Big Nature, Small Space
            Yellow and purple lupin line a path through coyote brush-dotted sandy terrain. Cypress trees rise like sculptures. White puffy clouds float high in a vibrant blue sky.
            Walking along, the gently curving boardwalk is one of the only visual hints that this is not a wilderness site. It’s easy to overlook the houses in the background beyond the furthest trees.
            And yet, this is right in the city of San Francisco. The Presidio features many lovely nature areas, even within a relatively small space.
            We don’t have to travel far for a nature walk. When you don’t have the time, energy or means to get to a special nature site, enjoy a nearby park or garden. If you can’t get outside, look out the window or door at the sky and listen for birds. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Lobos Valley Boardwalk Stroll, describes an easy short walk right within San Francisco that features scenery that makes us feel far from the city.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 53: Lobos Valley Boardwalk Stroll

Redwood Moment
            Deep brown with a reddish tinge and a unique texture, sometimes touched by the diaphanous paintbrush of spiderwebs, the bark of a redwood tree is easily identifiable once you come to know it. Then there is the rich, earthy smell of a redwood forest, forest floor moister than the many dry areas of California. The tall trees provide so much shade that moss and ferns thrive around them year-round.
            Something about being with redwood trees makes me feel calm. Is it because they are so big, so old, so steady? Whatever the reason, they bring a sense of tranquility.
            Living in the San Francisco Bay Area with its combination of cultural activities mixed with stunning nature in all directions, we have a lot of visitors from friends and family from around the world.
            When visitors visit for the first time, I ask what the top items on their visit list are. Almost everyone asks to see redwood trees. After decades of living here I almost take easy access to redwood trees for granted. 
            Muir Woods is on the checklist for many, but parking restrictions mean we can’t just visit on a whim anymore. Though parking spaces are restricted, hiking trails into Muir Woods aren’t, so with guests who are willing, we take a steep hike down into the woods from the mountain ridge above.
            There are many places other than Muir Woods to see redwoods, even groves within the city of San Francisco itself. Spending even a short time among these grand trees can make the world slow down a little.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Old Mill Park Stroll, introduces readers to a park in Mill Valley in Marin County that does not require a strenuous hike to enjoy a quiet moment among the redwoods.
            Find your treasured quiet places, and 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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
New this week:
Hike Notes 221: Old Mill Park Stroll

Illusive Summer
            After the shortest, darkest day in late December, the winter solstice, there is an emotional brightening as we incrementally march toward longer, lighter days. Those increasingly long days culminate in the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. 
            “This is what we’ve been yearning for!” my school friends and I thought as we celebrated the official first day of summer.
            Yet the next day, our days immediately started shortening again.
            Movies portray summer as a time of freedom and adventure. As a kid, however, summer always gave me a wistful sense of lost dreams. The things my friends and I looked forward to for months started fading right when they started, swimming at a lake, hanging out at the beach, long bike rides, beating the heat in shorts and T-shirts.
            Beach time in my cold, snowy Upstate New York childhood stretched for two months if we were lucky. 
            Now however, living on the coast of California, I can visit beaches year-round. (Oddly enough, San Francisco summers can be a time for down jackets.)
            Beaches reverberate with a mythical sense of magic any time of year, the rhythm of waves and sunlight sparkling on the water stirring our hearts and imagination, summer or not. 
            Whether it’s hanging out at the sandy edge of a creek, dipping your feet in a cold mountain lake, or taking a walk along an ocean beach, tap into that dreamy sense that a day by the water brings.
            Enjoy the special glow of whatever season you’re in, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Half Moon Bay State Beach-Francis Beach, the main hub of a multi-beach stretch along the Half Moon Bay shoreline, that offers a mystical view of Pillar Point.
 
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 182: Half Moon Bay State Beach-Francis Beach

Anywhere You Can Find It
            Stand at the window and watch clouds float across the sky. Crack the window for fresh air, and listen to birdsongs that waft in. Step out the front door and water the flowers.
            Even a small, comforting dose of nature can make a huge positive difference in how we feel mentally and physically.
            I love nothing more than taking a five-mile hike on Mt. Tam in Marin County, but that means finding the time, coordinating with hiking partners, driving, and hoping to find a parking spot at a trailhead. It also means having the mobility, coordination and energy to do the hike itself.
            Time, energy, transportation, and the physical capacity to do even a moderate hike are luxuries for many. As I get older, I recognize an increasing array of reasons why people may not be able to easily get out to reap the benefits of spending time in nature.
            An eternal optimist, in my dad’s final years when he barely left his big chair in front of the TV, my heart was lifted by seeing that he still had a great view out of the picture window, where he could see grass, trees, birds, and even an occasional deer walking through the yard.
            There are countless reasons for a big outdoor adventure to be out of reach, but I always argue that stopping to notice the flower growing through the crack in the sidewalk counts. Watching a spider build a web outside your window counts. Sitting near an open door to look outside and feel the breeze blow across your cheek counts.
            On many days, I have barely a minute to spend outdoors. There is never a day, though, that I don’t step out on my front porch to look at the sky and water the flowers. At the moment, a vibrant display of petunias and lobelia are bursting with color on my porch. They clear my head and lift my heart every day.
            Find that little dose of nature anywhere you can find it, whether at a park close to home, a view from a window or door, or looking at nature photos or videos. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Sutro Heights, a hidden treasure of a park that feels like my own backyard at the western edge of San Francisco, featuring views of Ocean Beach, Seal Rocks, and lovely flowers woven into the edge of the ruins of a historic mansion.
 
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 125: Sutro Heights

Classic Beauty
            Roses bend under the burden of their grand reputation. Reputed to be difficult to grow, they are the prize exhibit in many gardens. Roses are the symbolic choice for romantic gifts: buy a dozen long-stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day and pay a king’s ransom.
            They appear in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” and most of us have been advised to “Stop and smell the roses!” many times over the years.
            Can a good thing be praised so much that it becomes tired and trite? Roses are a likely candidate.
            We gave that theory a test by visiting the Rose Garden in Golden Gate Park recently. Pink, yellow, apricot, lavender, creamy white, bright red, dream-like blends of yellow, orange and pink all in one flower—there were colors we have no name for. Roses do indeed deserve appreciation. 
            May we stop to smell whatever flower falls in our path, and be grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a quiet moment with something beautiful.
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Rose Garden-Golden Gate Park, brings readers to a special feature area in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park that displays a stunning array of roses.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 108: Rose Garden-Golden Gate Park

Shifting Directions
            We start our hikes having a general plan, but know we may have to adjust as we go along. Maps aren’t always accurate, and online information isn’t always correct. Recently, we drove to San Rafael, excited to check out the China Camp Visitor Center which we’ve had on our radar for a couple of years. We arrived only to find that it has been closed since the pandemic. Fortunately, there is a great visit site nearby at China Camp Beach and Village.
            The other part of our plan for that outing was to hike the Oak Ridge Trail to the Bay View Trail and check out the views from there. Due to some confusion between the trail map and trail markers, we ended up on a fire road that made a steep climb to a peak with great views.
            My sense of direction, even supported by a map and trail signs, had failed me to some degree. I got to a great vista spot but on a different trail. Readers who missed it can check out my recent guest essay on The Renaissance Garden Guy, called “Our Sense of Direction.” It deals with how our ability to navigate from one place to another evolves as we age and also as technology changes.
            Have you ever ended up somewhere that was just as satisfying as you’d hoped, even though it wasn’t actually your original destination? Go with the flow and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, China Camp-Oak Ridge-McNears Fire Trail Hike, leads readers on a relatively short hike that includes a steep climb to a peak that offers views including San Pablo Bay, Mount Diablo, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 China Camp-Oak Ridge-McNears Fire Trail Hike
New this week:
Hike Notes 220: China Camp-Oak Ridge-McNears Fire Trail Hike

Just Ducky
            Though my mom used to say it sarcastically as in, “Well that’s just ducky!” when something went wrong, “Just ducky!” can be taken with the straight meaning of something pleasing or delightful.
            There’s something about the last week of May, when kids are about to finish school and stand on the precipice of summer break, that feels exciting and full of promise. I imagine the open possibilities of visiting someplace beautiful and uplifting enough to temporarily make me forget whatever I’m stressed about at the moment.
            Countless nature sites fit that description, but one that popped into my mind this week was lovely Lake Lagunitas. I love all five lakes in the Marin Watershed, and Lake Lagunitas offers the easiest loop walk.
            I take so many photos on every hike, from broad landscape shots to closeups of wildflowers, that it’s hard to choose a representative image for any given place. When I skimmed through my Lake Lagunitas photos, I was drawn to this duck photo, and sure enough, the thought, “That’s just ducky!” came to mind.
            There are so many things to worry about in our personal lives and in the news that stumbling onto something simple that brings a smile is a priceless treasure.
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Lake Lagunitas Loop, a family friendly two-mile loop around a lovely lake in the Marin Watershed.
            May we all take the opportunity to stop and enjoy a sight, smell or sound that brings a smile, and temporarily keeps darker thoughts at bay. 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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 15: Lake Lagunitas Loop

Making His Way
            It’s graduation season. This year we have friends whose children are graduating from preschool, from elementary school, and middle school. It feels like not so long ago that my sons were graduating from high school, and our older son from college.
            Early life is a series of passages onto the next higher level of education, and often from there to work life, hopefully with some raises and promotions mixed in over the years.
            For my younger son, profoundly affected by autism, college was not an option. Once he aged out of the school system, his options were limited, yet he still moves forward in his own way.
            There was a time when Sean was so overwhelmed by sensory and neurological input that just getting him out from under his blanket and out of his room was a major success. Teen years can be especially daunting for autistic kids, and we spent those years helping Sean get back out in the world after extreme challenges isolated him.
            Seeing images of Sean hiking on a trail in a beautiful place always reminds me of how far we have come since the years of being trapped at home. Though he does not go to college or practice a profession, participating in activities in his program for people with disabilities is still a huge achievement for Sean considering how difficult it was for him to engage with the world.
            May we all be thankful for the victories we have in life, however different they may look for different people. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Phyllis Ellman Trail to Ring Mountain, a lovely, grassy inclined trail that leads up to the unique terrain of Ring Mountain in Tiburon.
 
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 63: Phyllis Ellman Trail to Ring Mountain

Not So Secret Treasures
            As a kid, there were some good swimming holes along the creeks near our house. Not that we kept them secret, but we didn’t go out of our way to tell everyone about them, either. Surfers are notoriously protective of special surfing spots.
               I avoid writing Hike Notes about certain special spots, even though they would make for a great post. Some places are best left discovered at a quieter pace.
            Tennessee Point Labyrinth was a place I posted about and wondered later if I should have stayed quiet. I noticed spikes in views on that page on my site, and wondered if I’d drawn too much attention. Truth is, my site doesn’t have the reach to cause the consistently higher visitor numbers there. Viral Instagram posts are the more likely culprit.
            The not-so-secret treasure that is the coastal trail walk to Tennessee Point Labyrinth is already known, so I am sharing a photo from a recent hike there showing wildflowers with a lovely coast view facing south. 
            Here’s to treasuring special places without giving away secrets. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Tennessee Point Labyrinth, takes readers on a stunning coastal view hike featuring a stone labyrinth on a high cliff above the Pacific with fascinating geological structures and white cliffs in view.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 119: Tennessee Point Labyrinth

Fences
            What is it about a fence in a field, or along a forest path, that pulls on one’s heartstrings?
            There is something universally comforting and welcoming about a worn wooden fence. When I see an old wood fence on one of my frequent Northern California hikes, I’m often reminded of weatherworn fences from my childhood in rural Upstate New York. They can also emanate a pastoral European ambience. Like the one in this photo, fences can also have a distinctly California feel.
            Though the basic concept of a fence is to block something, many of the fences we see on our hikes seem to just be a guide line along the trail, not keeping anyone or anything out from one side or the other.
            Do you like fences? What is it about them that is appealing? Keep getting out on the trail and enjoy the magic of a good fence when you see one!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Edgewood Park Old Stage Road-Sylvan Trail Hike, takes readers on a loop hike in Redwood City that passes through oak forest, grasslands, and an area featuring patches of serpentine rock.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
New this week:
Hike Notes 219: Edgewood Park Old Stage Road-Sylvan Trail Hike