This was the last stop of the road trip, and personally, the place I was most excited for. I grew up going to the modest (no running water, bathroom, or mattresses) cabins at Mount Tamalpais. Perched on the side of a cliff, there are stunning views of the coastline. Besides my family and friends, the thing I miss most about California is the coast (okay, and maybe the Mexican food). We marveled at absolutely insane views and delighted in a glorious golden hour before the sun set. PB&J’s on deck of course (paired with a side of popcorn). A meal and a view fit for royalty! Evidence that golden hour at the beach is one of the most magical things to exist in this world. Golden hour at its finest 🫶 Laser focused for the perfect sunset shot. Unfortunately, no lenses do this view justice. We were grateful to have an opportunity to soak up the beauty of the California coast. I have so many memories of this place, on this beach. My parents came here before I was a twinkle in my dad’s eye, but were soon coming with babies strapped to their backs. From a baby carrier to a toddler exploring the rocks on my own, my self-proclaimed spirit animal of a mountain goat was bred here - hours of jumping and climbing and crawling along these rocks. The sunset over our campsite. The perks of beach camping without all the sand. A bird's eye view of the campground. Our blue & grey tent is on the right. Isaac's FIRST time over the Golden Gate Bridge. A moment to be documented and mounted on the wall. Karl the Fog came in strong over the bridge. A deceiving way to hide the city and scare visitors away. We left Karl behind and enjoyed the sun at the Presidio, hands down my favorite place in SF. After strolling through the Marina District, we headed over to the Palace of Fine Arts and tried to find the best angle to capture us with the monumental structure. Any double chin was worth this shot. We finally made it to my childhood home in San Jose and enjoyed some neighborhood runs. One day we ended up in matching attire (coincidence??), even down to the shoes. The days in San Jose were a craze of wedding prep and family gatherings. My twin sister was getting married, the first of the Mount kids! Juliana and Jesse’s beautiful wedding was held in Portola Valley on a lovely September evening. We had an incredible time celebrating the couple and tearing up the dance floor. After the weekend wedding craze, we made our way down to Santa Cruz. The sleepy, surfer town has grown in popularity but still holds its charm. I obviously had to show Isaac the seal lions on the wharf and they did not disappoint. Later, we hit the beer garden serving Humble Sea Brewing, one of the best breweries in Santa Cruz with the *cutest* branding on their merch. Behind this picture is me convincing Isaac that you can’t leave the beach without touching the water. A relaxing day wedged between wedding festivities and our international travels. We did extensive research on the best accessories for sleeping on the plane. I ended up with the off-brand version of the viral TRTL wrap pillow. Review to follow.
