Muir Woods National Monument

We hadn't been here in years! Before we had kids, this was one of our favorite places to take family and friends when they came to visit us. It was really inexpensive and was just a good way to give visitors a taste of the redwoods. It used to be only a $2 entrance fee, now the price has gone up to $5. Still affordable, but thats quite a jump in price! Anyway, we decided to bring my husband's grandma here since she hadn't been to California before. It was still a great place to visit, but a little trickier with the kids....for some reason, although it is an outdoor park, it was so quiet and our kids aren't quiet! So we had a bit of a hard time keeping the noise level down as it seemed like everyone was trying to enjoy the quietness. The walking paths here are pretty level and best if you have a jogging stroller, although a regular stroller would work just fine. Again, the redwoods are just amazing and there is a ton of history in this park as it was declared the 10th national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. There is also a nice stream running through this park which is fun to watch. It gets pretty busy on the weekends and especially in the summer at this park, so be aware of that. Parking can be an issue. Stinson Beach is right nearby which is also a good stop.
There was a Dad here with his 3 young active boys, so it was good to see that we weren't the only ones with little ones, but it was still a bit awkward. I felt sorry for the Dad as you could tell he was a little worn out and these boys were just all over the place. We didn't stay as long as we might have before, but we still had a nice time and it did get pretty cool so be sure to bring jackets.