This photo shows the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, participant in Road Scholar Program #21900CGT (
www.roadscholar.org ) This photo shows several members of our group (as well as the white van we traveled in), at the scenic vista in Marin County, that overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge. One can tell from the long shadows, as we look eastward, that we arrived at this location very early in the morning. The abundance of parking places is also an indication it is early morning. We drove by this same location later in the day, and there were NO parking places, plus cars were pulled over to the side of the road to park! Of course, no matter what time of day you visit this location, or what type of weather it is, the experience of seeing the world's most photographed man-made structure is ALWAYS exhilarating!
Across the parking lot from the scenic view point, you will see a large concrete "cave", which is the first of many "remnants" of military fortifications that played a big part in the history of Marin County, California.(Note, there is also a portable toilet, for those who need to know this sort of thing). The military history of this area was a factor in its inclusion in the 82,027 acres of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
From the scenic view parking area, we drove to one of many trail heads where the hiker can park their car, and then enjoy walking a section of the California Coast Trail. Our group was taking the Lagoon Trail Loop down to Rodeo Beach, then onward to the Tennessee Valley. The ecological diversity of various locations around the San Francisco Bay justify why they were included in the GGNRA. It is NOT one continuous locale, but a collection of areas that stretch from southern San Mateo County to northern Marin County. The idea that a national park did not have to be contiguous land mass, was a somewhat new concept, when it was signed into law in 1972, by President Richard Nixon.
I took this photo to show one of the few trees we saw on our hike. Although the area gets plenty of rain, the gusty winds coming off the Pacific Ocean prevent the formation of forests. The expansive acreage of the GGNRA probably explains why we did not see any other hikers, on the week day when our group explored this trail, since the GGNRA is one of the largest urban parks in the world! I would predict that it would be a different experience on a weekend, since the park averages more than 15 MILLION visitors per year!
As mentioned earlier, there are reminders that this area has a history as a military location, and the red-roofed structures you can see across the bay in this photo are one example. Many historical military buildings are now used by non-profit organizations, but still maintain their historical condition.
Notice how green the vegetation is in this part of the headlands That is because as the Pacific breezes are pushed into the higher , colder air of the headlands, it causes condensation, which provides the precipitation needed for the plants to thrive.
Another characteristic of headlands, is that they usually have high breaking waves, and rocky shores, as illustrated here.
This photo shows our group, as we came out of the lagoon trail and onto the rocky shoreline. Notice we are all wearing backpacks, so that we could carry the necessary layers of clothing we might need, as well as snacks and water. Every single day of the program, we left our hotel in the Marin County city of Corte Madera after breakfast, and then stayed out hiking all day. Hopefully, you can see from this picture we had an absolutely GLORIOUS weather day for exploring!
The expert naturalist that accompanied us on all the hikes pointed out various marine critters on the beach, and the part each of them played in the ecology of the headlands. Compared to Sanibel Beach in Florida, this beach was almost devoid of empty sea shells. But I guess that was for my own good, as I was not tempted to take something I should not. Rather, it was easy to "take only photos, leave only footprints"!
One sea creature I had never seen before was a type of jelly fish, called Valella. The word means "By-the-wind Sailors". The small, semi-circular appendage on top of the jelly fish serves as a "sail", sending millions of these shiny discs across the oceans, in whatever way the wind is blowing.
This photo shows that this place, called
Rodeo Beach is a pebble-covered dark sand beach. It is accessible by car, and as such, a convenient place for surf fishing, as evidenced by this fishing pole buried deep into the sand.
There was only one fisherman on the beach while we were there, and he opened up his storage bag to show us the "catch of the day", that would provide supper at his house that night!
This photo shows shiny silver streaks in the shallow tide waters, that are made by the sun reflecting of the thousands of Valella that have washed ashore.
As you can see from this sign, there is a trail
leading up from the beach that goes to Hill 88. The Marin Headlands has the only restored Nike Missile Site in the whole U.S.; it was constructed during the Cold War. At that location, the visitor can see large missile and missile tracking radar equipment, in addition to other weapons used during the Cold War.
This photo shows the logo for the California Coastal Trail, and it was attached to signs along parts of our hike on this particular day. What fun it would be to "section hike" the entire length of the trail, that starts near the Mexican border in Southern California, and extends all the way to the Oregon border in northern California. I have been able to hike a short section near Laguna Beach, and a section near Crescent City, and hope to complete a few more miles of it each year!
Rodeo Beach is one of the few beaches in Marin County suitable for surfing, and this is the only surfer I saw the entire day. That is in sharp contrast to a Road Scholar trip I went on, where our group stayed at a hotel property on Ventura Beach, California. That area had hundreds of surfers---from sunrise to sunset!
Although most people might think a visit to the famous ritzy retail area of California known as "Rodeo Drive" would be "dream come true", to me this visit to Rodeo Beach was much more to my liking and interests!
After we left sea level and started ascending on our hiking trail up the hill, one was able to get a better idea of how Rodeo Beach formed a land barrier between the lagoon on the left of the photo, and the open ocean on the right. I read that the lagoon is an excellent habitat for butterflies and birds, and home for an endangered small fish, known as the goby.
Near the top of the hill, we saw more evidence of abandoned military fortifications. The first military installations were built in the 1890's to prevent hostile ships from entering San Francisco Bay. Later, batteries such as these were built to protect from aerial bombardment.
The placard next to this historical piece of artillery, provided a reminder to us, that protecting our coastlines and borders has been a long-standing, strategic plan of the USA.
When I quickly snapped this photo of an official vehicle rushing off on the road beside our hiking trail, I was immediately able to see that sign that said "!!!!RESCUE!!!!", so with my Southern roots, the melody of a familiar, old-time Gospel tune started going through my mind. The first stanza said "Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying." [Note: When I was researching the history of that song on Wikipedia (
www.wikipedia.org ) as I was writing this blog post, I learned that it was written by blind composer, Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915). She was well known for her Christian rescue mission work in the very worst slums of New York City. It was not until I was reading about her life, that I learned that she was a close personal friend of President Grover Cleveland, having known him from his youth. That was significant to me, because my grandfather was named after Grover Cleveland, and later, my son was named after my grandfather, Grover! ] But, getting back to an explanation of the photo at hand, a closer look at the truck sign indicated it was a truck for "marine mammal RESCUE", whereas Fannie Crosby had the goal of "human mammal RESCUE"! In fact, she stated her goal was to win one million people to Christ through through her poetry and song lyrics. The Rescue Truck was a visual aid to me that I need to be just as intentional in my efforts to rescue those who have not heard that old-time Gospel message, of which the hymn speaks!
Since we had started our hike so early that morning, before the Marin Headlands Visitor Center was open, I was glad to get back to it in time to look inside, and get my "NPS GGNRA" stamp to add to my collection!
The Visitor Center had magnificent eucalyptus trees in its lawn, that provided wonderful shade for the picnic tables where our group had their lunches. By the way, I want to give the Road Scholar staff a rating of "OUTSTANDING" on the box lunches that were provided each day we were out hiking. Likewise, the elegant evening meals we had at fabulous restaurants in Marin County were a "foodie's" delight!
I mentioned that the military history of the Marin Headlands goes back over a hundred years---even to the time of the U.S. Calvary. These officials riding through the park on their horses are a reminder of a time when horses were the ONLY way to get around, other than by foot!
The Visitor Center is located in a historic building that used to be a place of worship for the military personnel stationed in Marin County. The familiar religious architectural feature of a steeple is a reminder to me that it is only by the Grace of God that I was born into a country that allows religious freedom, and it is through the sacrifice of the U.S. Military that we still have that freedom today. These gifts, along with the opportunity to explore another amazingly beautiful part of the United States of America, gives me "MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia
