Muir Woods National Monument

After a relaxing breakfast, it was time to pack our bags for the second to last time. The final stretch, back to San Francisco. Just as we were heading to the car, I realized: Stop, I left my swimming stuff in the drawers.
So back to the room we went. I followed Jörg's instructions to thoroughly check everything again, checked out, and off we went. After a fifteen-minute drive, a sudden realization.
Me 🫨🫨🫨: Oh no.
Jörg: What's wrong?
Me: My pinecone is still on the balcony 🤦🏼‍♀️😔
Jörg: Well then, go back🤷🏽‍♂️
Me: No, we don't need to make a half-hour detour for a pinecone.
(My heart was bleeding, but I wanted to be brave)
But my husband knows me too well 🥰
Jörg: Come on, go back. It was perfect.
Yvonne in her mind: Thanks, rub some salt in the wound😆. But to Jörg: No, it's really okay.
5 minutes of silence.
Jörg: We still have plenty of time. Go back.
Me, trying to be brave again: That's nonsense. Not for a pinecone, no🙄

Then, we had to refuel.
Before we continued, Jörg said again:
Come on, Frau, the pinecone is standing sadly on the balcony now, wondering what it did wrong. Falling at your feet, leaving its forest, and for what? To stand alone and lonely on the balcony before the cleaning lady throws it away?😅
Me: Well, if it's really okay, let's go back 🙈
Jörg: Of course, it's okay😊
I love him🥰
You don't have to understand it, but I can take pleasure in something as small as a beautiful pinecone🤷🏼‍♀️ And yes, I was sad that I left it behind. I could already picture it in our living room on the shelf. And again, yes, we live in the Black Forest, where there are many pinecones, but still. It had fallen fresh from the tree, right at my feet, and it was simply beautiful. How and if I would bring it home safely is a different story, but at least we tried😊
Of course, in such moments, I wonder what my husband is thinking😅 Like when I talk to random objects, give them names, or make friends with pinecones. Who knows, maybe he married me for that reason😉 Because anyone can be normal.

On my list of things to do in SF, I had noted Muir Woods National Monument as the last item. Optional, but not necessary. This is one of the last coastal redwood forests. During the first few days of our trip, which we spent in SF, it didn't really fit into our schedule. But after it was recommended by friends, we thought, oh well, let's go before we just sit in the car and the hotel. And thanks to our Annual Pass, we had free entry here too. We only had to book and pay for the parking spot in advance. The Annual Pass was really worth it for us. It currently costs $80, I think. If I've done the math correctly, we used it 7 times. Without it, just the National Parks alone would have cost us at least $30 for each visit.
But now, let's talk about Muir Woods😅 The trees were truly impressive. There are various trails that you can walk/hike, and what I really liked was that a large part is nicely paved with wooden walkways, so even wheelchair users can enjoy this natural wonder without any problems. We walked the 'Wheelchair' Route to the highest point and then took the Hillside Trail back to the starting point. There, we treated ourselves to some soup in the cafeteria before continuing on our way. This time, we drove into SF via the Golden Gate Bridge. In beautiful weather and with a great view of the skyline of San Francisco. Just like Lake Tahoe, it looks a little bit more beautiful with the sun shining. But we decided not to drive out again and take the 101st photo of the bridge. We have seen it in almost every weather condition now. This time, we chose a hotel near the airport. The Travelodge by Wyndham San Francisco Airport North. Well... Normally, Travelodges are at least okay, but this one. The only positive thing is its proximity to the airport. The lights don't work, the TV only shows a blue screen and makes hissing noises (we pulled the plug now, and it's been quiet since😅), the floor🤢 and overall, really worn out and in need of renovation. Nothing compared to the pictures they have on Booking. But not at all. Jörg just said: Misrepresenting the facts. We also wonder where they got their acceptable ratings from. But at least the bed is clean, and we will survive this one night here. I've already finished the chaos of packing. The shopping is distributed and in the suitcases, tomorrow we just need to add the toiletries, and then we're done.