My New Year’s Self-Care Tradition
I love to hike, capture photographs of nature “the way God made it”, AND I love to eat healthy food! Combine them all together and I call it a “self-care adventure”. I hope that everyone who reads this page feels inspired to create their own nature adventure days. ENJOY!
Even though it can have great benefits for our mental and physical health, spending time outside often comes in the form of a quick walk sandwiched in between other activities. We owe it to ourselves to take a break from the busyness of life and spend some extended time walking, hiking, or taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature - to remind ourselves of who we are and what we want.
For many years I have taken a personal retreat day on New Year's Day and driven out to Bodega Head on the Sonoma coast for an easy hike there. Usually, it's a gorgeous day (see above photo from 2022), the views are amazing (and of course photo worthy!), and the few folks I encounter are happy and friendly. Last year I was so uplifted by the whole experience that I set the intention to make these “nature adventure days” a REGULAR part of my life. Never underestimate the power of intention because, as a result of that day, I've gone hiking almost every weekend this past year and even spent 5 out of 9 days hiking on my recent vacation. I enjoy the Sonoma County Go Wild hiking group, but if their scheduled hike is too hard for me or doesn't work with my schedule, I either go with a friend or by myself. Not only has it had a huge impact on my body, mind, and spirit this past year, but I've visited many beautiful places that I've never been to before and met such wonderful people. Best decision ever and one that I definitely intend on continuing.
Bodega Head is the rocky headland that forms the entrance into Bodega Harbor. The harbor side provides a popular crabbing area along the jetty and the many hiking trails on the ocean side allow access to small, sandy coves and spectacular scenic views. The high cliffs offer excellent vantage points for observing migrating gray whales.
The Bodega Head loop trail (1.7 miles and 187 feet elevation gain) is generally considered an easy route and takes an average of 40 min to complete. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.
This year, as usual (and after a full week of pouring rain), there were glorious blue skies and sunshine - and the surf was incredible! It was pretty windy, but I dressed appropriately so it wasn’t a problem. I always plan to get there by 10:00 a.m. so there wasn’t a crowd - although the parking lot was definitely getting full by the time I left at noon. I took my time going up the trail stopping to take lots of photos on my iPhone. I was smiling and laughing the whole way - and of course everyone was caught up in the New Year’s spirit and there were lots of greetings exchanged. When I got to the top (since the bluffs are my happy place), instead of going back down the regular inland loop trail, I just came back the way I’d gone up. But at this point, I put my camera away, took my hood and hat off, and with tears of joy streaming down my face, I just let the wind blow through my hair and breathed in the abundance of natural beauty - SUCH an incredible blessing!
It’s said that pictures are worth a thousand words but, in my opinion, Bodega Head is one of the most beautiful places on the Sonoma coast and photos really don’t do it justice. I strongly recommend experiencing it in person! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos I took.
With my body, mind, and spirit overflowing with good vibes, I felt hungry so headed to the Fishetarian in Bodega Bay for my favorite - fish tacos. (I definitely was feeling “charmed” because there wasn’t even a line!) I enjoyed my yummy lunch sitting in the sunshine at a picnic table by the water. Absolute Heaven!
Shane and Dana Lucas started Fishetarian out of a passion for fishing, cooking and eating delicious, health conscious seafood. Together, they share a belief in sustainable fishing and farming practices. In order to protect the natural beauty of our oceans, all of the tableware is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. They source all ingredients locally and organically-grown whenever possible.
“The truth is you cannot live a healthy, happy, fulfilled, and long life while neglecting to nourish your mind and spirit.’ ~ Dr. Mark Hyman
Many of us tend to put self-care last on our to-do list, but studies have shown that getting your mind and mindset right has profound health benefits. I can personally attest to how much happier and healthier I am after making last years “intention” a “habit”. And, as for this year’s intention, the words “connection” and “authentic self” came to my mind while out of the trail. I can’t wait to see how that manifests in my life!