Page 166 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

This was the way to see the world! even for a motorcycle. We gave up and left, not
And that’s why, months later on his suggestion, too disappointed because there would be more
we flew to San Francisco, rented a BMW motorcy- than enough redwoods once we got to Avenue of
cle, and headed across the Golden Gate Bridge to- the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.Mt.
wards Mendocino County Tamalpais is 2,571 feet
for my dream trip: the Gi- high and the ride through
ant Redwoods of Northern more twisties, oak wood-
California. First we would lands and jaw-dropping
stop at Muir Woods for a views of the Pacific more
preview of the towering than made up for not see-
old-growth redwood trees. ing Muir Woods. We
The road to Muir Woods parked the bike and
was a gorgeous destination walked up to the summit to
one its own: one minute look out over the hills of
we’d ride past glittering Marin County, San Fran-
views of the Pacific and the cisco and the Bay and
next, we’d be zigzagging Mount Diablo. It felt like
through the sun-dappled forest breathing in the being on Mt. Olympus.
heady aroma of fresh earth and pine needles. By Back down the mountain, we headed up Route
the time we arrived in Muir Woods, it was 11 am One, passing fields of cows and horse farms and
and there wasn’t a parking space to be found, not sometimes breathing in the pungent odor of a

166 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021