Some have asked how the Peninsula Hiking Group (PHG) was formed. It's quite simple. I have lived on the San Francisco Peninsula for most of the past 20 years. I have been exploring the San Francisco Bay Area for most of the past 43. For the first 10 years in San Francisco, I lived not … Continue reading Hiking San Francisco
Tag: travel
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP – October PHG Hike
If there is a more efficient hike, I have yet to find it. Here's the map: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/whittemore-gulch-and-harkins-ridge-loop-trail 7.6 miles per All Trails (7.3, per my phone), 1800+ feet elevation change, 3 hours, down and up, fog, blue skies, ridges, second growth redwoods, creeks, a lonely banana slug, 8 intrepid hikers, lively conversation, on topics ranging … Continue reading Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP – October PHG Hike
Pulgas Ridge OSP – September PHG Hike
It does not rain in the San Francisco Bay Area in September. I have lived here for nearly 43 years and can attest to this fact of nature. Sprinkle, maybe. Rain, definitely not. Thus, when my weather app forecasted 60% chance of rain at 8am this morning, I thought little of it. At 9am, it … Continue reading Pulgas Ridge OSP – September PHG Hike
Kona
I had first visited the Mauna Lani area, about 30 minutes north of the Kona Airport, in 1998. Same beach club below. Gary would have been there. During a recent visit, I learned that Gary, super-friendly, knowledgeable, relaxed, perfectly tanned, has been at this location since 1980, renting and mending kayaks and paddle boards, bantering … Continue reading Kona
Hilo
I was sitting on the back patio of the Hotel Naniloa two Friday nights ago. An eternity, to be sure. Clear night. Warm breeze. Fabulous entertainment - a local singer with a guitar and a dry sense of humor. I'm going to play a song that everyone knows - and it's not Happy Birthday! American … Continue reading Hilo
Kilauea Iki Trail and Crater Rim Trail
Despite the elevation (nearly 4,000 feet), it was warm, about 75 degrees. Light breeze. Mostly clear sky, initially. Bring plenty of water, snacks, and a picnic lunch. Good hiking shoes are recommended, although tennis shoes were not uncommon on the trail, and I did see a few pairs of Crocs. This is a moderate hike, … Continue reading Kilauea Iki Trail and Crater Rim Trail
Filoli
It was finally time to buy a second home and invite over a few close friends. Enjoy.
Windy Hill OSP
Nuestra caminata hoy. Muy linda. 1300+ acres, 12 miles of trails, 30 miles south of San Francisco, a different metaverse (but not of madness, thankfully). 16 hikers, a group record: 14 humans y dos perros. A 5-mile out-and-back and a 7 mile loop. Betsy Crowder to Spring Ridge to Anniversary Trail and back or continúe … Continue reading Windy Hill OSP
Coffee of the Month Club (June 2022)
Fabulous Truckee roaster Drink Coffee - Do Stuff (I ordered Bark at the Moon) The latest from Philz New beans, from my SF favorite micro-roaster Readers, here are the selections for June: two from high altitude roasters (Truckee, California) and two from roasters closer to sea level (San Francisco). As would be expected, but you … Continue reading Coffee of the Month Club (June 2022)
Washington D.C.
Not enough time for a proper post, but where else can you find (within relatively close proximity) the room where it happened, the Embassy of Kazakhstan (sans Borat), magnificent Turkish kofte paired with a refreshing Lebanese Pilsner, a Jew-ish Deli (serving a decadent white fish bagel sandwich), a French bakery serving coffee from Portland, an … Continue reading Washington D.C.









