This morning we woke knowing that today would be the final day of our west coast adventure. Once again Mark, Jill, and I made a run to now my FAVORITE coffee shop Philz Coffee. Briana and I packed our bags and prayed that they wouldn’t be over weight. But we are also very thankful that Jill and Mark had a scale because we had zero space left in any of our backpacks if we needed to shift some stuff around.
On this final day we were super excited that Jill, Mark, and Stella joined us as we visited Sausalito, then up to Marin Headlands for a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had to stop first at In-n-Out Burger for lunch. I have to admit that Five Guys has nothing on In-n-Out, total delish. Sienna also agreed since she’s our burger connoisseur.
From lunch we ventured into Sausalito which is known for its Richardson Bay houseboat enclaves that were built by artist squatters after WWII. Pretty amazing to see these floating structures. We strolled down to the docks to take in the views and of course the beautiful boats and house boats.
We continued our stroll down the waterfront and it was time for an ice cream break. We stopped in Lappert’s Ice Cream, mainland outpost of a Hawaiian chain of cafes offering coffee & ice cream in tropical flavors, and it was a hit for all. I had the kona mocha chip, which hit the spot! The only downside to this small spot was the absolute chaos in there.
Continuing our stroll in Sausalito, Briana and I took a few minutes to capture a few more photos of the beautiful waterfront.
We then departed Sausalito and headed for the Marin Headlands. The Marin Headlands is a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, and it is located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. From this location you get an amazing vantage point. But boy was it chilly!!!!
This unfortunately is where we said our goodbyes with Jill, Mark, and Stella. Fortunately I was able to snap this great photo of all the girls just before we parted ways.
Jill recommended that we continue our adventure to the Black Sand Beach. Black Sand Beach is a south-facing beach just below the Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The trail map said it was only a 0.2 hike down to the beach. However, it was straight down. I’m just thankful that they have installed steps for most of the way down the trail. Going down was easy…it was the walk back up that was a little challenging. Once down on the beach, it was very quiet but very chilly. We made sure to get several photos and then called it. Just too cold and also the ladies were all wearing flip flops. Here are some photos of our black sand beach hike.
And of course I saved the best picture for last. My babies!
This trip has truly been a great adventure. From the rain in Seattle, the great beer in Portland, seeing amazing friends along the way, touring a beautiful winery in Sonoma, to creating new memories as a family. Why not just go!
We are so inspired by all your adventures, we want to do the same with our family. LOVED having you guys visit!