San Francisco: The Golden Gate Bridge

We woke up Wednesday morning and after getting dressed and getting some coffee, we made our way down to the concierge desk to ask about our plans for the day. The night before Amanda had picked up several brochures and one of them mentioned a tour for Muir Woods National Monument and Sausalito. We were all excited about the possibility of getting to see so much of San Francisco and we wanted to make sure we picked the best option for us. Well, Dan, our concierge, was AMAZING and gave us the best advice. He told us to rent a car and drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, Sausalito, and into wine country. He said we'd be able to stay for as long as we'd like at each place and not have to worry about anyone else's timetable except our own. Shannon, my principal, said she was very comfortable with driving in San Francisco so we all agreed that sounded like the best plan. I was so excited!! 

It was going to take about an hour for the rental car to arrive so while we waited for the car we decided to walk to the convention center to print out our registration cards and pick up our registration packets. The conferences were going to start in the morning and we wanted to be prepared! There were so many conferences we all wanted to attend so we were glad to get our registration booklets so we could start reading about the topics that would be discussed at each conference and select the best ones for us. While we were walking to the convention center, we had to pass through the city park in the middle of downtown. Once again, their flower displays did not disappoint! What a beautiful place to have lunch and enjoy the scenery.

Once the rental car arrived we all loaded up and set off on our San Francisco mini-adventure. First up was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge! Seeing it in the distance, I got really excited. It was such a thrill to experience crossing the Golden Gate Bridge because I never imagined I'd ever get to see it in real life. It was so much larger than I expected and I felt so small while we were crossing it. 

I always wonder when I visit other places with such iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge if the people who live there ever grow accustomed to seeing these amazing places. I'm sure they do but it's hard to imagine ever growing accustomed to crossing this monstrosity every single day. 

After we crossed the bridge, our first stop was to Mill Valley. They had some darling little shops in their town square and we really enjoyed walking around to all of them. Shannon was on the hunt for a jacket because the weather was slightly cooler than she had thought it would be so she hoped to find one here. Luckily, she did and after she purchased her jacket we loaded up and continued our journey. 

We started our ascent into the mountains headed to Muir Woods National Monument. Isn't the view breathtaking? I thought so too and asked Shannon to pull over on the side of the road so I could photograph it. Little did I know just how amazing the views in Muir Woods would be! We were almost there and I couldn't wait!