Best Hiking Spots In San Francisco

Land’s End in San Francisco

This is a small piece of land with about 45 minutes worth of hiking on cliffs right along the Pacific Ocean.  The hike is not difficult as the name may suggest, but it is one of the more scenic hikes in View of the Bridge from Trail arguably all of California.  From the trail, visitors can see the Golden Gate Bridge and far into the depths of the ocean.  On clear days, travelers can see many sail boats in the bay and the gigantic freighter ships coming into San Francisco and Oakland ports.

Lake Merced in San Francisco

For a more relaxing hike inside San Francisco, Lake Merced on the southern part of the city offers a nice and quiet walk around an lake right inside the city.  It is nice for families or people who just want to take things easy.

S.F Downtown Walks

San Francisco downtown isn’t really a hiking destination for obvious reasons.  Yet there are some pleasant walking opportunities along the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf, which is a popular destination among San Francisco visitors.  The walk is full of vistas of the bay, and the Bay Bridge (San Francisco’s other bridge) which connects Oakland and San Francisco.

Muir Woods in Marin

Unfortunately, the legendary gigantic redwoods do not grow inside the city of San Francisco.  To see redwood forests, travelers must head outside the city.  The redwoods grow in a number of parks and land preserves in the Bay Area, one of the most popular of which is the Muir Woods National Forest. The historic forest was almost wiped out a hundred years ago after the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.  Needing wood to rebuild the many homes that were lost during the earthquake, San Franciscans wanted to cut down the redwoods in order to use the wood to rebuild their homes.  Fortunately, the government prevented the mass cutting down of the sometimes thousand year old trees and they remain in the forest to this day.  Here is a more in depth view of some great   Muir Woods Forest Hiking

Napa Area

Further north of Muir Woods is the famous Napa and Sonoma wine country.  There are more redwoods hiking opportunities in land preserves around those areas.   Plus a little wine to unwind after the hike is never a bad thing.

Hiking South of San Francisco

Travelers staying in San Francisco who want to experience the great Bay Area outdoors, but are not into wine or would like to avoid the $6 Golden Gate bridge toll, can find plenty to do just south of San Francisco in Pacifica or Half-Moon Bay.  These are also popular among surfers, as the ocean winds can create pretty large waves.  Pacifica and Half-Moon Bay have the best of both worlds.  They are located right along the Pacific Ocean, have many great beaches, breathtaking views, and many popular hiking spots for all ages and abilities.

Must Have Boating Accessory Gifts

If you or your significant other is someone who loves to fish, then you are more than likely very thankful for the plethora of boating accessories that are available. This makes gift-giving in your home a very easy, stress-free, and happy time. You can’t really go wrong if you get your special someone any type of accessories for their fishing experience. So what are your options? Here is a list of the top boating accessories floating around the fishing world today!

1 - A time and tide clock. These are really useful to any type of fisherman because it allows the user to know when exactly the tide will rise and fall so they can plan their fishing trip accordingly. They can be pretty expensive so they are a very nice gift if you are trying to come up with that perfect something. They typically hover around $100, usually a little bit less. However, if you keep an eye out, especially online, you should be able to get it for a great deal or on sale somewhere.

2 - A captains log book is definitely something that every serious fisher would like. This log book allows them to log all of the places they go, along with any type of information about the area. It can be fishing related notes that they write down or notes about anything that they want to remember about the area they boated to. Many couples who are both avid fishers will log their trips that they take together and store these places as sort of a romantic memory.

3 - First aid kit - Sure, it may not be the sexiest gift you can get somebody, but if something were to ever happen to anyone on the boat, it is definitely appreciated to have on hand. Boating is the type of sport that can be quite dangerous with hooks and reels and even the wildlife. It is always better to be prepared then to be in an unfavorable situation with no fix. Plus, by buying your loved one a first aid kit, it not only shows that you care about their well-being, but it also shows that you are interested in keeping them safe when they are not with you.

4 - New water life vests - these are something that many people and boaters can’t have enough of. In many places throughout the U.S., it is required by law for every person on a boat have a life vest for themselves somewhere on the boat. They don’t have to be wearing it at all times, but if they get pulled over by the lake police, one of the first things that they count are the number of people on the boat and they almost immediately compare it to the number of life vests on the boat. By always having an adequate number of vests on board, this will greatly reduce the chance of ever receiving a ticket.

There are so many gifts to give to somebody who loves boating, the best thing you can do is to keep your eyes and ears to any hints or clues that your loved one may give off!

Fun things to do on a beach or lake trip

  

So you're taking a vacation this summer. There are so many choices of places to go and things to do. Since it gets really hot here in the southern US, it's only natural that people would want to take vacations to places where there is water-the beach, a lakeside cabin, etc. As if these locations aren't great on their own, there are all sorts of fun things you can do at a beach or a lake that you've never done before. In case you're not sure where to start, here are a few ideas of things you can do on your beach or lake vacation.

• For the beach, take surfing lessons. At a lake, take canoeing or kayaking lessons. For some extra fun, look into water ski lessons.
• Many lakes and beaches will allow you to rent surfboards, paddle boats or jet skis for the day. It might also be fun to rent a tandem bike; I've never done this, but I've always wanted to!
• No vacation is complete without visiting a local Mom-and-Pop restaurant. When my husband and I go back to Wilmington, NC to visit my family, we make sure to take him to a locally-owned seafood restaurant. There is no shortage of them, and any one of them will beat Red Lobster any day of the week! In addition to incredible seafood restaurants, many coastal towns will have old-fashioned soda shops or ice cream parlors.
• Go to a 'touristy' shop for t-shirts, hats and other souvenirs. While many of these stores are overpriced, you can sometimes find a good deal. Plus, you can usually find unique items that make good gifts. Some of them even sell locally-made fudge or salt-water taffy! They also often sell hand-made jewelry by local artists using seashells and other natural materials.
• Take a long walk on the beach at dawn. This is especially fun when it is low tide and the water is really still, almost like glass. The reflection of the rising sun off of the water is absolutely breathtaking. If you are more of a 'night owl', take a low-tide walk on the beach under a full moon. Trust me, there are few things in the world that are more beautiful than this.
• Make at least one sandcastle, especially if you brought the kids. If you sit at the edge of the water and dig in the soft sand when the waves pull back, you may also be able to catch some sand fiddler crabs. These are very small crabs-the largest ones are about the size of a beetle-and feel really funny walking across your hand! Scoop wet sand into a bucket and watch them wiggle!
• If you go around the Fourth of July or some other event, see if there is a street festival. The ones I've been to have booths with crafts and locally-made food items, along with live music in the evenings.

As you can see, there are lots of fun things to do when you take a beach or lake vacation. Not everything will be available at every location or time of the year, but these are good things to look into.