Hike and Swim in the Foothills of the Sierras

Hiking to a swimming hole is a great way to beat the heat on a warm summers day. The foothills of the Sierras makes for some great roughing it swimming adventures. Who knew this could be so much fun!

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DIANA FALLS

Diana Falls is located near the town of Coulterville, CA. From the town center, you’ll take Greeley Road to Briceberg/ Bull Creek Road and finally make a slight right on route 2S05, at about 5 1/2 miles you will see a place to park. The trail is on your right if you’ve reached the bridge you’ve gone too far. Being a weekday and late in the season there was only one other car there, its owners were just walking down the trail when got out of the car. To get to the swimming hole it is a 1.4-mile hike to the falls. Because it was the end of the summer Diana Falls was dried up. Downstream but we found plenty of ice cold water as well as small falls that led to a pool.

CAMP NINE

Camp 9 is a local favorite and can be reached by following a road along the Stanislaus River to the Collierville Powerhouse. The road is an open range so don’t be surprised if you find cows hanging out in the middle of the road. As we approach the trail to Camp 9 swimming hole a loud humming comes from the power plant next to the Stanislas River. You’ll cross an awesome footbridge below the power plant. After crossing over the river you’ll hike about a 1/2 mile to get to the limestone swimming holes. The area is spread out enough that it’s easy to get your own space.

NATURAL BRIDGES DAY USE

Natural Bridges Trail is a round-trip 2-mile hike that gives you access to a limestone cavern that doubles as a swimming hole. As we approach the swimming area we can see interesting rock formations at the entrance of the cave. The cave interior has a magical quality and is enormous in size compared to the cave entrance. Water seeps from the cave ceiling and drips on my head as the light dances on the water. The cave or tunnel is 250 feet from one end to the other. We also ventured to the left of the cave about a 1/2 mile till we found a secluded swimming hole. Looks like there are many to choose from and the one we picked was mostly in the sun and the water was up to our necks. We drove by on a weekend and the parking lot was full. We went on a Monday andthere were only a handful of cars just to give you an idea of what to expect.

Camping Angel Island

Angel Island is about a 15-minute ferry ride from San Francisco. If you want to camp there it will take some planning, in order to reserve an camping spot on the island you need to book 6 months in advance. The website, California State Parks is where you can reserve a camping spot. There are several spots to choose from, Sunrise camp is down by the beach, and Ridge sites have beautiful views of both bridges on a clear day. I learned that ridge was everyone’s favorite area, but hardest to book. On Friday the State Parks release one week, six months out for Angel Island. Be willing to go on a weekday and to on a whim. Which is what I ended up doing after trying to reserve the year before and canceling due to cold weather. A week before I saw a weekday spot for Ridge camp 5 open up and reserved the spot for a night. The views and having an island to yourself is worth the wait.

I started the trip by bus and made my way to the Pier 41 to take the Blue & Gold Ferry to Angel Island. You can buy your tickets online for $19.50 per person there and back. Currently, the last boat out of the city is at 1:45 pm and last boat off the island is 4:35 pm. Be sure to check the schedule for any changes.

To get to the spot you will need to hike about a mile up a steep hill. I opted to reduce our amount of gear because of public transportation and the hike in. The spot was near Battery Wallace, a battery operating from 1900 to 1917. The day was spent exploring the island, enjoying the view, and hiking Mt. Livermore. The island is home of numerous deer, I saw at least 12 and came across several on the trail. For dinner, I brought some charcoal and cooked up some impossible burgers on the grill and ate dinner at a nearby picnic table as the sun set over the Golden Gate bridge.

Hiking Bolinas Ridge Trail at Mt. Tamalpais

The New Year would not be complete without a hike to beautiful Mt. Tamalpais. The air is brisk, the fog is clear, the sun is shining, and the trail is deserted. Leaving early gets you clear freeways, quiet serenity, and an abundance of wildlife. The trail begins with a steep drop, the wind is fierce and this early the trail is mostly in shade. The hike is an up and back 7-mile hike on Bolinas Ridge Trail and the hike starts where Willow Camp Fire Road crosses it. You can find a map on the parks.gov page.

As the trail levels off I can see the beautiful Pacific Ocean and in the distance Devils Teeth know as the Farallone Islands. Finally out of the shaded area I make my way to the rolling hills that face away from the ocean and in the distance a coyote sunning himself. Thoughts of wildlife losing their space make me sad as a view of the coyote gets closer, he seems playful and happy. I give him space to make his way towards the forested area on the left. I feel relaxed and lay down on the side of the trail soaking in the sun when I notice a tick resting on my pant leg and quickly jump up and continue on the trail through the rolling hills. Up ahead in the distance on the trail is another coyote, he looks intimidating and is a lot larger than the playful coyote I saw 15 minutes earlier. I stop looking and don’t engage in eye contact and walk slower so the coyote doesn’t feel threatened. The coyote finally makes his way to towards a hole in the ground off the trail and I continue on the trail. Check out the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website on Keeping Coyotes Wild.

The trail makes its way through some redwoods closer to the Recreational Area, the trail ends at the road this is the turning around point as you make your way back Hang Glider Site #3. In total the hike is approximately 7 miles, 3.5 in and back.

Forested Urban Hike in San Francisco

Nestled between two homes on Stanyan St. and 17th, as soon as you finish climbing the stairs Mt. Sutro's Historical Trail opens up to a lush dense forest complete with Eucalyptus trees, fern, flowers, wild blackberries, birds, and climbing vines. Located in the San Francisco Fog Belt, Mount Sutro is beautiful in all climates but very magical during overcast days.  There are many ways to navigate through the woods each just as wonderful as the next. You can check out the map here to decide if you want to head back after the T junction or continue on. Be sure to look for the mysterious wood tiki carving of a man if you continue to the left of the T junction.

Historical Trail was named after a survey revealed a trail from the 1880's. The trails have been maintained by the Sutro Stewards since 2006, the group improves the trails through trail and habitat restoration.

Misty Morning Hike at Mt. Tampalias

This particular Mt. Tam trail starts near Mountain Theatre, in the summer the theatre hosts plays and concerts on weekends. We start our hike in the first parking past the venue, a moderate 3-hour hike with a diversity of plants and environments.

We start our hike and follow the signs to the Potrero Meadow by way of Lagunitas Rock Spring Fire Road. It’s so quiet you can hear the nearby stream and the wind blowing through the fall leaves that haven’t dropped yet. A variety of fungi and mushrooms spring up near the trail's edge as we make our way to the meadow a light fog rests on the meadow floor and leads to a quiet trail called Bernstein.

The fog gets thicker and amplifies the greens and turns the forest into a light green color. I’m stuck inside a giant Bonsai pot with a perfectness that seems crafted by a giant human.

Following Northside / International / Miller Old Grade Road we finally reach West Point Inn, an old Inn that provides bathrooms, and an observation deck with picnic tables that look out to the hills. Hummingbirds dart around the feeder attached to the deck as we take in the view. You can rent cabins here Tuesday-Saturday and I fantasize about staying here for a day or even a few days and taking in all the beauty of the forest. Nowhere to go and nothing to do, the slowing down of time.

We finally head out using Rock Springs Trail as our exit, parts of it run through slippery serpentine rock and the manzanita with its shiny burgundy marbled bark sticking out in the newly sparser scenery.

There are many trails in Mt Tam that lead to West Point Inn and the Mountain Theatre, check out this map before you go. The loop we took was Mountain Theatre (second parking lot) / Lagunitas Rock Spring Fire Road/ Bernstein Trail / Northside / International / Miller Old Grade Road / Rock Springs. International Trail is off Northside, when you get to the top of the mountain where all the trails split be sure to continue on Northside you’ll see International a few yards ahead.

Shinzen Sushi translates to Nature Sushi

Where is the vegan sushi?? Shinzen, Vegan Sushi Bar & Izakaya in the Mission offers some of the most thought out creations of vegan food I've ever seen. This might explain the line outside the place on this particular Saturday evening. I make it a rule not to wait in lines... but eating by yourself has it perks! I get a seat at the last spot at the sushi bar. The menu is genius for vegans, you can get Nigiri with roasted pepper, eggplant, tomato and green mango. The rolls have clever titles; Secret Weapon, Colonel's Pipe, the Surprise Ending (comes with a shot of sake in the center), the Candlestick ( presented with a flame on the side, seriously), and Hidden Agenda. I've heard from repeat customers that the ramen is excellent. The dessert delivered next to me (sorry for staring) looked exceptional, green tea ice cream with fresh fruit placed beautifully around the ice cream. The beauty is in the presentation, excellent flavor and a place that transcends beyond the monotonous vegan fare.

Plant-Based Mexican Cuisine in the Mission District

Gracias Madre is a plant-based Mexican food restaurant in the heart of the Mission District (between 18th & 19th Street) in San Francisco. What makes this place so special is its ambiance, handcrafted iron works, a beautiful mural in the outside dining area as well as the wood floor inside, and matching chairs. The food can be hit or miss so be sure to ask your waiter or look at the 1,500 images that Yelpers have provided.One thing that stands out is how well the dishes are plated. I tried the Chilaquiles with cashew cheese and Rojo sauce (pretty good), the salsas in the trays, green and red had a perfect blend and balance of peppers and spices which made it hard for me to chose which one to put on my dish. I spent time alternating between the two.

Ice Skating in Yosemite National Park ⛸

Yosemite known for its picturesque backdrops is not the first place you would think of you when you think of ice skating. Half Dome Village Ice Skating Park is nestled in the valley and is a great way to spend a winter day in the park. We got there around 3:00 PM (the rink opened at 12:00 PM) and stayed an hour skating to the tunes provided by outside speakers next to the rink. Take a break to relax by the fire pit next to the rink. The rink cost was $10 and $4 for the skates.