Love Without Words
            Hugs with my severely autistic son sometimes look awkward. He often responds to a hug request with a brusque shoulder bump rather than a full on, heartfelt hug.
            What a surprise it was when a week ago, unrequested by me, my son faced me, looked me in the eye, and put both arms around me with a comforting squeeze. He hugged me for a long time, patting me on the back as one does when trying to make someone feel better. He pulled his head back to look me in the eye with a smile several times, going back in for more of his warm embrace of encouragement.
            I had not been crying. I had not asked for a hug. I had not talked about needing comfort. I had recently been anxious about a family health situation, and though I wasn’t talking about it to him, he must have sensed that I was worried above and beyond my everyday stress level.
            My heart was stirred by what felt like words of comfort emanating from his embrace. As mother to a son who does not communicate easily and often pushes gestures of affection away, this was one of the greatest treasures I’ve received from him.
            A week later, he did it again. The magical sense that he was talking to me without words was just as powerful the second time. 
            I cannot complain when his sensory system triggers him to dodge my attempts at affection. The fact that he could drop his sensory guard to so remarkably show his love without words counterbalances all his dismissals of affection over the years.
            Do you have someone in your life who communicates more effectively in silence than in words? Embrace those powerful silent communications, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Stapleveldt Trail-Mt. Tam, leads readers along a trail highlighted by moss, ferns, redwoods, wooden fences and wooden footbridges.
            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 236: Stapleveldt Trail-Mt. Tam

Urban Nature
            I love San Francisco. As a country girl—raised among the forests, creeks and farmland of the Adirondack Foothills—whose consistent saving grace was time spent in nature, even I might not have expected me to choose a city for living the majority of my adult life and raising my children. But I did.
            Why? As I write about frequently in HikingAutism, I am so grateful that in addition to living in a city that offers major arts and culture benefits, my family and I have easy access to stunning nature sites in every direction. 
            I can walk to the Pacific Ocean from my house. I live less than a block from expansive Golden Gate Park that is home not only to a historic herd of bison but also to free-running coyote, skunks, raccoons, and an amazing array of birds, highlighted by red-tailed hawks, great blue heron, and hummingbirds.
            A short drive north takes me across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County with its countless mountain and beach trails. A short drive south offers a wide variety of hikes in San Mateo County and points south, and a drive to the East Bay presents more bayside and hill areas to explore.
            I sense the accessibility of natural wonders in San Francisco so strongly that I simply assumed it must be near the top of a list of cities with nature easily at hand.
            To my surprise, there are numerous cities with an even higher nature accessibility index. That theme is featured in an article from Kühl, The Nature Deficit Index: How American Cities Are Losing Access to the Outdoors (Ivan Slovic), which highlights issues relating to city dwellers’ access to nature. You can find a link to Kühl’s other hiking features on the HikingAutism Links page.
            Regardless of where your place of residence ranks on a nature accessibility index, there are ways to incorporate the positive forces of nature in your life. It may take a bit of planning if you want to go to open nature spaces. It is also possible to enjoy flowers, plants and wildlife in small city parks and gardens. We can also just step to our front door or back window and look at the sky, watching and listening for birds to pass by.
            Take the time to see what treasures of nature are on hand around you, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Sand Ladder to Baker Beach, leads readers down the long, sandy stairway in San Francisco’s Presidio to popular Baker Beach, with dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands.
            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 135: Sand Ladder to Baker Beach

Summer Essence
            A golden glow hovers over a hilly field of tall green grass and yellow flowers. The sea below is a mixture of blues, greens and grays as waves crash against dark rocks. The fragrances of fading flowers and seaweed blend in the breeze, and the warmth of the sun mixes with the sticky feeling of sea air on bare arms.
            I walk a winding hilly path to tide pools, revealing unexpected treasures. The sparkle of water on the rocks takes my breath away. A tear, triggered by the beauty of the moment, rolls down my cheek. 
            All these sensory treasures add up to the epitome of a summer day.
            Stop for a moment to breathe and soak up the signals from the world around you, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Slide Ranch and Tide Pool Walk, introduces readers to a special place that features goats, ducks, and chickens as well as a lovely trail leading to tide pools and stunning ocean 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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 160: Slide Ranch and Tide Pool Walk

Waves and Shadows
            Waves crash in big bursts against a rock one moment, then roll in shallow layers over the sand another. Shadows flicker with leaves blowing in the breeze, or gradually lengthen as the day grows long.
            Waves and shadows change constantly, as do many aspects of life. Do we stop to notice the changes, acknowledging the world as it changes around us, and ourselves as we evolve within the world?
            Being still for a moment to notice changes around or within us can be a revelation, if we just take time to stop and observe. Take a quiet moment and  keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, 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.
            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 175: Gray Whale Cove State Beach

No Place Like Home
            Years ago, my beloved aunt and uncle came to stay with us in San Francisco, bringing their nine-year-old grandson, my cousin’s son. They were visiting from Tug Hill, a notoriously snowy, rural part of Upstate New York, a place that developed the character of my grandparents, parents, and aunts and uncles. Dairy farms and cornfields are the counterpart to the many lakes and forests in this part of the Adirondack foothills.
            It was this boy’s first visit far from rural Upstate New York. Walking along the ocean, driving across the Golden Gate Bridge, and visiting places like Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf were exciting and possibly a bit overwhelming.
            One day when my husband watched our two young sons and my aunt and uncle took a break from the whirlwind with books on the sofa, I took my cousin’s son for a walk to burn some of his extra energy.
            A mile and a half loop walk starting right from our front door included one of several small lakes in Golden Gate Park. It often played host to coots, mallards, geese, egrets, and sometimes a great blue heron. Raccoons were often in view during the day, while fox and coyote usually stayed hidden until night.
            Our young visitor had been acting up a bit, talking back to his grandma, my aunt. He was probably out of sorts from being in a new place with new people far away from home.
            As we walked around the small lake, which often made me think of my Adirondack stomping grounds, I could see his face and body relax. He looked happy and engaged, like he was comfortable in his own skin again.
            Juggling work, my own two kids, and entertaining him and my aunt and uncle for a week, I was lucky to have found the wherewithal for this solo walk with him.
            “Can we come here again?” he asked earnestly as we headed away from the lake and back along city streets to home. 
            “Sure,” I said, moved by the fact that he was so enamored of this spot.
            The days got busier, and their visit zipped by without a chance to take him back to the little lake. Not being able to take him back has always haunted me with guilt.
            I hope he has good memories of that trip so many years ago. That tiny lake near my house still brings flashes of Adirondack memories when I visit with my family for an easy neighborhood walk.
            Do you have a favorite nearby location that reminds you of another time and place in your life? Tap into the nostalgia, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, North Lake-Golden Gate Park, leads readers around one of the small lakes along Chain of Lakes Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
            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 235: North Lake-Golden Gate Park