A Muir Woods Memorial Day

Instead of commemorating those who died fighting America's wars we spent our Memorial Day honoring the memory and legacy of someone who fought an important battle on American soil: John Muir. One of the world's great naturalists, Muir is often recognized as the grandfather of the modern environmental movement. His activism led to the conservation efforts that led to the creation of Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and other great wilderness areas in the Sierras.
Closer to San Francisco is Muir Woods, an amazing stand of coastal redwoods in a deep, stream-fed canyon carved between steep, wooded hillsides. Named after John Muir, it is a permanent reminder of the environmental conservation he spearheaded during his active life.
This was the kind of memory we wanted to commemorate on this Memorial Day. With the grandparents, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and up into the foothills of beautiful Mt.Tamalpais. Parking along the magnificent Panoramic Highway, we took one of the many incredible trails that leads steeply downhill into the canyon of Muir Woods.
For the first time, Rai met the giant coastal redwood, the sequoia after which he is named. The majesty of these ancient trees did not escape our boy. He was alert and wide-eyed, looking upwards, tracing the giant red trunks as they reached for the heavens. Redwoods thrive in deep, dark ravines, but today, the sun shone brightly and once in a while, beams of golden light would pierce through the canopy of trees. Rai's face would glow and we could see the wonder in his eyes.