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The Mission District in San Francisco is a vibrant, predominantly Hispanic neighborhood known for its beautiful murals and diverse cuisine. With so much food to try, we decided to do a food tour of the Mission in order to eat at as many different places as possible. A majority of the popular restaurants are located along Valencia Street and Mission Street. We found it easiest to park on the neighboring streets and walk between restaurants, as most of them were only located a few blocks away from each other. >> Got a question about SF Mission District Food Tour that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending. Media Noche: We first stopped by this Cuban restaurant to pick up some classic Cuban coffee. We had fallen in love with Cuban coffee during our last trip to Miami and were excited to try it again. Unfortunately, the Cuban cafe con leche we ordered here could not compare with what we previously tasted. The coffee here was decent but not as sweet and flavorful as what we expected. Cuban coffee - Caffe con leche Craftsman and Wolves: Our next stop was a bakery called Craftsman and Wolves, famous for their Rebel Within pastry. This pastry is a muffin lightly flavored with cheese, green onion, and sausage (there is a vegetarian version without) and at the center of the muffin is a soft boiled egg. When you cut in to the muffin, the jammy yolk begins to ooze out and the soft center of the egg is revealed. It is served with pickled carrots and pink Himalayan salt that compliments the pastry very well. While we were initially very excited to try this muffin, as many articles have written about how much local San Franciscans love this dish, we were ultimately disappointed. The muffin was overall fairly bland and certain parts of the muffin did not seem to be fully baked through. While this is definitely an Instagrammable pastry, it is not worth the hype. Rebel Within Panchita's Pupuseria: When researching places to eat in the Mission, Panchita's was at the top of the list. This restaurant makes authentic El Savadorian pupusas, with an array of filling available. A pupusa is a thick flatbread made of cornmeal and stuffed with cheese and a filling of your choice. We opted for a spinach filling and it was served with salsa for dipping and a cabbage slaw. The pupusa was pretty flavorful and we enjoyed eating it, however the restaurant had a very long wait. Though we ordered only one dish, we had to wait around 15-20 minutes. While you could tell that the food was being made fresh to order, we were disappointed by how long the food took to come out. Spinach and cheese filled pupusa Tartine: No trip to San Francisco is complete without stopping by Tartine Bakery, and the original location of this now-famous chain is in the Mission. We went later in the afternoon so a lot of the pastries and desserts had sold out, but everything that was still there looked finger-licking good. There was a line to get inside to order, but the wait was worth it. We settled on a berry crumb cake that had just the right balance of sweetness and butter. This award-winning baker is definitely worth stopping by, if only to try their flaky croissants and their beautiful desserts. Berry Crumb Cake Souvla: We stopped by Souvla for their frozen greek yogurt, as it has been listed as one of the"100 Things to Eat Before You Die". While this restaurant served Greek food for lunch and dinner, the line that stretched out of the door of this small cafe was predominantly for the frozen Greek yogurt. We opted for their most popular combination, frozen Greek yogurt topped with baklava and honey. The tart flavor of the yogurt paired nicely with the sweet, sticky crumbled Baklava and created an interesting flavor we had never tried before. It is hard to find anything like this elsewhere and is definitely worth tasting. Frozen Greek yogurt topped with Baklava and honey La Taqueria: The Mission district bursts with taquerias galore, and we had a hard time deciding on which one we should visit. La Taqueria had the best reviews and even touts the title of Best Burrito in America from multiple news sources. Their menu is fairly straightforward with a meat and vegetarian option available for their tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. We were reassured that we had chosen the right taqueria by the long line we saw on the street outside, and this place seemed to be more popular than any of the other taquerias we had passed. We ordered the super vegetarian burrito and were overall fairly indifferent to the burrito. It was stuffed with pinto beans, cheese, pico de Gallo, and guacamole and came with a salsa on the side that was seriously spicy. While the burrito was definitely flavorful and delicious, we were not blown away by it and were slightly confused as to what could make this the best burrito in America. Maybe meat-eaters have a different experience here but we were left wanting more. Super veggie burrito at La Taqueria Overall our Mission Food Tour did not have as many gems as our SF Ferry Building Food Tour, but was still an interesting experience. There are so many restaurants in the Mission that we still need to try, so maybe we will do a Part 2 in the future!

While the Dixon sunflower fields have become a mainstream photo-opportunity, there is another less popular flower field that is equally worth the hype. About an hour north of San Francisco, near Santa Rosa is Monte-Bellaria Lavender Farm. They primarily use their acres of fresh lavender to make essential oils, fragrances, and culinary products, but during high bloom season they are open for photography. High bloom season is from June 18-July 31 (in 2022), and tickets must be booked in advance online to reserve your spot. Tickets are for pre-paid time slots of 75 minutes, and cost $20 per adult and $10 per child. Tickets sell out fast so make sure to book your time slot well in advance (We booked 6 weeks in advance). Whats great about this process is that the fields are never crowded and you can confidently click your pictures without fear of someone photo-bombing them. Pro Tip: Book the first or last timeslot available in the day, as the sun gets very harsh during midday and creates unwanted shadows in your pictures. They have specific areas in the fields where you can stand to take the best photos and they sell fresh bouquets of lavender to pose with, as well as changing tents for any wardrobe changes. The fields provide a great backdrop for family photos, grad pics, or any other occasion. And don't forget to bring a few props to make your pictures more fun! During your time slot, they also offer a quick tour of the lavender farms where they explain how they grow the lavender and what they use it for. The folks running the farm are very strict with the rules : they keep a close eye on everyone to ensure no one walks between the rows of lavender or pluck/cut/harm the flowers. Walking between the lavender rows is also a safety hazard, as the ground is uneven and there are thousands of bees buzzing around the flowers. When your time is up, the farm workers ring a loud bell indicating you to vacate the property to make way for the next batch. >> Got a question about Monte-Bellaria Lavender Farms that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending.

If you haven't been up to date on the latest buzz of the Bay Area, Eataly has opened it's first location in NorCal, at the Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose. Eataly currently has 9 locations in the US and over 35 locations internationally. For those who haven't visited an Eataly destination before, it is a multi-level Italian shopping and dining experience. The new Silicon Valley Eataly has 3 levels. The first floor has a cafe with coffee and pastries, a gelateria, and a pizza and panini cafe. The second level is all about wine, with walls lined with all different kinds of wines and a small sitting area for wine tasting. The third floor hosts 2 sit-down restaurants and a marketplace to buy both fresh and processed Italian food and produce. Surprisingly, even though all 3 floors were crowded, there were no lines at the cash register, making us think that folks were mostly browsing the aisles and hesitant to splurge on comparable items they can be found at a local Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Having been to the Eataly in Chicago, we were interested in checking out their newest location close to home. Much to our surprise, we realized if you've been to one Eataly, you've been to them all. The restaurants, cafes, and market were all essentially the same at both locations, including the names, foods, and products. As of July 2022, reservations are hard to come by! The wait time for walk-ins for either of the two sit-down restaurants is around 2 hours on a weeknight. We booked our table 4 weeks in advance for a Thursday 6:30pm seating at La Pizza and La Pasta restaurant. >> Got a question about Eataly that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending. Once seated, the service was very slow and our waiter was incredibly forgetful. We had to ask him 4 times just to receive water once we were seated. In fact, the water came out after the food did! We would have been understanding of the slow service had this been a busy day, but there were multiple empty tables all around us and plenty of staff walking around the restaurant. Our table was near the bar and we couldn't help but notice that drinks would sit for anywhere from 5-15 minutes waiting for a waiter to retrieve them and deliver them to their table. The meal started off with complimentary bread and olive oil that had a slightly bitter taste. We ordered Arancini, fried risotto balls, for an appetizer. They were lukewarm when they were served and did not come with a dipping sauce that traditionally accompanies this dish at most restaurants. The filling was decent but lacked much flavor. For the main course we ordered an eggplant pizza, a pesto pasta, and a mushroom pasta. All of the food came out extremely quickly, probably within 5 minutes of ordering. The pizza was the first to arrive, even before the appetizer. It was topped with fresh parmigiana and mozzarella cheese and eggplant. The eggplant was very flavorful and the pizza was cooked well, but the pizza sauce was a bit bland. It was a very thin crust pizza with about 6 slices. The pesto pasta was cooked al dente, which our family wasn't a fan of, but the pesto sauce tasted good. Unfortunately, while we had asked for fresh vegetables to be added to the pastas, they said that the menus were set and they were unable to accommodate any modifications other than allergies. Combined with how fast the dishes came out, it begs to ask how made-to-order the dishes actually were. The mushroom pasta was definitely the better of the two plates of pasta. It was made with pappardelle noodles and fresh mushrooms with a buttery, flavorful sauce. This may have been the better of the 3 entrees we ordered. We decided to skip dessert or drinks, as we were frustrated with the service and disappointed with the experience, despite waiting for almost a month for a table. Overall, for the price, the quantity was good but the quality was disappointing. We don't know about the other restaurant at Eataly, but La Pizza & La Pasta was definitely overhyped merely because its new. If you want Italian food, save your time and money and go to Olive Garden! This restaurant receives a measly 2 Solara Stars out of 5!!!

Anywhere you stop along the California coastline, there is probably a kayak rental within 15 miles of you. But have you heard of hydrobiking? Close to Monterey, at Moss Landing, is a small place that rents hydrobikes: bicycle frames held afloat by two "surfboards" with a small propeller that turns as you pedal. It's a fun, unique way to explore the California coastline without all the splashing and soreness of kayaking. You dont even need to know how to ride a bike! It is safe for the entire family, young and old, and a terrific way to celebrate a birthday of that fitness addict in your friend or family circle. While our family initially was skeptical of hydrobikes, we were impressed by how safe, stable, and fun our experience was. We rented our hydrobikes from Monterey Bay Hydrobikes and they were incredibly accommodating and helpful throughout. Marcus, the owner, was extremely welcoming and answered all of our questions. He was very forthcoming on the phone and assured us that we will be safe and have fun on the bikes and he even gave us a great deal for a 2-hour hydrobike rental. 2 hours is the shortest duration they offer and it truly flies by! Pro tip : Wear cushioned biking shorts. Else your butt will be pretty sore after 2 hours on the bike! >> Got a question about Hydrobiking that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending. The owner, Marcus, attending to a customer The route we were advised to take was through the Elkhorn Slough. We were told that this location was optimal to see marine wildlife and they were right! Having lived in California for almost 30 years, we had never seen this much marine life in one place outside of an aquarium. As soon as we hit the water, we began spotting otters, harbor seals, and sea lions all along the slough. The otters were especially daring and would swim right up to the hydrobikes and kayaks. The seals would pop their heads out of the water every so often and the sea lions sunbathed on the banks of the slough. We were mesmerized by the number of animals we saw and couldn't stop taking photos and videos. So much so that we got our bikes caught in the eel grass a few times. While the hydrobikes were mostly smooth sailing, you had to be careful of the patches of eel grass throughout the slough that could get caught in the propeller of the hydrobike. Luckily, Marcus showed us beforehand how to get ourselves untangled and it wasnt tricky at all. Aside from this hiccup, we were pleasantly surprised by how stable the hydrobikes were. There was never any chance of tipping over and you could even get off the bikes and stand on either of the floating "surfboards" to take a break from pedaling. Each bike had a small storage compartment in the front where you could keep your phones, jackets, or food. Towards the end of the trip, our legs started to tire but we were nowhere near as exhausted (or as wet) as we would have been had we kayaked. Overall this was a fun, new experience that you should definitely try next time you are near Monterey. It's great for tourists and locals alike and is worth every penny!

This unassuming, quiet but upscale restaurant in downtown Redwood City packs a punch when it comes to fusion Indian food. As a Michelin Reviewed/Recommended restaurant, our expectations were quite high. We liked everything about this place - the service was very attentive, drink were perfect and the dishes we ordered were top notch. We went on a Sunday evening, and although we made reservations for a table of 6, the restaurant was half empty when we arrived. Our waiter did a great job suggested dishes as per our liking and service was very swift. Below are some of the dishes we liked and recommend : The restaurant stands at the corner of Broadway Ave in Redwood City The cocktails arrived on time and were delicious - Mango Mojito mocktail, Lychee Martini and Reverse Manhattan. The puchka chaat used white peas ragda as a filling, which was a nice twist from the usual dahi puri chaat. The orange and beets salad with a generous sprinkling of feta cheese tasted fresh. These were not your usual paneer tikka cubes, as they were covered with pesto sauce made of, believe it or not, curry leaves! Main course consisted of rich and creamy Malabar chicken (left), sweet and tangy fig and walnut curry (center), and simple saag (right) We ended the evening with chocolate molten cake and warm gulab jamun in honey syrup All in all, I give Broadway Masala 4 SolaraStars out of 5, due to its excellent service and innovative food that slightly deviates from the norm, without losing its authenticity.

Daughter Thai Kitchen is a "New Generation" Thai restaurant offering Thai street and comfort food from Southern Thailand. Located in Montclair neighborhood of Oakland, the restaurant is part of a chain of franchises, namely, Son & Garden and Farmhouse Kitchen in Menlo Park and SF. There is a small metered parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, and plenty of metered street parking available in the vicinity. Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant, and I give this place 4 out of 5 Solara Stars. Read on to find out why! We had made a reservation for a Wednesday dinner, and were immediately seated upon arrival by a sunny window bordered with beautiful flowers. The entire restaurant was beautifully decorated with flowers and modern looking lamps. Outside, rows and rows of (artificial) purple wisteria made for a great photo op for that Instagrammer amongst us. Service was great, although we wished they could have been a little more attentive, as we had a hard time flagging the wait staff on multiple occasions. Nevertheless, our orders came out very fast. For drinks, we ordered a Muay Thai Punch - a vodka, elderberry, pineapple, tamarind and ginger infused cocktail served in a gorgeous, oversized copper pineapple. The drink was not overly sweet, but tangy and ginger-y at the same time, and was great. The teetotalers amongst us had coconut water and the classic Thai ice tea. Muay Thai Punch that came in a fancy, copper pineapple We ordered samosas for appetizer. The order consisted of 3 small samosas with a yellow curry dip. The potato filled samosa and the dip tasted absolutely delicious! Thai samosas with yellow curry dipping sauce For the main course, we enjoyed all vegetarian entrees - Pad Kee Mow noodles, and yellow curry, accompanied by coconut rice. As promised in the menu, the noodles, mixed with jalapenos, basil and bell pepper, was spicy, but spicy in a good way. The yellow curry, made up of potatoes, onions and carrots, perfectly balanced the spiciness of the noodles. The gravy was so delicious, we were slurping it out of our plates. We are usually wary of Thai food, since they add oyster or fish sauce to even the vegetarian dishes. But we were glad that was not the case at Daughter Thai Kitchen. Pad Kee Mow spicy noodles Thai yellow curry To end our meal, we ordered bread pudding with ice cream for dessert. I had already informed the wait staff that we were celebrating the daughters birthday. So they brought out an entire marching band (drums, cymbals and all) to sing her happy birthday. It was such a great experience and the daughter was thrilled! All in all we had an excellent time at Daughter Thai Kitchen. We loved the ambience and the many photo opportunities. The lip smacking food and drinks was top notch. However, for a Thai restaurant, we found this place pricey. I guess you pay for the extremely cute and pleasing aesthetics of the place. Also, the serving size seemed a tad small for the price they were charging. The servers could have been a tad bit more attentive towards their customers. Overall, I rate this restaurant 4 out of 5 Solara Stars. In summary, this place is definitely worth making a trip to Oakland, especially if you are celebrating a birthday. It is also a fun restaurant for a girls night out or for a romantic date.

Wildseed is a relatively new plant-based dining experience with locations in Palo Alto and San Francisco. This review is for their location at the Town & Country Shopping Center in Palo Alto. Wildseed is a foodie haven for vegetarians and vegans with a phenomenal menu full of fresh, flavorful and 100% plant based ingredients. The interior is modern and upscale and the large tropical mural at the back of the restaurant gives the ambience a very fresh and airy feel to it. The interior We came here for a Mothers Day dinner and fell in love with the whole experience, including the service, which was top notch. We usually shy away from "Vegan" restaurants as many items in the menu cater to folks who prefer fake meat. But this was not the case with Wildseed. We were blown away with everything we ordered and by mid meal, we had decided we will come back here to celebrate Fathers Day. We started our dinner with a couple of 0% ABV drinks (we are teetotalers). Hubby's Passion Tea was so pretty to look at, and tasted yummy, but not too sweet with hibiscus-infused black tea, passion fruit and lemonade. Passion Tea I ordered the Beet soda, then began to have second thoughts if it may turn out too sweet. My worries were put to rest when it arrived, as it had the right mix of sweet and tartness as the seltzer and grapefruit juice cut out the sugar in the drink. We didnt miss the fact that the straws were made of steel and reusable - major brownie points to Wildseed for that! Beet soda For appetizer, we order the Meze plate. Little did we know it was a meal by itself! It consisted of tabouli mixed with green falafel, a crispy flatbread, marinated feta cheese, hummus and baba ghanoush. The marinated cheese was the best of the lot, and we couldnt believe it was made of coconut milk! Mezze plate After the huge order of appetizer, we decided to split a burger between us. They had two burger offerings - an impossible burger (ie. in my vocabulary, a fake meat burger) and the Wildseed burger which consists of a mushroom and spinach patty. We hit jackpot yet again with our selection. The burger itself was moist, but didnt disintegrate, and the caramelized onions added extra flavor to it. Even their curry-like ketchup tasted delicious with the crispy fries. Wildseed burger The icing on the cake was the service which was quick and attentive. This has become rare these days, with restaurants struggling to keep up with the sudden increase in their clientele, post-covid. So we enjoyed the attention from the wait staff. In summary, this restaurant has put some real thought into their menu and preparation to attract the ominvore and the carnivore alike, without substituting meat with tofu, as seen in many other restaurants. We will definitely come back here, but will ensure to come with a bigger appetite, to try out all the other items on the menu. All in all, I give this restaurant a whopping and rare 4.5 stars! Reservations highly recommended!!

Location : Pacifica, CA Parking : Free parking on city streets Trail type : Loop Trail Length : 8.83 miles Elevation Gain : 566 ft Difficulty : Easy Trails traversed : Coastal Trail >Bootleggers Steps > Mori Headlands Trail > Mori Bluff Trail > Rockaway Beach Trail > Rockaway Beach Ave > Nick Gust Way > unnamed trail to Rockaway Point Post-hike pit stop suggestion : Taco Bell on Pacifica beach has the best coastal views. This is yet another California Coastal hike that is overpowered with stunning views from end to end. Parking is convenient and street-side at the intersection of Paloma Ave and Beach Blvd in Pacifica. Start your hike by walking south on Beach Blvd, until you hit Pacific Municipal Pier a couple of blocks down. Make a quick deviation and walk along the pier as you pass fishermen catching crab and fish early in the morning. The pier provides great views of Mori Point and Sharp Park Beach. There are restrooms available on the pier, if you want to make a quick pit stop before going any further on the hike. Pacific Municipal Pier Once you are done checking out the pier and clicking pictures, make your way back to Beach Blvd, which will soon intersect Coastal Trail. Sharp Beach The views along the sea wall of the Coastal Trail are breathtaking. If you are there in the right season, you may spot a whale or two breaching in the ocean, in the distance. Soon Coastal Trail intersects Bootlegger Steps which in turn takes you to Mori Headlands Trail. Take this short out and back trail to reach an outlook point which once again provides 360 degrees of breathtaking views of the rugged California coastline. The rock labyrinth at Mori Point Return to the intersection where Mori Headlands Trail intersects with the Coastal Trail, and continue on Mori Bluff Trail. This is a very scenic trail, but will require scrambling at some points to traverse through some rocky ravines. Sections of steep incline along Mori Bluff Trail Steep and narrow ravine along Mori Bluff Trail Photo ops along Mori Bluff Trail Mori Bluff Trail soon becomes Rockaway Beach Trail after crossing Calera Creek. The creek is usually very shallow and you can jump on rocks to cross it. Rockaway Beach Trail soon disappears into sand but it is easy to make your way past the beach, across the parking lot, to the outcrop of a hill to the south of the beach which is Rockaway Point, and your final destination. There are clean restrooms at the bottom of the hill for a quick pit stop. A series of switchbacks take you to the top of the hill, called Rockaway Point. It offers fantastic views of Rockaway Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Couple of benches make this a good midpoint stop for a picnic lunch, before you make your way back to Sharp Point Beach and your parked car. View of the azure green water from Rockaway Point

Christmas Tree Lane Location : 1900 block of Eucalyptus Ave in San Carlos, CA. This is by far the grandest neighborhood light display we have seen in the Bay Area. Extending over two blocks on Eucalyptus Ave, this display can be seen on foot or in your car. With every house competing with every other with its grandeur, there are a number of photo opportunities all along the street. Unlike many other neighborhoods, these homes do not use Christmas cutouts but instead are elegantly decorated with lights and ornaments. Weekends get very crowded so try going on a weekday, when parking is available along the neighboring streets. Lights are on through New Years Day and between 6pm and 9pm. Get out of the house and check out this winter wonderland that will help keep your holiday sprits merry and bright! 2. Widmer World Location : 3671 Chelsea Court , Pleasanton, CA Take your young ones to Widmer World this holiday season to see the extravagant Christmas exhibit put up by the Widmers at their home and yard in Pleasanton. The work on this magical wonderland starts in July each year with the entire Widmer family pitching in with the planning, design and the back-breaking setup. As you approach the house located in a cul de sac, you are welcomed in the front yard by a gigantic lighted Christmas tree set in sync with holiday music. There is also a giant sized chair on the driveway for family photo ops. The Widmers have painstakingly decorated every inch of their yard with numerous amazing setups, each with its own theme. The displays range from Disney characters to hundreds of Santa Claus' to Disney Princesses, to nativity scenes and Christmas village scenes and even a K'nex roller coaster. As you walk along the path and under a beautiful lighted palm tree, you may come across one of the senior Widmer family members who will be more than willing to give you a brief history lesson of Widmer World. The family has thought of everything, including a Powerpoint presentation of how Widmer World has grown over the years. Walking at a leisurely pace, it took us about 30 minutes to explore Widmer World in its entirety. Admission is free and the place is open 6pm - 9pm, until Dec 31st, and may be packed during weekends. Take your time to enjoy the lights, music and displays and go home with holiday cheer! 3. Deacon Dave's Christmas Lights Location : 352 Hillcrest Ave, Livermore, CA. Deacon Dave’s Holiday Light Show will dazzle you with over 700k lights this year. This place has been featured in a number of news articles as well as on local radio and TV stations. A holiday tradition for 38 years, over 20 volunteers tirelessly work for 4 months to bring this holiday cheer to us. Each year the show has a different theme, with “America Celebrates Our Heroes” being the theme for 2021. A Ferris wheel, Merry-go-round and a carousel have been set up dedicated to front-line workers. There is even a proposal bridge where 72 proposals have taken place to date. The display is open everyday from 6pm to 9pm until New Years. Admission is free, but during weekends, be prepared to stand in long lines to enter this whimsical wonderland. We went on a weekday, and a line had started to form by 5.45pm. Go check it out before it is too late! 4. Filoli Gardens, Woodside, CA. Holiday nights are magical at Filoli Gardens! Filoli makes the holidays so special with the entire garden decked in sparkling lights and festive finery. The 54,000 sq ft mansion that sits in the middle of the 16 acre garden is also lighted up with multiple Christmas trees adorning various corners of those parts of the house accessible by the public. In the garden, all the trees are covered with twinkling lights, along with the wrought iron gates and the pools and fountains. Open from Thanksgiving weekend through New Years Day weekend, tickets ($38 for adults, $20 for kids 5-17) are required to enter the grounds. Beware that tickets become fully booked very early in the holiday season, so plan your visit accordingly. Holiday lights are on 4pm - 8pm everyday.

Location : San Bruno, CA Parking : Free parking along neighborhood streets Trail type : Out and Back Trail Length : 7.7 miles Elevation Gain : 1669ft Difficulty : Moderate - Strenuous Trails traversed : Sweeney Ridge Fire Road > Sweeney Ridge Trail > Mori Ridge Trail Post-hike grub stop suggestion : Fieldworks, Redwood City. Sweeney Ridge in San Bruno, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, sits right between Pacific Ocean on one side and the Bay on the other. This hike with excellent views of the Pacific Ocean and the Peninsula, is sure to kick your butt with it steepness at various points. This ridge has a plethora of wildlife and wildflowers. In the last week of May, we saw an abundance of wildflowers blooming all along the trail. This Ridge is also seeped in history, as this was where, in 1769, the Spanish Army Officer, Gasper de Portola, discovered the San Francisco Bay Area. Parking is available at the trailhead on Sneath Lane, or in the neighborhood streets close by. The initial 2 mile or so of the trail is on a well paved fire road. The wildflowers and the views along the trail make a good distraction to the steep climb along the fire road. Flora and fauna along the fire road keeps your mind off the steep climb. The fire road finally intersects Sweeney Ridge Trail at the top of the ridge. Turn left to visit the historic site where General Portola first laid eyes on the entire Bay Area. Restrooms are available at this point. Excellent views of South San Francisco and the Peninsula After reading the plaques detailing the history of the "Discovery Site", backtrack towards the restrooms and continue on Sweeney Ridge Trail. The trail takes you over rolling hills and and within the first half mile, you will come across the historic Nike Missile Launch control station site. It is now a collection of run-down buildings with cement-block walls and falling-in roofs. Continue on the gravel path further down Sweeny Ridge Tail. The trail starts going steeply downhill towards Mori Point. As you climb downhill you will soon realize it is going to be a strenuous climb back up. By Mile 3 the trail starts dropping steeply This is a good time to take stock of your time and energy and make a decision. You can continue to hike all the way down where the trail ends at an Orchid garden in Pacifica or turn around and head back on Sweeny Ridge Trail and to the paved fire road which will take you back to your parked car. Wild berries, flowers and butterflies along the trail

Lupines bloom in abundance in Lexington Reservoir in Santa Clara county in early May. White lupines, a blue lake and green hillside come together to form a beautiful landscape. If you are looking for ideas for a Mothers Day picnic or for a hike this weekend, do check out this county park. To find the lupines, head towards the northern side of the lake. You can find the wide expanse anywhere in the park.

This is an "off-the-beaten-path" coastal hike in Marin County, that takes you to 3 lesser known, yet beautiful beaches, with jaw-dropping views at every turn. The trail is fully unshaded, so it is best to hike on a cool fall day or in the springtime. The hike was a total of 7.5 miles with 2440ft of climbing (as per my AllTrails navigation), and is pet friendly. With all the climbing, the hike falls somewhere between moderate to strenuous category. The trailhead starts at Muir Beach parking lot. On a Saturday, at 9am, we found ample parking, with restrooms available. After enjoying a breakfast-to-go of Dianda's famous Almond croissant and tea, we set off to follow the California Costal Trail, which is part of the Golden Gate National Parks system. The first of the 3 beaches you see is, of course, Muir Beach. It was hardly crowded, even at 1pm, on our return. After passing the Muir Beach intersection within the first 0.25 miles, the trail starts getting steep, as it goes over a hill, and then back down to the second beach, Pirates Cove. We got to enjoy expansive views of the ocean as we climbed downhill. Pirates Cove is a remote beach, and access to it from the trailhead is very steep and rugged. So we decided to save our energy for the remainder of the hike. Steep downhill to Pirates Cove Starting from Pirates Cove, the trail once again climbs steeply over a second, bigger hill, until it flattened at the top. We took a short break here to catch our breath, and of course, for some photo ops. Our way down to Tennessee Valley was on a fire road, which led to the secluded Tennessee Beach. This beach, once again, had just a handful of sunbathers but was empty otherwise, on a warm Saturday afternoon. This is a great place to take a break, eat a sandwich and catch your breath before the hike back up, over the 2 hills yet again. The midday sun made the hike back to the parking lot harder than before. After we were done with the hike, we also checked out Muir Beach Overlook, which is a few miles drive from the parking lot, and provides a complete view of the Point Reyes Peninsula. This Overlook also has historic significance as it has several lookout bunkers where soldiers watched for ships, during the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. View from Muir Beach Overlook At the end of it all, this hike was quite a workout, but the amazing views and the cool weather made it all worthwhile.