Hiking and imbibing
The last two weekends I’ve had plans to go whale-watching. The trip was cancelled both last weekend, and again this one, because of “heavy winds and rough seas beyond the Golden Gate”. You could have fooled me – we’ve had lovely weather now for a long stretch. I can only conclude that they must try to take you out whale-watching on a rowing boat!
Jon’s been busy working and doing his coursework for the Open University, so I’ve had to entertain myself a bit. Last Sunday, I took myself off on a hike on the coastal path – bussing it as far as Cliff House, then picking up the trail and walking through Seacliff, along Baker Beach, past the Golden Gate Bridge, then through Crissy Field to the Marina. It’s nice to have the option of going to do a great hike on your own, without having to get in the car.
Yesterday, I went out with Cassie. We headed up to the winelands (Sonoma valley) and did a hike in the hills. It was the first really warm day, which made scaling the gradient pretty hot work. After we’d finished the hike, we went to lovely Château St Jean winery, which has delightful grounds. We did a tasting there and I bought a bottle of their Riesling. Back on the road, we didn’t have to go very far until we got to another tasting room: this time one that offered tastings of wines from a variety of very small vineyards. The servings were pretty big, so I was slightly fuzzy-headed on the way back (fortunately, Cassie was driving!).
Last night, we decided to try a restaurant that recently opened on our block, namely the Belgian-themed eatery and beer emporium, La Trappe. We were swept down to their basement, which had a big bar, lots of atmosphere, and more importantly, a menu featuring some 150 or so beers! It was only when I got back and checked my e-mail that I found out the whale-watching trip had been cancelled for the THIRD time!
Today was another gorgeous day, so we decided to head out and do a hike I’ve been wanting to do for a while, starting at Stinson Beach and climbing up Mount Tamalpais. The drive along Highway 1, which hugs the coastline, was stunning as ever. It was a fairly steep climb, but we were rewarded for the effort when we came out on the smooth, grassy shoulder, which afforded fabulous views north to Point Reyes, out west to the Farallon Islands (which we were supposed to visit on the boat trip!) and then south towards the city. We had lunch on top of a knoll and did a bit of sunbathing at the same time, as it was really pleasant. The hike back down followed a creek and went past some big redwood trees. Back in Stinson Beach, we decided to have an ice cream, then head for the beach to catch a few rays. As days go, it was pretty perfect, in spite of the disappointment about the whales!
Photos are available here: http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick/hiking-adventures (password: moocow)
Jon’s been busy working and doing his coursework for the Open University, so I’ve had to entertain myself a bit. Last Sunday, I took myself off on a hike on the coastal path – bussing it as far as Cliff House, then picking up the trail and walking through Seacliff, along Baker Beach, past the Golden Gate Bridge, then through Crissy Field to the Marina. It’s nice to have the option of going to do a great hike on your own, without having to get in the car.
Yesterday, I went out with Cassie. We headed up to the winelands (Sonoma valley) and did a hike in the hills. It was the first really warm day, which made scaling the gradient pretty hot work. After we’d finished the hike, we went to lovely Château St Jean winery, which has delightful grounds. We did a tasting there and I bought a bottle of their Riesling. Back on the road, we didn’t have to go very far until we got to another tasting room: this time one that offered tastings of wines from a variety of very small vineyards. The servings were pretty big, so I was slightly fuzzy-headed on the way back (fortunately, Cassie was driving!).
Last night, we decided to try a restaurant that recently opened on our block, namely the Belgian-themed eatery and beer emporium, La Trappe. We were swept down to their basement, which had a big bar, lots of atmosphere, and more importantly, a menu featuring some 150 or so beers! It was only when I got back and checked my e-mail that I found out the whale-watching trip had been cancelled for the THIRD time!
Today was another gorgeous day, so we decided to head out and do a hike I’ve been wanting to do for a while, starting at Stinson Beach and climbing up Mount Tamalpais. The drive along Highway 1, which hugs the coastline, was stunning as ever. It was a fairly steep climb, but we were rewarded for the effort when we came out on the smooth, grassy shoulder, which afforded fabulous views north to Point Reyes, out west to the Farallon Islands (which we were supposed to visit on the boat trip!) and then south towards the city. We had lunch on top of a knoll and did a bit of sunbathing at the same time, as it was really pleasant. The hike back down followed a creek and went past some big redwood trees. Back in Stinson Beach, we decided to have an ice cream, then head for the beach to catch a few rays. As days go, it was pretty perfect, in spite of the disappointment about the whales!
Photos are available here: http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick/hiking-adventures (password: moocow)
1 comment:
hi ellen,
was thta new restaurant the place they were doing up when we visited? If so i'm flabbergasted it took so long! hehe.
It's really good reading your blog now we know the places your talking about!
Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks time!
Post a Comment