Having lived in Kentfield for almost 15 years, we normally go out of town on vacation for the Memorial Day holiday in search of a beautiful place to visit and relax. This year, however, we decided to stay home and forget all the traffic jams and instead enjoy Marin County. Sometimes, when you have lived in one place for a long time, you forget the splendor and beauty of what is in your own backyard.

We decided to spend one day this weekend at Muir Woods to hike, lunch and enjoy the beauty of Marin. The majestic Redwood trees that have been there hundreds of years will probably outlive us all in this protected National Park.

For our hike we decided to trek on the Mt. Tamalpais, taking you along wooden bridges across little creeks and waterfalls. The trailside is graced with white and blue irises and hundreds of ferns. The weather is generally on the cool side throughout most of the year, but this day we didn’t need a jacket to make the climb to the top.

It’s great place to bring a backpack and a picnic lunch to stop and drink in all of the amazing beauty that God has put forth on this land. The hike through the redwoods will rejuvenate your soul and mind, as you take time to understand what nature is all about. This day, we didn’t bring a picnic lunch, but instead were rewarded with lunch at one of my favorite spots, The Mountain Home Inn.

Once you reach the parking lot at the top of the trail, you will find the Mountain Home Inn across the street, which is a small hotel and restaurant. Sometimes there can be a wait, but this day we were greeted promptly and taken to our table on the outside patio, which overlooks the other side of the mountain. Here you can savor sweeping views of Mill Valley, Sausalito, Angel Island, and the skyline of San Francisco. It’s always incredible to think that on one side of the mountain you have majestic views of open space and redwoods, giving you the feeling you are a thousand miles away from civilization, and on the other side you can see the sprawling city by the Bay, where hundreds of thousands of people live and work.

Lunch was outstanding. I had a terrific piece of salmon with a fennel salad and potato cake, all for only $18. Savor this with your favorite libation, and you have a perfect reward to a hike into the wilderness.

Take the time to explore the grounds of the Mountain Home Inn to enjoy the serenity of the scenery down below before returning to your easy trek back down to the parking lot.

Sometimes we forget that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world: most people are envious and dream of living in such a glorious place as Marin. You just have to wake up and smell the roses, or in this case the redwoods, to remember to celebrate and enjoy your own back yard.

There’s no place like home, there’s no place like Marin County.

Posted by:  Rick Smith