Bay Area outdoors is outstanding, but few places provide a sense of wilderness. The Heritage Grove in Sam McDonald County Park is an exception. Visiting this first growth redwood tract feels remote despite being next to an accessible…
Angel Island Backpacking with Kids
San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island served as a Native American hunting area, an Army Base, the West Coast Ellis Island, and a Nike Missile Base. Today, Angel Island is a California State Park. I recently backpacked ~2 miles with four…
Ano Nuevo Elephant Seal Tour: Hiking with Kids
Few things compare to watching ~1000 elephant seals cavort on a beach. Ano Nuevo State Preserves protects a large elephant seal rookery on the San Mateo County Coast. Docents host elephant seal walks from Dec 15 until March that can…
Looking Backwards 2016: Technology Hiker Outdoor Adventures
2016 was another outstanding year for exploring the outdoors. Thank you to everyone that I’ve shared my love of the outdoors – through trips, posts, or conversations. Here’s a catalog of my 2016 trips. Family Adventures Most of my 2016…
“The Parks are in Good Hands” – Interview with Marlene Finley, San Mateo County Parks Director
Marlene Finley led the San Mateo County Parks Department for the past three years after a long career with the US Forest Service. The parks flourished during her tenure with park expansion (Devil’s Slide Trail, Memorial Park, Pillar Point), record…
We Love the Parks: San Mateo County Parks Foundation
Here’s my favorite hiking partner sharing his thoughts on the San Mateo County Parks. This Coyote Point Recreation Area video will be part of an upcoming campaign for the SMCP and the SMCP Foundation. In the meantime, enjoy the video…
Interview with Julia Bott: “Parks are my passion”
The Bay Area boasts the largest and most varied open space network in the United States. The network did not happen by accident. Conservation leaders like Julia Bott helped protect the Bay Area’s open spaces. Julia Bott is the retiring…
Quality Day Trip for Kids: Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
When fog shrouds the Bay Area, Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve often stands as an island above the clouds. Russian Ridge is also an excellent trip for young families. The Audrey Rust & Mindego Gateway site offer one of the…
Best California Long Distance Trails
California hosts many of America’s best long distance trails. The trails mirror California’s diversity, but the trails and routes all showcase the best of California and are over 30 miles in length. The trails range from the John Muir Trail…
Family Adventure: Cowell-Purisima Trail
Some trails are hidden in plain sight. I’ve driven past Cowell-Purisima trailhead’s distinctive yellow gates on CA 1 multiple times. My family remedied our oversight this past weekend. Our two boys under five had an outstanding visit on the trail…