Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of theNational Park Service on Mount Tamalpais near thePacific coast, in southwestern Marin County, California. It is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and is 12 miles (19 km) north of San Francisco. It protects 554 acres (224 ha),[4] of which 240 acres (97 ha) are old growth coast redwood(Sequoia sempervirens) forests,[5] one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bluebird skies greeted Zehra and I as we arrived in Lake Tahoe to celebrate the end of the 2014 year. It was cold as hell, 15 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact, but that didn’t stop us from exploring all that Tahoe has to offer. Our days were filled with outdoor activities and trading stories from the day’s adventures over dinner. Though, something was different about this trip. Zehra, now 13, is a growing young women capable of making her own decisions – sharing her own perspective and opinions. Fatherhood is changing for me as well, instead of imposing the thoughts and advice I’ve tried suggesting for her, I’ve decided to let go so tightly and allow her the space to find her own path.
Comfortable in our new found roles we skied around the area as much as we could, Emerald Bay, Incline Village, Tahoe Village and Alpine Meadows. Clear skies and sunshine gave us the perfect opportunity for hiking and rock scrambling in the area. Although, I may have scared Zehra with my need for the rock climbing photos, the climb was worth it. Watching my daughter’s grin as she peered off the top of the mountain was priceless.
At the end of each day we returned to Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge happy and hungry. The staff at the bed’n’breakfast can not be beat and their restaurant . . . well, let’s just say their dinner is as good as the view.
I’ve found a place to connect with other photographers that travel the globe. Find me on Instagram, I would love if you say hello!
nuri topbas 