Marcia and I are on a delayed honeymoon to San Francisco and Mendocino in northern California. (Hey, it's July! We live in South Florida. Like Canadian geese, we migrate in search of better weather).
I've been coming to San Francisco since 1981. Marcia had only been here once before, for an oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. (My trips were more fun...but this one...is the best).
All these year, and I'd never been to Muir Woods, the thousand-year old Redwoods forest donated to the federal government by philanthropist William Kent at the urging of conservationist John Muir in 1908. (Kent paid $45,000 for the land in 1905. In today's dollars, that's about a gazillion. Whatever, the place is priceless).
Here we are: Tree Huggers!
Also, People Huggers:
Here's what I recommend if you want to really learn about the trees. Hire Tom Martell, a personal guide who'll pick you up from your hotel, get you to the woods at opening time, 8 a.m., (before the crush), serve you a picnic lunch, and spend three hours, hiking and giving you the scoop on the place. Finally, he'll drop you at the Ferry Station in Sausalito. All for $75. (Another ten bucks for the scenic ferry ride past Alcatraz and back to the city).
Here's Tom's website. The official Muir Woods website is here.
Morning at Muir:
Let's talk about food.
We've had clam chowder and oysters at Hog Oyster in the Ferry Building, Dungeness crab cakes and Petrale sole at the iconic Tadich Grill, crispy zucchini cakes with cucumber and mint yogurt dressing spinach pies, and watermelon salad with toasted pine nuts and basil at Kokkari. Here's that watermelon salad, which I'm going to make at home.
The Tadich Grill opened in gold rush days (1849), and no Jim Born, I was not the first customer.
And of course, no trip to the city by the bay would be complete without a cable car ride...and a Giants game (Sunday) against the Dodgers.
Paul Levine
