Getting There
Kirby Cove. Point Reyes. Yosemite. For years, I felt these might remain unchecked highlights on my destination wish-list. Why? Simply because I hadn’t visited them before. Unfamiliarity can morph into mental and logistical blocks. Getting to those places—the closest less than half an hour from my house, and the farthest four hours away—really wasn’t that hard. A map, gas in the car, and the determination to get there were the key necessities, and I was so happy I overcame my internal resistance to finally visit. Recently, another family with an autistic son offered to lead a hike in the East Bay, my nearby “can’t get there” nemesis. Though my habitual groan of, “I don’t want to get stuck in traffic trying to get across the Bay Bridge” had emerged, we set our alarms early and found ourselves easily breezing across the bridge and arriving at the trailhead with time to spare. Not only was the drive easier than expected, but we walked a trail with beautiful views, and noticed side trails we want to explore on our next visit. Pushing ourselves slightly out of our comfort zones can open up a world of opportunity. When you get up to get out, remember to try someplace new once in a while. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Inspiration Point-Nimitz Way Hike, brings readers to an easy in-and-out hike along the paved Nimitz Trail with scenic reservoir and bay views. 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, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism New this week: Hike Notes 157: Inspiration Point-Nimitz Way Hike
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Transported
Sights, sounds, tastes, touch, and smells—these and less-well defined senses are wired in our brains in ways that are not yet thoroughly understood. Each of us has our own “sensory transport bridges” built from our life experiences. The smell and taste of pumpkin pie instantly immerse me in the feeling of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners as a child. The honking of Canada geese I hear through my attic office skylight snaps me back to the awe and comfort that welled every fall as Canada geese migrated past my Adirondack foothills childhood home. The distinctive call of redwing blackbirds stirs the excitement and hopefulness I felt in spring when snow melted and birds came back. My most powerful “Beam me up, Scottie” trigger hits when my skin senses freezing temperatures. I’ve lived in a place with moderate temperatures for decades, so the keen-edged bite of cold air entering my lungs and touching my face delivers me to the subzero winter childhoods I loved, crossing frozen creeks and snowshoeing on thigh-deep snow with my brothers and beagles. Our visual sense has the extra superpower of carrying us to places we’ve not yet been. I see images from a bazaar in Morocco, a forest in Norway, or a beach in the Galapagos, and I feel like I’m there, though I haven’t visited yet. Whenever I visit Stow Lake in San Francisco, the bright orange flowers contrasting brightly against the waterfall stairs greenery make me think of Hawaii, which came into focus in a new World Walks hike, the Lanikai Pill Box Hike. This second World Walks contribution from a nature lover and photographer friend in the beautiful Palouse region of the northwestern US introduces readers to a trail in Hawaii with stunning views. Seeing his photos and reading his description made me feel like I’d been on the Lanikai Pill Box Hike. I hope one day to actually try it! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Strawberry Hill and Stow Lake Pagoda. A San Francisco icon in Golden Gate Park, Stow Lake offers a sense of nostalgia along with a healthy dose of nature right in the heart of a city. Do you have a favorite walk? Share with readers in World Walks! Two or three sentences and photos allow other readers to share your special hike. See the World Walks link for how to submit your walk to share. It’s easy! This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 60): Strawberry Hill and Stow Lake Pagoda 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. Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism Just Show Up
My severely autistic son was once so overwhelmed by light, sounds, smells, taste, touch and other forces that we couldn’t see and Sean couldn’t express that he became almost housebound. His fortress was our home, his armor a thick blanket wrapped around him with only a tiny breathing space left open. A gifted young teacher was determined to help. Our goal: Use hiking to help Sean get back out in the world, walking in places that his neurosensory challenges blocked him from. On our first outing, the teacher, Sean and I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. We parked at a trailhead Sean knew well from the past. It took us an hour and a half to convince him to get out of the car. We spent another hour moving him toward the Marin Headlands Visitor Center that he loved when he was younger. Step, hug, freeze, step, hug, freeze. Right at the entrance, he dropped to the ground and refused to budge. The sensory rebellion that had escalated over his early teen years was in full force. We did not go into the visitor center. We did not take our planned hillside hike to Rodeo Beach. But we got to the trailhead. Sean’s teacher later e-mailed me to say what a big success Sean had that day, having the courage to get out of the car and keep trying until he got to the visitor center door. Every ounce of frustration we felt was equal to a gallon of fight-or-flight stress hormones for Sean. Praise for Sean’s bravery and accomplishment in incremental goals helped lessen my tears as a mom who felt so often that I was failing my basic task of helping my child become an independent, functioning person. Next outing, it only took Sean half an hour to get out of the car, and he walked on a trail for two hours. The patience required to help him was far outweighed by his courage in overcoming sensory bombardment. As our beloved teacher said repeatedly to Sean, “You can do it. Try again.” Sean sensed his teacher’s belief in him, allowing him to believe in himself. Sean has hiked thousands of miles since that time years ago. Just get to the trailhead. Show up, keep trying, and keep putting one foot forward. This week’s Hike Notes, Chickadee Nature Trail-Huddart Park, introduces one of the easy trails at Huddart Park, with a trailhead right at the main entrance parking lot. 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. 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, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism New this week: Hike Notes 156: Chickadee Nature Trail-Huddart Park Serendipitous Pleasures
Rain or shine, our son, profoundly affected by autism, walks a trail somewhere every Saturday, Sunday, and any day when his special needs program is on break. During the long stretch his facility was closed during the pandemic, he walked well over a thousand miles. You’d think we’d run out of places to walk, but there are plenty of favorites even within a city like San Francisco. Sometimes I drive along roads where there are trails he likes and wait for him to call out a place name. “Fort Point!” has been his favorite recently. Last Saturday, I backed out of the driveway without a specific destination in mind. I suddenly remembered seeing a post with photos of the tulips in Golden Gate Park. I thought we’d waited too long to see the annual display, but was inspired to check whether a few straggling blossoms remained. The windmill garden site near Ocean Beach was filled with camera-wielding visitors, but it was also overflowing with yellow, red, and white tulips and bright orange poppies arranged in patterns. Bordering the garden was a magical purple flowering bush that always entrances me though I don’t know its name. Sometimes heading out the door without a firm plan and seeing where your instincts take you can make for the best outings. Get up, get out, and enjoy an adventure, even if it’s an old favorite! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Queen Wilhelmina Garden, a highlight in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park featuring a working windmill, and stunning flower displays that change throughout the year. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 129): Queen Wilhelmina Garden 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. Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism |
Lisa LouisSharing insights and hiking highlights (Hikes, Hike Search by Area) from the special needs caregiver front in San Francisco. Archives
February 2025
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