A Taste of Home

A Taste of Home
            The smell of pumpkin pie, a roasting turkey, and the distinct poultry seasoning aroma of bread stuffing—these traditional American holiday dinner smells bring waves of nostalgia for me. One whiff of pumpkin transports me to childhood holidays.
            My Japanese husband says a similar feeling happens in Japan with the distinctive smell of grilled sweetened soy sauce that wafts out from street vendors selling ikayaki (grilled squid) and takoyaki (octopus cooked in dough) during festivals in Japan.
            Visual cues also carry me to other times and places. Show me a wooden barn worn down by harsh weather, and I am back in Upstate New York looking at the simple, rustic aesthetic of the barn across the road from my house.
            On one of our Northern California hikes, we hiked a mile along a scenic trail of low hills and eucalyptus trees, which felt very Californian. We reached a historic ranch site where an old barn still stands though is out of use. The weatherworn wood and rusty farm equipment carried my senses back to childhood in dairy country.
            What senses bring you a sense of nostalgia? Tap into your sensory memories for a ride to another time and place. Keep putting one foot forward!
            The featured hike from the archives this week is Burleigh Murray Ranch Trail, a hike that features historic old ranch structures, including a unique barn, but also its own vine-covered outbuilding that adds a special charm to a lovely walk in Half Moon Bay.
 
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New this week:
Hike Notes 128: Burleigh Murray Ranch Trail