One place I really wanted to visit was the giant redwoods.  We were planning on visiting Muir Woods just north of San Fran, but we were also told about Armstrong Woods.  Both were beautiful patches of ancient redwoods.  The Armstrong woods were much less crowded, more tranquil and more rustic.  While we were sitting down eating lunch and contemplating a bottle of wine, a large blackbird flew around near us.  The sound of his wings passing the air was rather loud in the stillness of this forest.

As Muir Woods is just a half hour north of the city, it has much more people.  It does have a more expansive grove of larger redwoods and the trails were maintained better.  We walked a few miles in each of them, and I preferred the ones at Muir woods better.  We went on the hillside trail on the way back to the car and a lady was trying to wrangle her two kids along that VERY STEEP trail.  I told her she was “Brave”, but I should have said, “Turn back now!”  It was no place for little kids that don’t listen to you all the time.

These are pictures from the two different woods.  I have heard that the sequoia’s are much bigger around, so that is another place I’d like to visit, too.  These trees were so tall that you couldn’t see their tops.  That’s pretty tall.  The only reason they can grow so tall is that they are in secluded valleys, as they have shallow root systems (12 feet deep) and can’t handle high winds.

tall trees

Look at the trees behind this fallen giant to get an idea of how large it was.  The Indians used the bark of fallen redwoods to build their homes.  The bark is as thick as lumber used to build modern day homes.

fallen giants

I’m looking straight up with my camera here and you still can’t really see the top.  This tree was 310 feet tall and estimated at 1300 years old.

parson jones

A resident

wildlife

There is moss everywhere in the forest as very little sunlight reaches the floor.  These ferns were growing on the moss on the branches of a low tree.

ferns

 Where the hobbits live…

hobbits

 another bird

Redwood Sorrell – this covers the floor of the forest.

redwood sorrell

The river that runs through Muir Woods

river

An anniversary kiss 😉

kissy kissy