Hiking Mount Tamalpais
My weekend started out pretty low key, as usual, with a trip to the grocery store.
Once again, I fell victim to the vegan donuts from the bakery.
On Saturday morning, I woke up early and started making veggie burgers to freeze for dinner during the week. After wrapping things up in the kitchen, we took the girls out for a little exercise.
Once they were pooped (literally), Brandon and I jumped in the car and drove north for a hiking trip we had planned in Marin County.
We reached Marin after a short drive and decided to stop and have lunch at the Table Café.
They specialize in dosas which are basically crepes that are made from fermented rice and black lentils.
First, we had the black bean soup with crème fraiche.
Brandon chose the portabella mushroom and leek dosa and I opted for the curried cauliflower.
They were both really good but the mushroom leek was the favorite by far.
After enjoying our dosas, we drove toward a small city on the Pacific coast named Stinson Beach.
It was a little overcast but this is supposedly typical for the area.
We parked along side of Panoramic Highway and walked about a quarter of a mile to the start of the trail. As we were walking to the trailhead, we spotted a few cool plants.
The hike started on Matt Davis trail which runs right along a small creek.
Immediately, everything was lush and green and the air was incredibly fresh.
I wish I could breathe air like that everyday!
After a few miles in the woods, the hike opened up to a nice view of the coast.
The trail continues in the open hills and gradually increases in elevation.
At one point you are able to see San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge, permitting the sky is clear enough.
Unfortunately it wasn’t quite clear enough for us. 
Oh well, back into the woods…
As the hike continued, we managed to see a few different wild flowers starting to bloom.
After about 4 miles, the hike reaches another trail named Steep Ravine which runs between lots of beautiful redwood trees.
There were also a few obstacles along this part of the trail.
Even though we still had a few miles to go, the sun started to set so we had to start jogging part of the way. Luckily, Steep Ravine eventually reaches another trail named Dipsea which opens up again to the coast.
There was one last stretch of woods before we reached the car and by that point, it was almost completely dark and we had to use the flashlight to help navigate the trail.
It was a little spooky but I felt safe because I was with my protector. 
Exhausted, we both breathed a sigh of relief when we finally reached the car. In the future, we would definitely get an earlier start to avoid hiking in the dark again.
After a 7 mile hike that took us about 3.5 hours, we were tired and ready for some food! We stopped at a little place in Mill Valley called Small Shed Flatbreads and ordered salads and flatbreads that we quickly inhaled.
We thought everything was good but a little too pricey for what you get.
Overall, it was a fun and adventurous day that left us both sore and happy!
Where is your favorite place to hike?
Oh, I miss hiking. Looks like you had a wonderful day. Seeing those great pictures makes me want to go to that beautiful place now. Some of the trees look so exotic to me.
The redwoods in this area are so beautiful! I hope you get a chance to see them one day. :)
How gorgeous! I love Texas but it’s definitely not scenic…I wish so much I had places like that close to me!
There isn’t quite as much to see in Texas but I thought Austin and the hill country were beautiful!
That hikes looks gorgeous, and all your meals look so delicious! Those vegan donuts looks amazing and though I’ve never heard of dosas, they sound great. Super cute pics of the dogs too! :)
Thanks, Rachel! That was my first time having a dosa too, they are just like crepes.
I love hikes that have obstacles, beautiful scenery, and keep you entertained! My favorite places are in San Luis Obispo: Bishop’s Peak, Madonna Mountain (aka Cerro San Luis) and Valencia Peak (Montana de Oro) are just a few of my favorites. My boyfriend and I also just spent 3 hours hiking at Irvine Regional Park in Orange County a couple weeks ago. There are so many different trails and the time just flew by. I need to remember to wear sunscreen next time and bring more fuel!
I bet there are an endless amount of places to go hiking in California. Yeah, you have to try it out to learn what is better next time. We didn’t plan on hiking in the dark but we learned our lesson! Extra fuel is always a good idea. :)
That trail walk looked beautiful!
Those vegan donuts though look like another level of yum!
Beautiful photos and it looks like a great hike! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you mean Mt. Tamalpais.
Haha! I didn’t even notice that! Thank you for letting me know. :)