Scenic Drive
            “Here we go, Seanie,” I say as I drive my younger son for an outing. “We’ll take the scenic route!”
            Getting out of the house at least once a day is a must for my autistic son. Rain or shine, he either goes to his day program or goes for a walk.
            Even when we’re going for a walk within San Francisco, I choose a driving route that takes us past the beach, or through the Presidio, or on a road paralleling San Francisco Bay.
            Seeing beautiful sights, even for a short drive, makes us feel better.
            Then there are the big scenic drives to more remote trailheads such as in Marin County.
            We drive in twists and turns, passing through dark redwood tunnels. As the road rises, we are treated to expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. These are the joys of driving on Mt. Tam.
            Sometimes we don’t have the energy to hike deep into the forest and back for three or four miles. We might just need a dose of heart-lifting, mind-clearing scenery without worrying about what trail connects where.
            The ride to the trailhead is part of the overall hiking experience. I snip at family members when I’m driving us for a special hike and catch them looking at their cell phones.
            “I didn’t bring us here to look at screens!” I say. Controlling mom? I plead guilty. Time is a precious commodity for me, and taking my family to absorb the beauty of Mt. Tam is a gift to them from me, and that is a gift to myself.
            West Ridgecrest Boulevard on Mt. Tam is just one example of a drive that offers amazing views while allowing visitors to make a roadside stop and just walk a short distance on one of the rolling hill trails that brings walkers into a glorious view of Stinson Beach, Bolinas Bay and Bolinas Lagoon at a distance below.
            When you’re not up for a big hike, but can manage a drive, take a scenic route that brings the combined sense of peace and exhilaration that nature offers so generously. Expand your horizons by taking in some views, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, West Ridgecrest View Paths, introduces readers to a beautiful stretch of road that allows for easy strolls to catch glorious 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, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
New this week:
Hike Notes 216: West Ridgecrest View Paths

Reawakening in Technicolor
            The blooming of flowers each year, even after the harshest winters, is one of nature’s kindest reassurances that things will be alright, that life will go on. Daffodils poking through the snow at Easter were my proof that spring might finally arrive during my snow country childhood in Upstate New York. Lilacs then filled the air with the heavenly smell of late spring. Apple blossoms meant we were going to see apples in late summer.
            Every year in San Francisco as winter marches toward spring, I watch for big, bold blossoms in pink, white, and shades in between. Rivaling plum blossoms, the other winter stunners, magnolia trees dazzle the eyes with their showy, giant petals.
            We see them on city streets and at random spots around Golden Gate Park. San Francisco’s Botanical Garden, though, offers a huge variety of magnolias for visitors to marvel at, even providing visitors with a map showing where specific magnolias are located around the garden grounds.
            I can’t resist highlighting the magnolias every year. There is a comfort in knowing that the short-lived beauty of these annual blossoms will show up again despite rain, drought, or personal or political turmoil. It’s peak magnolia season now, so check out this week’s archive hike Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden.
            Other spring blooms that capture my heart but have not started blooming yet are cherry blossoms. This week my new essay about loss and renewal, “The Cherry Tree,” appears on The Renaissance Garden Guy website. Thanks to John Stamos, the Renaissance Garden Guy himself, for the invitation to contribute pieces to his site.
            “The Cherry Tree” is a piece that had me in tears as I wrote it and each time I went in to edit, so I didn’t give it as many edit passes as I should have, but I hope readers will give it a read and see if it strikes a heartstring about people and things they’ve loved and lost, and how we sometimes fill empty spaces. Feel the positive force of those annually re-emerging blossoms, 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, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 46: Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden

Reflections
            Overcast or sunny, rippled or mirror-smooth, there is something magical about reflections on water.
            A favorite reflection spot near my house is the fly fishing pond in Golden Gate Park. Looking across the pools, images of a charming wooden lodge and trees shimmer on the water. My heart swells.
            It’s a good place to sit quietly and think, or chat, or listen to the wind as red-tailed hawks cry overhead. The grounds around the lodge building have a woodsy, Hansel and Gretel feeling.
            I recently had the opportunity to reflect on things I’ve learned through years as a caregiver for an interview in Authority Magazine: “Lisa Louis of HikingAutism.com on Lessons Learned as a Care-Giver.” By chance, the main photo for the article was taken at the fly fishing pond!
            Many of us will experience an intense caregiving stage at some point in life, whether of children, aging parents, friends or neighbors. Caregivers face the silent expectation that things will somehow be taken care of, that we’ll have the energy and resources to make sure a person under our care will be okay. It’s not that easy.
            Fellow caregivers, you are not alone! May we all find selfcare moments each day to restore our energy!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Bison, Fly Fishing and Horses – Golden Gate Park, introduces a charming spot in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park that features rippling reflections in the casting pools. 
 
            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
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
Hike Notes 80: Bison, Fly Fishing and Horses – Golden Gate Park

A Special Glow
            I arrive at a trailhead on Mt. Tam, and my eyes are drawn to the outline of mountain ridges in one direction and the ocean horizon in the other. I walk in San Francisco and wonder at the blend of stunning nature with urban elements.
            I look out from any shoreline on San Pablo Bay, and am struck by the entrancing pastel glow of the sky. I’ve seen otherworldly lavender and coral-colored skies looking at San Pablo Bay from San Rafael.
            I recently visited Point Pinole—across San Pablo Bay from San Rafael—for the first time. Looking at the silhouette of the distant tree line, my heart was stirred by a creamy yellow light tinged with a hint of orange, radiating below blue-gray clouds. Photos don’t accurately capture that ethereal glow.
            This week I lost a beloved neighborhood friend. I don’t know all of what happens when a person transitions out of this life, but I like to imagine she experienced some sort of peaceful, comforting glimmer of light as she passed, and that her spirit could feel the squeeze of my hand and hear me say, “I love you.”
            May we all appreciate the magical glows that appear for us, in this world or the next. Keep putting one foot forward.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Point Pinole Pier Walk, introduces readers to an East Bay Regional Park that is popular for its bayside trails and fishing pier.
            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 215: Point Pinole Pier Walk