Driving along the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, deluxe maxi-vans will thread their way down the winding mountain road to Muir Woods National Monument. One of the first places ever set aside for the coastal redwoods, this national park was named for the renowned conservationist. The giant sequoias located here have a biological ancestry dating back well over a million years. Fossils of virtually identical trees appear in the record from some 160 to 170 million years ago, the Jurassic Age of dinosaurs. These fossils are found across the Northern Hemisphere, in Manchuria, France, Alaska, Greenland and even on Arctic islands.
Redwoods have no aging mechanisms, are extremely resistant to disease and have few natural enemies.
You will have time to wander among these ancient trees and come away with a sense of the immense grandeur and spans of time encompassed by this noble forest. Next you will visit sparkling Sausalito, a Riviera-like bayside village with its winding wooded streets, electric houseboats, unique boutiques and art galleries. There will be ample time to explore the shops and galleries, or simply stroll along the waterfront and view the San Francisco skyline and Bay. The deadline for tour registration is Friday, June 16. But don't delay, attendance will be limited to one motorcoach for each of these tours.