Muir Beach

 

One of our recent adventures was to visit Muir Beach.  Just  over 16 miles north of San Fransisco (30 miles from our house!), up Highway 1 you'll find this small jewel of a beach teeming with diversity.

The waves were icy, but provided an irresistible game of chase.

Sol was so enamored with all the dogs, that he decided to be one for the afternoon.  Barking and trotting along on all fours.

While Ava and I combed for treasures, Cyrus found a quiet stream to work on his skills.

Surrounding the beach we found protected wet lands.

We followed a trail into the trees and discovered the restoration research area.

 "Starting in 2009, the National Park Service began restoring Muir Beach to create a functional, self-sustaining ecosystem and improve visitor access.^[10] The intervention was almost too late, since the coho only has a three year life span. Fortunately, as of January, 2010, and for the first time in three years, an estimated 45 Coho swam up Redwood Creek to spawn, creating 23 redds or clusters of eggs.^[11] In 2011, 11 live adult coho and 1 coho carcass was observed, along with three redds, a modest increase over the 2007-2008 spawning season.^[12] Statewide the coho population is 1% of its levels in the 1940s and the fish have vanished from 90% of the streams they formerly visited.^{[13][14]"
Wikipedia}

It was rough, windy, clear and blue.  It was full of energy, and my babies wanted to stay and explore all day (despite the sand in being blown in their faces).  We will most definitely return to this special place.