No Dogs Allowed?

"I'm thankful for waking up to another beautiful day.  If you're living and breathing, then there's nothing to be depressed about." ~ Unknown

Mystical beauty

It was the first day of Fall.  Cool morning and warming up toward noon.  A great day for a drive out to Point Reyes.

The winding road of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is quite lovely.  Heading west toward Point Reyes brings us to some unusual territory.  Despite the sunny weather, the closer we got to the shore, the fog hung low and enveloped us and it felt as if we were driving high up in the mountains, through the clouds.  A long road with old, historical ranches lines the road and one would never feel as if they were heading for a beach.  But, once we hit the end of the road, there was an oasis at Drakes Beach.  It is an, open, white sand beach surrounded by jagged rock cliffs.  It looked like the shores of Hawaii.  I was mesmerized.  We live here!  The tide was low and there was a sand bar that separated the surf and formed a pool of water on the sand.  Sea birds strutted along the shore, leaving their little bird-feet impressions in the wet sand.   It was peaceful and magical.

Other-worldly, is it not?

Dogs were not allowed on this beach.  Bummer.  To have these guys with us and see the water and not be allowed to run down and jump in was excruciating.  So Brian distracted and walked the boys around the parking lot  for a break after our long ride and I was able to walk down to sand, take some photos and soak in the magnificent scenery.  Truly breathtaking.  It was a bit chilly and I wasn't dressed for the cold air so the boys didn't have to wait too long before I returned to take the leash and take my turn walking them around for a bit.

Look at the mist over the cliffs

We left Drakes Beach in search of a dog-friendly beach and ended up at Stinson Beach which, unfortunately, did not allow dogs on this particular section of Stinson Beach.  But it was okay because there was a great, grassy park where dogs were finally allowed!  YAY!  Brian and I took turns walking down the path to the sandy beach to take some photos.  I could not believe that this beach, which looked so much like the Long Island beaches of my youth - it was surrounded by pine trees and cypress trees and hillsides....never saw anything like it.  What a cool place.  The boys stayed on leash for awhile and when I returned from the beach, Brian was seated at a picnic table and the boys were just leisurely exploring the park.  They didn't wander off but just hung out and watched the activity.

Sunbathers enjoying the warm Fall weather

When do you get to see this scene at a beach?

After the low clouds at Drakes Beach in Point Reyes, the skies here were cloudless and stark, azure blue. There was no wind yet it wasn't too hot.  It was one of those days when you say:  "What a perfect day!"  Fall in San Francisco is really its best season so its no wonder.  Even though we struck out in finding dog-friendly beaches, the boys did get to go off leash and play and we had a glorious day.

The boys

Walter hanging with his dad

Walty having a moment

Henry rockin' some shade

I must say,  I feel blessed to live in a place where the natural beauty takes my breath away on a regular basis.

A Hike with the Boys in Baltimore Canyon

The boys resting on the trail in Baltimore Canyon

"After a day's walk, everything has twice its usual value." ~ George Macauly Trevelyan











We took a great hike in a magical place called Baltimore Canyon, a 193-acre preserve located at the headwaters of Larkspur Creek in Marin County, California. Walking along the wooded trails, we were surrounded by Redwood, California Bay, Madrone, Fir and Big-Leaf Maple trees.  The sunshine literally seeps through the cracks in the top branches of the trees and spills its white light on to the dark paths, creating the most exquisite shadows.

Henry on the trail

We saw only a few others on our hike which made our walk particularly serene and special. Being virtually alone in the raw, crisp, coolness of the woods made me feel so small and quiet and peaceful as we stepped along the footpaths among the giant redwoods and their giant shadows.  The dogs loved it, too.

Shadows on the footpath

Footbridge

There are little foot bridges that are there to cross over the creek when the water is high in the winter months.  Right now, the creek is dry, but the forest is still alive with trees and plants and flowers and the songs of the birds that live there.  I can't wait to come back in the wet, winter months to see the waterfall from the storm runoff.


I know we have only discovered a tiny percentage of the incredible beauty that exists in this part of California.  Each time we come across something new, it just about takes my breath away and gives me a renewed respect for the power of nature.

Mossy Trees