Muir Woods

From Redwood trees to wineries, what is not to love about this epic landscape

My handsome husband (pre-beard) and I in front of what has become our go to wine

In and around Livermore Heading out to Napa Valley for my birthday

Little old faithful

We visited the petrified forest

An epic day hiking and exploring Mt. Diablo

I wanted to bring a suit case full of these huge pine cones home

See that fog rolling over the mountains?

Just over that is San Francisco

Then we headed down the coast toward San Jose and Santa Cruz

and a stop to cross the haunted Winchester house off my bucket list

The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California which was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. Located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, the Queen Anne Style Victorian mansion is renowned for its size, its architectural curiosities, and its lack of any master building plan. It is a designated California historical landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is privately owned and serves as a tourist attraction.

Ever since construction commenced in 1884, the property and mansion were claimed by many, including Winchester herself, to be haunted by the ghosts of those killed with Winchester rifles. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around the clock, by some accounts, without interruption, until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased.

Hiking to the top of this mountain was quite a chore since it was covered in thick sandy trails

Next stop was Natural Bridge State Park

And no trip is complete without exploring the infamous Lost Boys movie setting.

I was fascinated by the rolling hills of the Livermore valley

I hope you enjoyed some highlights from Northern California