Just follow the ocean to the gate…

The Golden Gate that is. It was the first time I’d ever been to the Golden Gate, or driven through San Francisco for that matter. But I was not drawn to the city.

No.

On day eight of our wildest California road trip, we followed the Pacific Coastal Highway through the gate, and up the golden hills of Mt Tam.

Mount Tamalpais

Roads lure me. They always do. And these ones were a rollercoaster of excitement :)

It was here that the Golden State lived up to its name. The sun was bright, the sky blue…and these hills?

They came to life as they danced in the wind, happily glistening beneath the summer sky. 

My. Gawd.

So we set foot to join the party.

We saw Ocean as far as the eye could see…

…and gold perfectly manicured and decorated with black ribbon.

Summers are dry, but these hills look even more beautiful in spring.

Sun would soon set.

Part of me wanted to stay for sunset. I was sure it would be a magical moment worth waiting for.

These two strangers had the right idea…

One minute while I enjoy just a few more minutes in the wind, losing my thoughts in that ocean shore.

I was torn but ultimately decided we should keep traveling north to spend the last hour of sun in a tunnel.

You read that right…

Cypress Tree Tunnel – Point Reyes

You’ve probably seen athousand-one photos of this very tunnel, but even photographs can’t replace the feeling of being embraced by these cypress trees.

Perfectly tucked away in the Point Reyes National Seashore, the tunnel awaited us. And we found our way just in time for golden hour.

Not photographed was a crowd of sunset chasers at the entrance of the tunnel. 

But I was here to enjoy my moment, and I did just that…

I love this man for following me to locations he’s never heard of or seen in photographs.

I suppose any place is worth the drive with the right person by your side.

How beautiful it is to even exist…

…to smile ear to ear, and be able to freeze these moments into photographs.

I love that about photography.

We lock a feeling into tiny little time capsules, ready to be unearthed in the future and bathe us with those emotions all over again.

I would have loved exploring the rest of Point Reyes, but the road called, and it was time to keep moving north. 

I’ll be back another day, I whispered…

And as the last sun beam touched our skin, we said our goodbyes and drove into the night. A different type of tree awaited up the coast. Stay tuned :)

Love & Adventure,

Denise

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Stay curious, wild hearts!

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