was a great place to enjoy the beautiful California coast. The stores and restaurants facing the beach are cute and fun! If you're taking the kids along, this is a must-see beach!!

Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a quaint little town filled with vineyards and cowboys. The locals are some the friendliest we've come across in California! We highly recommend staying here or at least visiting a few of the local wineries and restaurants. 


Activites:

• We visited the EOS Estate vineyard which, according to our mothers, had excellent wine tasting. We went on a self-guided tour through the winery's testing lab station, the barrel storage room, and ended up on a balcony overlooking the vineyards. This winery has a Tuscan feel to it, and so does the rest of Paso Robles. View the winery's website.This town is not touristy at all, and we were treated as locals. 

Restaurants:

• We had two recommendations to eat at McPhee's Grill, and we loved the food so much that we ate there two nights in a row! The menu includes a wide variety of food, from jambalaya to cedar planked salmon. The second night, we showed up about 30 minutes after they closed, but they went out of their way to make sure we had a great meal that night! The wonderful waitress from the night before was there and came to talk to us, as well as the owner's daughter. We felt so welcome and couldn't have asked for better service. Check out their website. 
• For breakfast we went to Cowgirl Café. Here we met some very nice locals and enjoyed a delicious breakfast! They serve huge pancakes, crispy bacon, hash browns, and much more! It's not a fancy place, it's just a casual, friendly, home-style restaurant. View their website.

Big Sur and Hearst Castle

• The drive on Highway 1 through Big Sur is probably one of the most breathtakingly scenic drives in the world with views of the Santa Lucia mountains and sheer cliffs overlooking the Pacific ocean. Allow plenty of time for the drive because it can take up to two or three hours. There are many places to pull over and take pictures of the incredible views. Make sure to get gas before you begin the drive!

• The Hearst Castle is one attraction that you won't want to miss! If you are anywhere around the general area then we suggest you pay this castle a visit. You can buy your tickets online or when you arrive for just $24 (adult) and $12 (child). We would recommend that you buy them in advance because tours often sell out. When you arrive you will have the chance to watch an I-Max movie about the Hearst family. The film is about thirty minutes long and is well worth it! We did the "Experience Tour" which is for first time visitors. Our tour guide was very enthusiastic and well informed on every aspect of the Hearst Castle. We won't give anything away, but we will say that you will not be disappointed!! View their website.

Monterey

Monterey is very touristy. We do not really like that type of thing, but if you do then you will love it here. They have the typical row of shops and restaurants. It was very crowded when we were there (early August) although the weather was not exactly ideal for a beach town (it was very chilly). There is a small beach with huge rocks that are a lot of fun to climb on, especially for kids, and it has an awesome view. We decided to skip the famous Monterey aquarium and visited family instead but we have heard that it is definitely worth a visit. The town of Carmel is a short drive away from Monterey and would be a great day trip! We stopped there on our way out and found it much more quaint and relaxing. Also, in Monterey we did the 17 Mile Drive which is a famous cliffside drive along the coast and past Pebble Beach. Make sure to get a brochure from the toll booth which explains each stop along the way. The drive was definitely worth it for the beautiful views.

Hotel: 

• In Monterey we stayed at the InterContinental Clement Hotel. It is right in the middle of Cannery Row (right across from the small beach). The valet and staff were so helpful and friendly which made the trip here worth it for us. The room had a view of the ocean and the shops, but the pool was very small and crowded. If you like a tourist scene with a safe and family friendly atmosphere then this is the place for you! View their website.

Palo Alto

Hotel:

• As we were on our spontaneous Californian road trip, we decided to stop by Stanford University for a quick visit. While looking for a parking spot, we pulled over to ask these guys why so many people were there, and continued to ask them if they knew a good hotel to stay at nearby. He suggested the Stanford Park Hotel, so we called and found out they offer the AAA discount which was perfect for us. The hotel was so reasonable, and when we arrived, the staff were SO helpful and went out of their way to escort us to our room. They gave us an excellent restaurant suggestion, and to top it off... when we got back, they told us that we missed "cookie hour" so they left us cookies in our room! We were so pleased with the service they offered and the friendly atmosphere! Also, the fitness center is amazing and clean! We couldn't have been more satisfied. View their website.

San Francisco

Hotels: 

• Westin at Maket Street or Westin St. Francis in Union Square. These are both great hotels in great locations. The staff were incredible, especially Luis from the Westin St. Francis. They went out of their way to make our stay wonderful. When we arrived at the Westin St. Francis, we realized that we were at the wrong hotel and although he was already off of work, Luis stayed with us for two hours helping us figure out what happened to our reservation. He called surrounding hotels, Priceline, and Booking.com in order to find out the where we were supposed to be. When we realized we were at the Westin on Market Street, Luis carried our bags out to the street and paid for the cab to take us to our hotel. When we thought that there was nothing more he could possibly do, we got a call to our room when we got there... it was Luis making sure we made it there okay. Both of the Westins were wonderful but the service we got from Luis (Westin st. Francis) is definitely something we will remember forever. The night would have been stressful and much different without his assistance. View the Westin @ Market St. or Westin St. Francis @ Union Square websites.

In the city area of San Francisco, there are many touristy restaurants and shops which are usually overrated. We recommend that you take the city bus (just $2 each) to Pacific Heights/Fillmore. This is a smaller neighborhood filled with cute shops, and locals walking around with their friends and dogs, lots of dogs! It's so quaint here, so if you're looking to escape the rat race, this is the place to go!

Restaurants:

• We went to Taco Bar on Fillmore Street. It was very cute with stools to sit at and a good authentic mexican menu. View their website.
• For dessert, we went to Cultivé Frozen Yogurt. This is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop. You get a large cup and just put as much yogurt as you want in it, then you can put toppings such as brownie chunks, cookie dough balls, fresh fruit, and cereal on top! Then you weigh it, and it's a very reasonable cost! Mine was just under $3! View their website.

Activites:

• We walked down to the marina where you can see friends and families flying kites, riding bikes, walking, and enjoying the beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is extra windy here so definitely bring a jacket or windbreaker. We wished we had known this!!! Walking down the streets nearby you can get a glimpse of life as a local. Don't forget your camera!