Looks like these

Photo from here.

Oh, Tilda. Another good look for the polymorphous beauty! Wishing everyone a transformative weekend!

xo

If You're Going

A view that says possibility. I suppose though that's what every summit says. Today, we look North. This is the view from the top of Buena Vista Park on a beautiful day. The Golden Gate Bridge takes you any place you want. The question isn't even if. It's where? So many options!

1. The Lagoon trail in the Marin Headlands:

Photo from here.

2. Salt Point State Park:


Photo from here.

3. Orr Hot Springs in Ukiah:


Photo from here.

It's just a bridge between us.

I Have the Coolest Friends

A while ago, I heard that my friend Katy was in National Geographic magazine. Somehow I never got my hands on a copy and I didn't have any luck in my Google search. Then, a few days ago, I got something in the mail from my friend Karen. She sent me an article with this note attached:



Yes!!! I thought, this must be the article with the photo of Katy! I immediately flipped through the pages, searching for her beautiful face when, finally, there she was:



Okay, so if there ever was a person in my life who would show up in a National Geographic magazine article, it would be Katy. An avid hiker and outdoors-woman, Katy is incredibly open, friendly and talkative, which (I can imagine) is part of the reason we find her in this article. Not only am I thrilled to see the wonderful picture of Katy, but the actual article is amazing!



Star Trek: Yosemite to the Moon is written by James Vlahos, who hiked the John Muir Trail by moonlight. The John Muir Trail spans from Yosemite National Park all the way down to Sequoia National Park. Either way you do it, you begin at either Half Dome (in Yosemite) or Mount Whitney (in Sequoia). For 215 miles, not letting the night stop him, Vlahos braved the three national parks and four wilderness areas in the dark—with only the moon, the stars and a headlamp to guide him. Articles like this always make me wonder: can I do that?



He writes of Island Pass (a route in California's High Sierra): "The trail is well loved—too well loved, if you value unbroken solitude in the wilderness. But almost nobody sees Island Pass like this, when scenery that's merely pretty during the day becomes downright magical at night."



He goes on to describe his mission: "I've made moonlit hikes before, out-and-back walks of only a few miles. Those jaunts were so memorable that I was inspired this past summer to tackle the entire JMT that way. My plan was to sync my movements to the rise and set of the moon, which would typically encompass late afternoon, dusk, and several hours of moonlit night."



Can you even imagine? He writes of the sensation of being alone on the trail at night: "Nobody else in the world will see what I will tonight." He goes on: "The moon will be my companion on a long overnight hike, just as it once was for Muir."



A modern John Muir, it appears. This is where the trail begins (if you chose to go north to south), at the base of Yosemite's beloved Half Dome. I remember last November, while camping in Yosemite, I saw signs for the JMT. It was hard not to hop on that trail and go onward. But obviously it takes more planning than a simple urge.



But maybe the urge is what we should follow. That simple push that takes us where we really want to be. Once you've decided that, YES, this is where I want to go, then the planning and organizing shouldn't be too difficult. Right?



This article is fascinating. Vlahos goes to bed at 6 p.m. only to wake at midnight, getting back on the trail. As much as I would LOVE to do that, I can't help thinking: wouldn't it be scary!? To be alone, at night, in the wild, with bears!? Then, my mind shifts (thinking of Vlahos). Maybe everything's worth this sensation that he describes: "The takeaway fom my own after-hours quest is that wilderness is not a place you go but a feeling you seek—electric, aware, beyond yourself, alive.

Beyond myself, huh? Well, in that case, I guess I don't have to worry anymore about whether or not I'll make it to the JMT. I'll find myself there someday and I'll know it when I'm there. Not because of the map, or the arrangement of the stars, the moon or the sun. It'll be the feeling that I feel. That's when I'll know I made it there.

Speaking of making it there, my friends Karen and Dom hiked the trail this past summer!



Looks like they got to see that magic moonlight that Vlahos talks about:



Karen and Dom? National Geographic? You're SO next!



Obviously I wasn't there to hike with them, but from these photos I can tell that the feeling was in the air. Electric, aware, beyond yourself, alive.

Magazine photos taken by Dmitri Alexander. Last 3 JMT photos taken by Karen and Dom.

Paris, Always

My parents just got back from Paris and I can't get enough of their stories. It's always been like that though. They're great storytellers.

In her early twenties, my Mom traveled around Europe as many young people do. When I was very little, I loved hearing these stories: about the Europe on $5 a day book, about her travels in Switzerland, and about a surprise visit by my Dad. At 21, she stayed at the Hotel Henry IV in Paris for 3 weeks, where the rooms cost $2.50 a day!!! (breakfast of a baguette, jam and coffee included, of course).

Anyway, they re-visited the hotel and sent the photo to me. I love that the place still stands, full of memories. But that's what Paris is all about, a timeless history. Here's my Mom in Paris (on their current trip):



I can't get over this photo! It's how I like to picture her there, in Paris, all those years ago. Smiling, happy, and beautiful. I haven't changed either. I still love hearing their stories.

Early Girls at Heirloom

A few Saturdays ago, I had the lovely pleasure of attending a tomato canning class at Heirloom Cafe. Anne suggested we go while Heather and Alex where in town and I couldn't have thought of a better first activity upon their arrival. They hadn't even been in the city a whole hour before we were getting a demonstration on how one cans a whole bunch of tomatoes.

Why can? Why not, is my answer. Canned tomatoes are so useful. Just think of all the recipes that call for canned tomatoes: soups, chili, sauces. Once you've canned on your own, you'll never want to go store bought. Why? Why not. A simple recipe is all you need:

Heirloom is totally one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. First of all, the decor is super cozy.

Their food is cozy too! Their menu has that same warm and homey vibe that the menu at Outerlands has. They have a pretty stellar wine selection too:

I think even some of us got sneak peak at the cellar. After getting a demonstration, it wasn't long before we were all getting our hands dirty.



I found it kind of exhilarating to be in Heirloom's kitchen. The demonstration was super hands on, which was good, because it's the best way to learn how to do something.



Once the tomatoes have been blanched, shocked, peeled, cored and seeded, they are ready to go into the jars:

Tomato juice in the jars, too:



Anne having fun with her tomato canning:



A beautiful array of tomatoes ready to be preserved:



Keeping the brim clean is a must:



Top them off with lids:



All of these gorgeous jars of early girls, ready to be used at any time. After the demonstration, we didn't stop there. Attendees enjoyed a glorious lunch of pasta and wine.



Back in the kitchen...



Early girl tomato sauce simmers...



Lunch is ready! Maybe I'm exaggerating, but the pasta was one of the best I'd ever had. It could have been my mood. Or it could have just been really awesome pasta, made with end of summer love. An early girl never fails.

Midnight in Paris, Again

Watched Midnight in Paris again last night. I love it soooooooo much.



Long walks along the Seine...



The guy who plays Hemingway...



The genuine sweetness of Owen Wilson...

In some of my favorite Woody Allen comedies (Love and Death, Sleeper, Bananas), Woody gets thrown into another time, another world—which is the source of the overarching humor throughout these movies. What I love about this film is that, although Owen Wilson literally walks into the twenties, it really feels like the twenties come to him. The era opens its doors to him because, as the struggling artist, he needs the inspiration. I love that.

Photos from here.

Of Joy

As always, the beautiful Golden Gate Park holds my favorite event of the year: the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. I made sure to catch tonight's closing act, Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. While dreads dangled and bodies bounced, I slowly made my way to the stage.



A few years ago, I saw Robert Plant sing with Alison Krauss at the festival. This year, he sang with Patti Griffin. As the sun sets behind me, I think, I am so lucky.



Highlight songs include: "Thank You," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Ramble On" and, my personal favorite, "In the Mood."



Beach balls and bubbles dance in the air. Robert Plant and Patti Griffin, both with gorgeous flowing hair. This night is inspiration at it's highest point.



The immense crowd - I can't believe I got as far as I did!



This woman: my savior. Let's just say, I don't know her name or where she's from, but we rocked out to the music in pure and wholesome ways. Hardly. Strictly. She knew the words of every song.