Other Places
            Many parents of children with extraordinary challenges have a difficult time traveling to check on extended family who live at a distance, but it’s important to visit our own parents.
            This week’s post is short as I go for a family visit in a warmer, tropical place.
            I recently visited San Francisco’s tropical plant treasure trove in the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park for the first time since the pandemic, and was reminded how enticing bright greens and exotic flower shapes are. Next week will be back to a regular hike post, and in the meantime, happy trails!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Conservatory of Flowers, a San Francisco Historical Landmark filled with tropical plants that transport us to distant places.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 88): Conservatory of Flowers
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism

Transported
            For years we’ve driven past an enticing cove protected by steep cliffs. The beach far below looked like it would be a stunner, but we put it off because visitors have to walk across popular scenic Route 1 at a curve in the road with no pedestrian crossing or stop sign to get to the beach trail.
            Our severely autistic son has a habit of stopping midway as we cross streets. Determined to finally answer the siren call of the beautiful cove, we parked, took a deep breath, held his hands tightly, and crossed safely to the beach side of the road.
            Before taking the trail and steep stairs down to the beach, we explored the shady clifftop area. The sculptural silhouette of trees framed cliffs and ocean views in multiple directions.
            “This looks like a Chinese ink painting,” someone said.
            Looking past angled tree branches to dramatic cliffs with waves crashing below made me feel like I’d been transported to an entirely different place. I could have been halfway around the world, not just a few miles south of our home in San Francisco.
            Just stepping on an unfamiliar trail near home can make us feel we’ve been transported to a different time and place. Our first visit to this scenic spot made it an instant favorite.
            Go ahead and stop at the places you’ve wondered about but never had the chance to explore. You might be surprised at what you’ve been missing!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Gray Whale Cove State Beach, leads readers down a long stairway to a stunning beach just south of Pacifica’s Devils Slide Tom Lantos Tunnels.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. 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.
            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! Please feel free to share on Facebook at HikingAutism, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 175: Gray Whale Cove State Beach

Feast or Famine
            “Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day,” we used to sing in elementary school.
            One summer as a kid in Upstate New York, we set up camp in the Adirondacks for a two-week family vacation and didn’t have a single dry day. My dad spent hours in rain gear digging trenches to redirect the rain around our tent.
            As a long-time resident of California, I’ve wished for rain through many years of drought. It’s worrisome in a slow burning “When is this going to get better?” kind of way.
            And then the atmospheric rivers strike. Giant masses of moisture pummel the land relentlessly, toppling trees whose roots have been weakened by long years without enough water.
            Nature delivers traumatically damaging weather events, but plants, animals and people somehow keep going.
            Like the camp shovel my dad used to dig rain trenches, resilience and determination are handy tools as we face stormy stretches of life. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Cataract Trail to Cataract Falls, a woodsy trail leading to one of Marin’s beloved waterfalls.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 100): Cataract Trail to Cataract Falls
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism

Like a Postcard
            When I was a kid, we had View-Master devices that offered vivid, stereoscopic views of a wide range of subjects: the pyramids of Egypt, nature images from Yellowstone National Park, scenes from James Bond/007 movies.
            The vibrant, 3-D images brought a stirring sense of a perfect reality in those pre-high-tech days before high-definition TVs and virtual reality goggles. To this day, my husband and I catch ourselves on scenic hikes exclaiming, “Wow, that looks like a View-Master image!”
            We also find ourselves saying, “That’s a postcard view!” We’ve been to a couple of places where every angle offered a picture-perfect postcard image. Yosemite and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve come to mind.
            Most places we hike have at least a couple of postcard-worthy views. Sometimes our eyes fade away peripheral manmade structures to sense the illusion of an unimpeded nature view. That doesn’t make the beautiful parts any less worthy.
            May we all cultivate the ability to look past obstacles and emphasize positive highlights in our mind’s eye. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Coyote Point Recreation Area, takes readers to a county park with a variety of easy trails and scenic views on the San Francisco Bay.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. 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.
            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! Please feel free to share on Facebook at HikingAutism, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 174: Coyote Point Recreation Area

Calm in a Storm
            Holiday season can be a whirlwind: Shopping, exchanging gifts, interacting with friends and family, making special foods, finishing end of the year tasks.
            This could overwhelm anyone, but can be particularly disorienting for many on the autism spectrum. Our severely autistic son searches for Christmas videos on YouTube every November. He clearly senses that the holidays are coming and seems to look forward to it.
            But once the Christmas tree and decorations go up, he repeatedly demands, “Christmas clean up!” We don’t decorate until a day or two before our first holiday dinner guests, because we know Sean’s tolerance is limited.
            Changes in the environment and disruptions in the daily routine erode his sense of stability. We worry that Sean will have a meltdown while guests are visiting if he reaches the end of his tether with too many lights, too many new smells, too many people.
            A special needs nutrition and health specialist posted in a holiday message that Christmas trees smell wonderful but can be torture if you have allergies. Scented candles are lovely but not if artificial fragrances knock you off your feet. Flashing lights are magical, but not if you are prone to seizures or other neurological conditions.
            This year we got our first artificial tree, didn’t put out any items with artificial fragrances, and made sure not to use the flashing holiday lights.
            For the first time ever, Sean hasn’t said “Christmas clean up!” once. Though his OCD escalated because stacks of books and other objects he organizes to calm himself are temporarily cleaned up, and he did have a couple of mini meltdowns after guests left, when visitors were here, he ate together and then enjoyed quiet video time.
            Small tweaks in our environment and routine can make a huge difference in how we handle times that feel challenging.
            May we all find small changes that make life less stressful even when our routines are disrupted. Happy trails in the new year!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Fort Funston Upper Trails, a dog-friendly walking area with stunning ocean views and the treat of watching hang gliders soar.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 95): Fort Funston Upper Trails
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism