Short Distance, Big Views

Short Distance, Big Views
            No matter what else is happening in our lives, when a Saturday, Sunday or holiday arrives and our autistic son does not have his program to go to during the day, we are out walking somewhere, rain or shine.
            We’ve hiked thousands of miles by this point, and have covered a wide variety of terrain in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love all the places we hike, but Marin County has always had a special place in my heart.
            When we’re tired or overwhelmed with too many other obligations, we choose someplace close to home. One day when I was quietly chiding myself for taking an easy option for our walk, I realized that the place we were visiting was a stunning spot with a big payoff in views for minimal walking. Somehow I’d set this location in my head as not meriting its own hike description for HikingAutism.com, but that day it struck me that it’s a wonderful place to visit for anyone needing an easy outing.
            My respect for this spot rose again when we went back to take proper photos, because I was paying more attention and realized I hadn’t fully appreciated how much it has to offer visually.
            Feeling a bit fatigued and overscheduled doesn’t keep us from getting out, and our son’s life and ours has been all the better for it. The effort we make to get up and out has kept all of us on a positive trajectory that we didn’t always feel was possible.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Battery Mendell-Marin Headlands, takes readers to a low-effort-high-reward spot in rolling hills of the Marin Headlands, offering views of the Golden Gate Bridge from one side and vistas of the vast Pacific from the other. The interesting visuals at the aging structure led me to give it a larger than usual photo gallery.
            Find an easy walk location to visit when your energy is low, 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.
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New this week:
Hike Notes 231: Battery Mendell-Marin Headlands