Bon Tempe + Cousins = A Great Time

I've been going on some really lovely hikes lately. The most recent trek was north of the city, to Lake Bon Tempe, just outside the town of Fairfax. My cousin invited me, well actually he e-vited me, on a group hike which is something he likes to organize when the weather is nice. The Bay Area has seen some gorgeous weather lately so I'm hoping he plans for more. It was such a treat sharing nature with a whole lot of city folk...and some out-of-towners too! How much fun would that be if while you were visiting some friends they brought you on a Sunday group hike...

To begin, I woke up early Sunday morning to read the paper, drink some coffee and fill up on granola before I headed on my hour long drive into Marin. I love the names of the roads that took me there: Bolinas and Sky Oaks Road. Such a pretty way to start an adventure.



Once everyone arrived, we set out on our relaxing 4.5 mile hike around the lake. The lake is on the northwest side of Mt. Tamalpais, offering a different view of the mountain than the one we get from the city. Crowds of gorgeous trees sway upon deep ripples of the lake's water, truly doubling the magnificent landscape this hike offers. We saw many birds, banana slugs and even a turtle.

With Mt. Tam before me, I sped ahead of the group with my cousin's dog, Wiley.





A regal turtle.

Hiking's been great and I'll post more about the others soon! I also wanted to share that I've been really embracing my yoga practice lately too. I always love my classes, but for the past couple of weeks I've been going to new classes and even tried out a new studio called 7th Heaven in Berkeley. All of these positive new experiences have reminded me that, while I hold tight to the comforts of my daily life, it is so important to take risks and to take many of them. Once taken, they fulfill the story of my life in a way I could never have comprehended, nor could have written.