Late Discoveries
            I like flowers as much as the next person. I even manage to plant porch flower boxes every year that people stop their cars or pause their walks to ask about. Having said that, I am not an expert on any particular type of flower, and my garden plants are shamefully neglected.
            I appreciate the intense fascination people have for particular flowers: orchid lovers devoted to their rare treasures, people who care for their roses like children.
            I heard people wax poetic about dahlias for decades, but it wasn’t until I lived in San Francisco that I came to know what dahlias are.
            A dahlia afficionado in our neighborhood cultivates a large patch of beautiful dahlias each year. My sons and I would walk over to see them in bloom. Dazzled by the wide variety, we still don’t know what traits make a dahlia a dahlia.
            Recently, we visited the Dahlia Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park which is in an easily accessed location from many of our walks. How did we overlook it for so many years?
            What an eye opener. Underwater sea anemone reborn as plants? Pom-poms that have transformed into flowers? The variety of shapes and colors is astounding.
            What a joy to “discover” something amazing that eluded our view for years. If we look more closely nearby, we may find something to add a fresh burst of color to our outlook. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Dahlia Garden-Golden Gate Park, takes readers on a visit to the Dahlia Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which features over 700 varieties of stunning dahlias.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 208: Dahlia Garden-Golden Gate Park

A Watched Pot
            Growing up in landlocked Upstate New York, I spent outdoor time walking in cornfields, forests and creeks. I never imagined being able to drive fifteen minutes to a beach where I might see whales right offshore.
            Recent local news reports people seeing humpback whales right here in San Francisco Bay as well as up and down the coast. 
            I get excited about going to a likely spot to see whales. Then I remember that every time I look for them—even when they’re reported to be swimming in large numbers nearby—I rarely see them.
            My best whale viewing experience was walking along a beach in Pacifica, CA with no thought of seeing marine mammals. I wasn’t even looking at the water. Eyes on the trail in front of me, my peripheral vision caught the movement of a large dark shape a very short distance offshore. I looked over to see a whale’s tail lift out of the water and then sink back into the waves. 
            Seeing wildlife takes patience and being in the right place at the right time. It helps to not get frustrated when we don’t see what we’re watching for.
            The featured hike from the archives is Pacifica Pier from Mori Point, an oceanside walk that is stunning whether whales are in view or not, but is known as a spot to see gray whales, humpback whales, sea lions, harbor seals, and other marine mammals.
            Whether you regularly carry binoculars or just trust your eyes to spot wildlife, it’s often the moment when we stop trying too hard that we receive the gift of a surprise appearance by a deer, a rabbit, a special bird, or a pod of dolphins. Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 62: Pacifica Pier from Mori Point

His Own Two Feet
            For many years, my younger son’s overwhelmed sensory system kept him trapped away from the world. He was frozen in place. Learning to navigate a world that his system isn’t wired for has been an ongoing journey for him, and for us, his family members.
            We worked with helpers over the years to help us get Sean out in nature. We’ve watched Sean transform from a boy buried under blankets not wanting to leave the house to a young man at ease on a hiking trail.
            When we first started hiking, Sean clung to us, head buried on our shoulders. It took half an hour to get him out of the car, and another to start walking. Then it would be start, stop, hug, stop, start, hug. When he did walk, he was hunched forward, hat and hands covering his face.
            Sean continues adjusting to the world, and walking in nature is now one of his favorite activities.
            I watch him walk independently at a distance, standing up tall, though his face often still faces down at the trail. His path has been challenging, but we look back and see how remarkably far he has come.
            Has your life journey taken you through difficult challenges that moved you forward? Remember to look back and give credit for how far you’ve come. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Alta Trail-Bobcat to Rodeo Valley Trail, takes readers on a scenic trail above the Gerbode Valley in the Marin Headlands.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 207: Alta Trail-Bobcat to Rodeo Valley Trail

That “Summer Vacation” Feeling
            As a kid in starkly contrasting four-seasons Upstate New York, by the time we hit August, it felt like summer was already ending. We’d plan the last camping trip in the Adirondacks, the last swim at a local lake, the last day hanging out at the secret swimming hole. There was morning frost on the ground before school started in September.
            Temperate weather on the coast where I live now makes it possible to feel that “summer vacation” feeling in other seasons. Watching surfers at Stinson Beach, people watching at Golden Gate Park, paddling a boat around Blue Heron Lake (previously Stow Lake)—these all exude a spirit of carefree freedom. 
            A different kind of favorite is Aquatic Park and Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. There’s something about visiting any National Park site—which includes Hyde Street Pier—that makes me feel like I’m on a summer road trip. 
            Walk along Aquatic Park and you can see not only the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, but also swimmers from the Dolphin Club swimming in the bay (sometimes with sea lions pestering them), with beautiful historic ships looming behind them.
            When looking for a small dose of that vacation feeling, we take the scenic walk from Fort Mason Stairs to Hyde Street Pier, the featured hike from the archives this week.
            We don’t have to fly or drive far to have a vacation moment. Playing tourist in our own backyard is underrated. What’s your nearby favorite spot? Keep putting one foot forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 58: Fort Mason Stairs to Hyde Street Pier

Marking Time
            As a schoolkid, I loved learning about iconic places and times in history. Nerd alert: I was enthralled by the fact that there is a thing called the prime meridian which is the zero point for measuring longitude and marks the time zone for Greenwich Mean Time.
            The thought that I would ever visit this historic spot in Greenwich, England never occurred to me. It was sure to remain a phantom entity in my mind.
            But then my older son started living in London, and it turned out he lives a short train ride from Greenwich.
            Each of us has a unique range of things that make our hearts flutter with excitement. For me, taking the long scenic walk from the train station, past the historic clipper ship Cutty Sark, through the greenery of university grounds and then gradually climbing the hill to the Royal Observatory where the prime meridian is located was a thrill.
            From our high perch at this old historic site, we looked back across the park and saw the modern London skyline across the Thames.
            We can never be sure where life’s path will take us. Make the most of the bright stretches!
            This week’s highlighted hike is a World Walks contribution, Greenwich Observatory Walk, London. 
            HikingAutism shares mostly Northern California hikes, but readers enjoy seeing the variety of walking sites in other countries and parts of the U.S.
            Have a favorite walk? Share with readers in World Walks! Two or three sentences and a few photos allow other readers to share your enjoyment. See the World Walks link for how to submit your walk to share.
 
This week’s Hike Notes is a new World Walks entry:
Greenwich Observatory Walk, London
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777

Wildlife Magnets
            A hiking buddy/autism helper who my son and I hiked countless trail miles with had amazing luck spotting wildlife.
            “There’s a whale!” he’d say from a coastal path. “Look, a pod of dolphins!” My lens-dependent eyes struggled to spot seals and sea lions he said were right offshore. I envied his 20/20 vision.
            Over our years of outings, we saw raccoons, deer, rabbits, river otters, snakes, lizards, salamanders, skinks, California quail, coyotes, and even a bobcat once. We have yet to see a mountain lion reveal itself, which is as it should be.
            We saw red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, Coopers hawks, turkey vultures, and a wide variety of waterfowl and songbirds, but our hiking buddy was often the first one to spot them, and when out on our own, our family often came up dry for wildlife viewing.
            Sometimes it feels like there are people who have magical luck seeing animals on the trail.
            I recently had the privilege of playing trail guide for Australian autism researcher Travis Saunders (read about his Churchill Fellowship research project here) and his family. They are on an international journey studying how walking in nature helps people on the autism spectrum. I described our local animals, thinking we weren’t likely to see many.
            On their first full day in the San Francisco Bay Area, the family saw a coyote right out on a city street. On a hike at Lands End, we had a red-tailed hawk swoop low right in front of us. On our last outing together in the Marin Headlands, we had two gray foxes scoot across the road in front of us. Then we saw a family of four sea otters playing in Rodeo Lagoon as we walked by.
            My family and I don’t always find wildlife easily, so I’m glad to hike with people who naturally stumble onto animals along the trail. If you’re a person who effortlessly spots wildlife without even trying, consider yourself lucky!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Heather Cutoff Trail, take readers to an area where I captured a closeup of a bobcat ambling lazily along the roadside without a worry in the world, and where an intense switchback trail awaits hikers.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 177: Heather Cutoff Trail

Light Shines Through
            In deep, dense forest, light struggles to filter through even on the sunniest day. The blended aroma of moist soil, tree bark, and moss is most intoxicating in the darkest places.
            My childhood summer vacations in the Adirondacks were often spent walking under a forest canopy wearing a rain parka over a thick sweatshirt. It was a miraculous treasure when the sun broke through to the forest floor.
            Here in California, Muir Woods is one of the most popular places to see a redwood forest. I have visited many times, often in late afternoon, when fading daylight was falling at an angle. That light is beautiful to the eye, but clear images are harder to capture with a camera in scarce light.
            I recently visited Muir Woods earlier in the day, when the summer sun was shining straight down. There was enough light for my camera to focus, and once in a while a glorious burst of sun came down on the trail through a gap in the trees.
            Enjoy dark moody trails for their unique atmosphere, and celebrate unexpected bright spots when you stumble upon them. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Muir Woods National Monument, takes readers to Marin County to one of the most popular places to see redwoods.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 206: Muir Woods National Monument

Places Ingrained
            Pine trees line the curve of a lake. White sparkles shimmer over deep blue water. Fallen branches ornament the narrow shore.
            The lines of the treetops converge at a downward angle where the lake bends in the distance, countered by a low mountain top rising from the gap.
            It is a perfect, quiet lake, like those in the old postcards of the Adirondack Mountains I treasured as a kid. But this is not a postcard, and it is not the Adirondacks.
            I have lived in California and been exploring trails and nature sites in Marin County for more years than I spent growing up in rural Upstate New York, but when I look at the lakes of the Marin Watershed, love for the natural surroundings of my youth wells up. I am transported back to my childhoods camping in the lakes and old mountains of the Adirondacks. 
            Living in the past? No. Allowing powerful sensory memories to unleash the strengths I developed while immersed in the natural beauty of my childhood? Yes.
            Let yourself reminisce about the times and places that made you the person you are today. The quiet embers of early lessons and insights may glow strongly again. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Kent Lake from Shafter Bridge, take readers to one of the lovely lakes of the Marin Watershed.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 112: Kent Lake from Shafter Bridge

View from the Other Side
            Standing under the shade of a cypress tree, I look out to see a flock of brown pelicans flying in front of blue sky and puffy white clouds. The blue water below is marked by white diagonal lines, sailboats leaning in competition.
            Looming in the back is the Golden Gate Bridge, beyond that, the skyline of San Francisco. I hear only the sound of the breeze through the branches of the cypress grove, and the occasional bird song. The densely packed city feels like a thousand miles away.
            Living in a city can be exciting in both good ways and bad. Exploring historical sites, experiencing cultural events, and getting to know various neighborhood shops and restaurants can keep a person busy for years. But urban problems can pop up in the cities we love, and they do: Noise, homelessness, crime, parking and traffic problems.
            It’s important to step away from city life and immerse ourselves in nature. The Marin Headlands—where I stand looking back at the city across the water—is just a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.
            Getting a bit of distance from our usual space and looking back from across the way helps put our lives and the world in perspective. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Bicentennial Campground-Marin Headlands, a spot where people can have an overnight camping experience or just a picnic area visit, with stunning views.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 205: Bicentennial Campground-Marin Headlands

Close Comforts
            My younger son, who is on the autism spectrum, needs to get out in the world and burn up some energy every day. Now a young adult, he still needs support in all facets of life. 
            Heat wave or atmospheric river, we get out for a walk every day that he’s not at his support program. 
            Weather aside, what if mom and dad are under the weather? We’ve seen a surprising upsurge in various viruses this summer, and our house was hit, too. 
            Whichever parent feels the least sick at the moment is in charge of outings. Lower energy levels mean a shorter walk closer to home. 
            As a kid, I had favorite walks around my home in the Adirondack Foothills that brought comfort when I was bouncing back from a cold or flu. A stroll down the big hill to the apple trees—maybe to the barbed wire fence that marked the border with our neighbor’s farmland—gave me an uplifting dose of fresh air and bright sky.
            Now I live at the western edge of San Francisco, and one of our easy comfort walks is at the old ruins of Sutro Baths, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. On normal days, we walk down and back up the steep hills to the baths, but on low energy days, we stick to a short easy walk above the baths that features amazing views of Seal Rock, the Cliff House, and ships heading in and out of San Francisco Bay.
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is Sutro Baths, a historic site that once included various seawater bathing pools combined with museum-like exhibits of treasures from around the world, and now is an open space that looks out to the Pacific.
            Where are your nearby comfort walks? Find an easy, special place to restore yourself with a breath of fresh air and a view, even if only stepping out the door to look at the sky and listen for birds! Keep putting one foot forward!
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 70): Sutro Baths
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777