Room With a View
            Woods, creeks, corn fields and cow pastures, these were my Mohawk Valley childhood stomping grounds. Just beyond the mowed grass of our lawn, acres of unused farmland awaited exploration.
            The disjointed walls of an abandoned barn leaned at sharp angles over the edge of our property, held precariously by trees bent under their weight. My brothers and I had been warned against playing there lest we be crushed by the walls or get lockjaw from rusty nails.
            But further along an old cow path was another barn—walls still standing enough that my brothers and I dared explore inside.
            I stood quietly just inside a glassless window frame looking out, my brothers cavorting in another part of the old barn. The window offered a view of pale withered grass, burrs waiting for something to cling to, and a row of trees in the distance, indicating the edge of 9-Mile Creek.
            It was the texture and shades of the weather-worn wood that caught my eye and stirred something in my heart. I felt transported to another time and place.
            On a recent outing here in California, I again found myself standing inside a window frame, wood faded by the elements, no glass to block the wind. This window opened to a blue sky glowing over a bay. I had the same feeling of looking through a portal to another era. It was in fact a window at a state park site filled with history.
            May all of us stumble onto everyday objects that transport us to another time and place, even if only while we stand quietly to absorb the moment.
            This week’s Hike Notes, China Camp Beach and Village takes visitors to a small beach with stunning scenery and stirring history.
            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 171: China Camp Beach and Village

Searching In the Fog
            I recently had the privilege of sharing our family’s autism journey on a podcast called “Journeys,” a program where guests discuss disabilities from various angles. (Journeys: Season 2, Episode 41-Lisa Louis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb5S7fB62uE)
            I confessed that despite over twenty years of intense efforts to help my severely autistic son, I sometimes feel just as confused now as I did at the start.
            Powerful search engines like Google weren’t running at full force when our son was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in the year 2000. Struggling to find information, we felt lost and isolated. Despite the internet now overflowing with autism-related content, individuals and loved ones dealing with a diagnosis today still feel scared and alone.
            Any major life challenge is intense and confusing, even with information at our fingertips. We all have stretches in life when we search for answers through a confusing haze.
            Acknowledging vulnerability is humbling, but sharing what we learn as we stumble along through the fog might help others keep trying. Reach out, whether it is to ask for help or to offer it, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, a hike that offers views for miles when the sky is clear, but leaves the next ridge a mystery when powerful fog moves in.
            (Photo note: The foggy image for this Insights post was also used for the original Insights post that appeared in tandem with Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach. The photo used for the Journeys podcast was from that same foggy hike.)
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 55): Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach
 
            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

Eyes to the Sky
            When you walk, do you look straight ahead, chin up? Or might you look at the ground in front of you, head tilted down?
            I catch myself looking down at the trail out of habit. I look over at my autistic son and see that his head is facing down much of the time. I make a point to take his hand and stand still for a few moments, encouraging him to look up at the scenery around us.
            “Look, Sean, the ocean!” I say, tilting his chin up away from the ground.
            “Ocean!” he says, then looks down again.
            I sigh, glad that at least we’re out in the fresh air. Then I realize that I rarely stop completely and tilt my head back to look straight up.
            Looking high in the sky usually offers a pleasant surprise. One day I see abstract tree branch patterns silhouetted against a vibrant blue sky. Another day I see unusual cloud formations. On another, I count as many as ninety pelicans flying in a V-shape overhead.
            Stopping to look at the world from a different angle is not only refreshing, but can snap our minds out of entrenched viewpoints.
            Plant your feet and aim your eyes to the sky next time you have a chance, and see if the world feels a little more open. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Mountain Lake-Anza Trail, takes walkers on an easy loop walk at the southern end of San Francisco’s Presidio.
            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 170: Mountain Lake-Anza Trail

Autumn Glow
            On rare occasions, I feel spooked out on a trail. In my youth traipsing around the back fields and forests of the Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York, I walked alone for miles and rarely felt that “something was off.” Other than black bears when we camped in the Adirondacks, there weren’t a lot of predatory animals. As unlikely as it was that a nefarious entity was stalking me, once in a while the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I called my beagle Spike to stay in close range.
            Flash forward to current day San Francisco. The day after Halloween, my son and I went for a walk in one of the quietest parts of Golden Gate Park. One of the small lakes we love is surprisingly uncrowded even on weekends when the park is busy. On our Tuesday walk, there wasn’t another soul in sight.
            From the moment we walked to the edge of Elk Glen Lake, I had a nagging feeling to stay alert. Sean is severely autistic and often silent as we walk. We stood quietly hand in hand before we set foot on the loop trail. The golden light of the first day of November enveloped the trees, leaf-covered trail, and water of the lake. The only sound was leaves rustling in the breeze.
            People are more likely to be a problem in a city than wildlife, but coyote interactions had been on the increase, so my sensors were on high. 
            “Come on, Sean,” I said, pulling his hand to get started.
            It was a stunning fall afternoon, including a snack break in the quietest part of the trail, where no malevolent forces appeared. Maybe the souls making passage through All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls Day had triggered my “somebody is watching us” sensors, but it turned out to be a lovely walk wrapped in a magical autumn glow.
            In what sometimes feels like a very challenging life, I ask myself when I feel most centered and happy. Time spent in nature, and time with special people always win out. Turns out that walking with Sean on a pretty trail—he quiet, and me sometimes commenting on things as we amble along—ranks at the top of my feeling-at-peace scale.
            May everyone share time in the comforting glow of nature with someone special, even if that someone is yourself. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Elk Glen Lake-Golden Gate Park, one of several charming little lakes dotting Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 158): Elk Glen Lake-Golden Gate Park
 
            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