Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We returned to one of our favorite places, Cades Cove, in mid-September 2013 to find several deer grazing in the late afternoon.

Two bucks...

...and a priceless view

Cobb Ridge

Another buck

Light and shadows

While this buck is easy to spot in the mowed field...

...his companions along the edge of the field blend in better

"Purple mountain majesties"

There is no entrance fee at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Cades Cove loop road closes at dark.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.

Golden Gate Bridge

For over twenty-five years, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  With a main span of 4200 feet, it is now the tenth longest span.  Built during the Depression and opened to traffic in 1937, the bridge has a 60 foot wide roadway and a clearance of 220 feet above the strait.  The towers soar 500 feet above the deck and stand 746 feet above the water.

Clouds over Marin County and fog over San Francisco

The white tower on the left supports the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

The small arch spans the historic Fort Point

We crossed the bridge during Labor Day weekend of 2013.  The Bay Bridge was closed for the weekend to prepare the temporary approaches to the new East Span.  The closure forced many drivers to detour over the Golden Gate Bridge.  To avoid distracted driving, I was a passenger while making the crossing.

Approaching the bridge

The concrete structures are part of the Marin cable anchorages

On the bridge

Approaching the north tower

Under the north tower

Art Deco styling of the north tower

On the 4,200 foot long main span

Approaching the center of the span

The south tower

One of the south cable anchorages

The toll for crossing the bridge southbound into San Francisco is $6 or $5 for those with a transponder.  No toll is levied in the northbound direction.  Bicycle and pedestrian passage is free.

The website for the Golden Gate Bridge is http://goldengatebridge.org/.
The website for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is http://www.nps.gov/goga/index.htm.

Point Bonita Lighthouse - Golden Gate National Recreation Area

We visited the Point Bonita Lighthouse during Labor Day weekend of 2013.  The lighthouse was originally built 1855 at an elevation of 306 feet, but was moved to its current location at only 124 feet in 1877 due to high fog obscuring the light.  The lighthouse is still in operation and can only be reached by traversing a hand dug 118 foot long hard rock tunnel and then crossing a suspension bridge that was rebuilt in 2012.  

Parking at the lighthouse trail head is very limited.  We had to park in an overflow gravel lot about 1500 feet away.  A gravel walkway leads up to the actual path to the lighthouse.  The trail to the lighthouse is another 0.5 miles.  Because it is still an working lighthouse operated by the US Coast Guard, visiting hours are limited to Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  A park service volunteer at the foot of the suspension bridge serves as a gatekeeper to limit crowds at the lighthouse.

Newly constructed parking area

From the parking area, we saw this boat sailing through the mist

Due to the fog, the tunnel is barely visible from the trailhead

Harbor seals on the rocks

The first trail bridge spans a saddle in the rock and provides views to the west...

...and views to the east

After the first bridge, the trail follows the cliff edge more closely

The second bridge is a short span leading to the tunnel

A sturdy fence keeps visitors on the hard-packed dirt trail

From the third bridge, the lighthouse is still hidden

Waves crash ashore twelve stories below

Suspension bridge and lighthouse

Point Bonita Lighthouse

Tenacious vegetation

Seastacks on the west side of the point

The 2012 suspension bridge

Waves crash against the rocky point

To reduce cost, landward sections of the second order Fresnel lens were not purchased

Waves sculpt the rocks

The ocean continues to erode the point

Returning from the lighthouse provides a view of the third bridge

South entrance to the tunnel

Remains of the pier at the former life-saving station

Except for visiting Alcatraz Island or Muir Woods National Monument, there is no fee to enter the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The entrance fee for Muir Woods is $7.00.  Fees at Alcatraz vary depending on the tour package.  Another option for entering Muir Woods is the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.  This pass is valid for one year for $80.  A lifetime National Park Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.  

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/goga/index.htm.  The lighthouse page is http://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm.

Marin Headlands - Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Immediately south of Point Reyes National Seashore is the Golden Gate Recreation Area.  Established by Congress in 1972 and administered by the National Park Service, the mission of the Golden Gate Recreation Area is to

(P)reserve and enhance the natural, historic and scenic resources of the lands north and south of the Golden Gate for the education, recreation and inspiration of people today and in the future. In the spirit of bringing national parks to the people, we reach out to a diverse urban community, promote the richness and breadth of the national park system to many who are experiencing a national park for the first time and foster broad-based public stewardship through various volunteer and partnership programs.

Our Labor Day weekend 2013 visit started at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center where we were provided with park information.  We provided a list of things we wanted to do to the rangers on duty and solicited their suggestions about what we could realistically accomplish due to the crowds of people.  Due to the proximity to San Francisco, approximately 20 million people visit the park each year.  

This visitor center is located in the former Fort Barry Chapel near the intersection of Bunker and Field Roads.  Other former Army buildings have also been re-purposed, including one housing the Headlands Center for the Arts.

Marin Headlands Visitor Center

Another view of the visitor center

Headlands Center for the Arts

One-lane tunnel on Bunker Road under US 101

Rodeo Lagoon and Beach

Some of the golden hills of the Marin Headlands

There is a fee to visit Alcatraz Island or Muir Woods National Monument.  Other areas of the park are accessible without a fee.  The fee for Muir Woods is $7.00.  Fees at Alcatraz vary depending on the tour package.  Another option for entering Muir Woods is the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.  This pass is valid for one year for $80.  A lifetime National Park Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.  

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/goga/index.htm.