Urban Pastorale
            Feathery white clouds float above a layer of blue. Cypress trees rise high above their surroundings. Willow tree branches drape in layers over the path ahead. Tree pollen is reflected in yellow on a mirror-surface of water.
            This charming small lake reflecting trees and clouds brings back happy memories from a childhood spent in the Adirondack Foothills.
            And yet we are walking in a city park in San Francisco. Even small areas of nature wield a remarkable power to bring us out of our daily worries, allowing us to take in our surroundings and just be in the moment.
            Make the most of the natural treasures where you live, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Elk Glen Lake – Golden Gate Park, takes readers to one of several charming, tiny lakes 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
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 158: Elk Glen Lake – Golden Gate Park

Early Bloomers
            “Look, the dahlias are blooming!” my husband said, pointing to the Dahlia Garden in the distance from where we were taking our easy Sunday stroll in Golden Gate Park. 
            “Aren’t they known for blooming in August?” I thought to myself out loud.
            Sure enough, posters along the Dahlia Garden fence announced the Dahlia Society’s annual show in mid-August, this year celebrating their 100-year anniversary, by chance.
            And sure enough, though barely into July, there were already many fascinating dahlia varieties to look at. I am always astounded by the variety of shapes and colors that share the name dahlia.
            I found the usual suspects that remind me of sea anemones, but on this visit I also saw a white variety of dahlia that reminded me of the feathered bubble hats that were fashionable in the 1960s. An image of Elizabeth Taylor wearing one floated into my mind. It was an odd thought that I mumbled to myself, only to have the woman next to me say she was thinking the same thing.
            Are there flowers that you look at as being almost more intriguing than beautiful? Dahlias are both. Enjoy whatever blossoms you stumble upon, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Dahlia Garden - Golden Gate Park, brings readers to one of the many special areas of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park featuring stunning flower displays.
            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 208: Dahlia Garden - Golden Gate Park

Quiet Heroes
            I’ve lived long enough to see news about numerous wars in various parts of the world. When my brothers and friends were of an age young men would be called to serve in the military, we were in a patch of history when the military draft had ended, after the U.S. left Vietnam.
            My immediate contemporaries were less likely to go off to war, but one would be hard pressed to visit a friend or relative’s house without seeing family photos of grandfathers, fathers, uncles, and aunts in uniform.
            With an all-volunteer military for decades, today, many people don’t feel the sense of immediacy about the sacrifices made by those who serve.
            On a recent walk through a shady redwood grove in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, a large triangular white memorial stone glowed magically as we walked toward it through the forest. Coming closer, we saw many names carved into the stone, memorializing those who were lost in World War I. The stone monument and its list of names was a quiet but powerful remembrance of those who died over a century ago.
            Smaller stones around the large monument spoke simply and profoundly. A 1918 dedication to Gold Star Mothers and the sons they lost, another stone with the piercing admonition, “Lest We Forget.”
            This calm space brings a visceral sense of appreciation for quiet heroes, remembered collectively by those who stop for a moment to contemplate the reminders carved in stone.
            Do you have heroes, living or already passed? A quiet moment of thanks has meaning, even for those who can no longer hear us. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Heroes Grove-Golden Gate Park, leads readers through a grove of old redwoods in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, featuring monuments honoring the fallen of World War I.
            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 234: Heroes Grove-Golden Gate Park

Summer Dreams
            Open skies, open roads, open schedule. When I was a kid, the start of summer brought a feeling of endless possibilities. In the weeks before school ended, my brothers and friends and I imagined what kind of adventures we might have together in June, July and August.
            For a brief moment, the world held infinite possibilities. In an era when weeks packed with summer day camps were not a thing, unscheduled free time was plentiful.
            However, as a natural born workaholic who can’t bear to be still, within a day and a half of summer break starting, my excitement about wide open weeks soon turned to frustration at the lack of routine.
            Despite that, I still felt that exciting, visceral sense of freedom and possibility every year as summer approached.
            In modern American society, the idea of long summer breaks without structure has largely disappeared for both children—who are booked to the gills with summer activities—and for parents who have fallen into the ever-shrinking idea of a vacation, with many thinking even a five-day weekend is too long to take off.
            Though the idea of summer break has evolved, I believe that kids still get excited when the school year winds down and summer looms ahead.
            Is there something that brings that magical feeling of anticipation for you? Tap into things that transport you to a special time and place, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Dipsea Trail from Pantoll, takes readers on a key segment of one of the iconic trails of Mt. Tam in Marin County.
            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 122: Dipsea Trail from Pantoll

Rippled Reflections
            Reflections are entrancing, in mirrors, glass, or on liquid surfaces. A glassy lake surface is magical, whether on a mirror-smooth day, or when wind and currents create ripples that distort the reflected image.
            A little lake in the park near my house often has perfect reflections of the trees and sky above it, sometimes visually echoing the pink of cherry blossoms, others the bright yellow-green of spring growth on a native tree.
            On a recent visit, we noticed that some old paths to the lake were blocked, guiding visitors to stay on a main path to stop eroding the hilly route we liked taking. Our familiar place had changed, but once in front of the water from the other entrance, it was still the little lake we love. 
            A couple of years ago, a huge, iconic tree that was a hallmark of this lake’s scenery had fallen from a storm, now lying horizontally in the lake itself. No one could keep the storm from toppling the tree, and we had no choice but to adjust to the new look of the lake. 
            Our recent visit featured a lovely, rippled reflection of a tree highlighted with bright yellow leaf tips standing at the lake’s edge. The tree image changed as the wind caused more ripples, creating an Impressionist painting effect.
            One of life’s most helpful skills is learning to accept if not embrace the inevitable changes time brings. Learn to go with the flow, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Metson Lake – Golden Gate Park, takes readers to one of several charming, tiny lakes 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
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 106: Metson Lake – Golden Gate Park

Summer Stunners
            White, orange and neon pink, creating a zingy tie-dye-like effect. A buttery yellow center melting into pink at the edges of outer petals. Apricot-colored blossoms bursting like pompoms. A classic pink bloom glowing as an iconic representative of all roses.
            Roses can be found in bouquets at florist shops year round, but seeing them in an outdoor setting allows us to see them in different lighting, standing alone or in groups, cloaked under cloud cover or blaring against a bright blue sky.
            Summer is when we can find roses blooming in the Rose Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. We sometimes take for granted the treasures that await in our regional flower gardens. My family often stumbles upon flowers at peak blooming season purely by lucky timing as we’re out for our weekend walks.
            Do you have a favorite flower that you look for each year? Enjoy flowers whether you seek them out or stumble upon them by accident, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Rose Garden - Golden Gate Park, brings readers to one of the many special feature areas of 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
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 108: Rose Garden - Golden Gate Park

Heart Focus
            Aiming a camera lens and pressing the shutter when elements in the viewfinder fall into a satisfying composition is something I’ve enjoyed since studying photography in high school.
            Teen angst transformed into calm focus as I aimed my camera at a sculptural ice formation along a snowy creek, the reflection of pine trees on an Adirondack lake, or a patchwork of yellow, orange and red autumn leaves.
            Using the camera to focus energy into something positive to share with others is something I still enjoy all these years later. A life well lived inevitably includes some harsh realities. Taking photos of beautiful things helps smooth the painful edges of life.
            Do you have an activity you love that also makes you feel calm and focused? Embrace those positive facets of your life, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Cascade Falls-Mill Valley, takes readers on a walk from a redwood-filled park to a redwood-lined waterfall in Marin County.
            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 233: Cascade Falls-Mill Valley

Mosaic Magic
            There are several dazzling stairways in San Francisco ornamented with mosaic tiles that create the illusion of a cohesive image from small, individual structural units. Being a city of hills, San Francisco has plenty of interesting stairway walks, but the mosaic design ones are especially captivating.
            One of our favorites of these, a walk starting from the Lincoln Park Steps, located near a gorgeous public golf course on the western end of the city, offers not only the mosaic creativity of the stairs, but also a montage of scenery that makes for a loop walk highlighting a diverse range of vistas.
            There is the initial stunning view of the stairs themselves, followed by a path along the golf course that features the iconic shapes of Monterey Cyprus trees. The Golden Gate Bridge comes into view on the road leading up to the Legion of Honor, with the bridge being reframed in view after stunning view, the framing combinations evolving with each step. Lastly, the Legion of Honor itself offers a variety of eye-catching images, including boldly silhouetted statues toward the front of the museum grounds.
            I love short walks that offer a wide variety of images in a short distance. Are there short-distance-varied-scenery walks near you? Enjoy your local scenery and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives takes readers around the Lincoln Park Steps-Legion of Honor Loop, leads readers up a colorful mosaic stairway, and leads past gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, a lovely golf course, and the stately Legion of Honor.
            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 167: Lincoln Park Steps-Legion of Honor Loop

Heroes Real and Imagined
            Heroic characters in books and movies can sweep us off our feet. We are lifted by the illusion that there are people that strong, that good, that honorable. What if there were people like that in real life?
            There can be. In his early teen years, my younger son—profoundly autistic, overwhelmed by every imaginable sensory input, and frustrated by difficulty in communicating with language—struggled to navigate a single hour of the day, much less days and weeks. Everything was so overwhelming that he closed himself off from the world.
            That remained true until a brilliant young special education teacher magically appeared and changed our son’s and our lives for the better at a seismic level. There was something about this “autism whisperer” that unlocked my son’s courage and the will to try.
            My son went from being trapped under a blanket in his room to walking on the stunning nature trails of San Francisco and Marin County. He still struggled with sensory input, often stopping and holding his hands over his ears and eyes, but he kept moving forward, bit by bit, until he became an able hiker who can hike miles on the rugged trails of Mt. Tam. This transformation started with the help of his beloved teacher.
            Our real-life teacher-hero is highlighted in “Heroes: Living, Dead, and Imagined,” my new piece featured in The Renaissance Garden Guy web site. Check under the Guest Writers section to see other stories I’ve contributed. (The site has popup ads but no paywall.)
            Are there real people in your life who parallel your fictional heroes? Let them know you appreciate them, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Kirby Cove, leads readers down a short but steep trail just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge to an entrancing beach cove.
            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 11: Kirby Cove

Tunnel Crew
            I love tree tunnels, and love finding and exploring new ones with my regular hiking crew, my family.
            Surrounded by a green halo ahead, the other end of the tunnel is a mystery until you walk through it. We’ve walked through magical golden tree tunnels of autumn leaves that exhilarate us, and dark Hansel-and-Gretel, deep-forest tunnels that leave us feeling spooked.
            Both the bright and somewhat darker experiences are easier to walk through with a familiar set of people you trust, a kind of walking comfort zone.
            Life tosses dark, unknown paths before us, sometimes in the form of unanswered questions such as where and how we can live, whether our health will hold up, or if we have enough money to cover expenses. These bring anxiety and trepidation about walking forward.
            Passing through these figurative dark tunnel times is when we need our trusted crew the most, whether it be family, friends, or coworkers.
            Who walks with you through dark times and light? Thank your crew for being there when you need them, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, San Bruno Mountain – Saddle Trail, leads readers on trails with open sky views as well as some tree tunnel spaces.
            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 20: San Bruno Mountain – Saddle Trail