North from Sunnyvale we avoided I-280 where ever possible. There was only about a 3 mile section where the freeway was the only real choice. We skirted San Francisco by driving up the Great Highway along the beach. When that turned east into the city we cut north through the Presido and came out at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Over the bridge and a couple of miles of freeway driving brought us to California Highway 1. We wound through the hills south of Muir Woods past Muir Beach. Stopped for ice cream cones at Stinson Beach. Then on by back roads to Occidental.

We used Occidental as a base and explored a number of back roads. One destination was Armstrong Redwood State Park.

We had a pleasant walk on a trail that lead up the hills into the oak forest and back around into the valley filled with redwoods.

At one point I pulled over to check the map and ended up meeting a local car collector who had been following me hoping I'd stop so he could talk to me. He is heavily into early 1930s Chrysler products and has a 1931 Chrysler roadster, an Australian 1933 Dodge Phaeton, a 1933 Dodge sedan, and a 1934 Chrysler Airstream.

One view of the 1931 Chrysler.

Another view of the 1931 Chrysler.

The 1933 Dodge. The canvas in the background covers a 1934 Chrysler Airstream coupe.

On another day we took an hour our two to rent a kayak and paddle around in the Russian River. A nice way to cool off and relax on a warm summer day.

Then it was off to Jack London State Park above the town of Glen Ellen.

We finished off the trip with a dinner with relatives in the East Bay then drove the last hour an a half home at night on the freeway. I did not record the exact mileage, but I estimate the trip was about 250 miles total. A nice three day vacation.