September Nature Adventures
I love to hike, take 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 your own nature adventures. 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.
My first nature adventure of the month was to the Abbott’s Lagoon Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. I had seen some photos another hiker shared on the Sonoma County Hiker Facebook page and thought it looked promising - and it definitely didn’t disappoint! I met my friend in Point Reyes Station and it was a short drive from there to the trailhead for an easy 3.3 mile out and back hike with 187 feet elevation gain. The trail strolls past pastures and through coastal scrub before arriving at a footbridge that crosses a short stream, and then continues along the lagoon to sand dunes and then to the ocean - where we enjoyed a sweet visit before making our way back again. The gray skies always seem to create a special kind of sacred quiet which was enhanced by the fact that we only saw a few other folks the entire time we were there. We enjoyed the various wildlife - especially the little bunnies that would dart out of the brush to feast on the tender new growth ferns.
Abbotts Lagoon is a family-friendly and partially ADA-accessible hike past a working dairy ranch to a brackish lagoon teeming with wildlife. This trail is open year round and is known for fantastic birding opportunities (particularly in the fall and winter), and beautiful wildflowers in the spring. A spur trail at the lagoon leads to an overlook of the ocean, while a faint, sandy path leads beyond the lagoon to Point Reyes Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Abbotts Lagoon is located in Point Reyes National Seashore, a U.S. national park 50 miles northwest of San Francisco.
After our hike we returned to Point Reyes Station for a yummy lunch at the Station House Cafe’s new location - just a block away from the previous one. While we definitely missed the BEAUTIFUL patio of the previous space, the food was still great and we enjoyed our meal very much.
The Station House Cafe has been serving Point Reyes Station for over 59 years. They source organic, fresh and local foods to create some of your favorite foods — from classic brunches to your favorite burgers to fresh local fish and oysters. They proudly support local farms, producers and food artisans.
Later in the month I decided to do a solo hike at one of my favorite places - The Kortum Trail on the Sonoma Coast between Shell Beach and Blind Beach. While this is an out-and-back trail of 4.5 miles with an elevation gain of 650 feet, I often chose to wander from the trail to the bluffs (my happy place) to breathe in the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean. I pretty much had the whole place to myself and, again, the gray skies and quiet surf created a meditative experience …and was absolutely just what I needed at the time. Another bonus of being on my own was that I got to take a bunch of really good photos. YAY!
The Kortum Trail is part of the 17-mile long Sonoma Coast State Park. This well-maintained and relatively easy trail offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and offshore sea stacks. Much of the trail is a double plank walkway that goes over wetland. With abundant wildlife, rugged coastline, big skies and long vistas, it’s a great outdoors experience year-round. Sea birds on the Pacific flyway, whales commuting just offshore, resident deer, raptors, rabbits, foxes and ample wildflowers offer abundant nature watching opportunities, and also make the Kortum Trail a great outing for families.
After my hike, I drove north to Jenner to have lunch at one of my favorite places, Cafe Aquatica, for their yummy Rainbow Sandwich. While there was no music this day since it wasn’t the weekend, the food and peaceful vibes of this location were great as always.
Tiny Café Aquatica appears like an oasis on the edge of the Russian River as it empties into the sea. Cell service is spotty, but the clam chowder and fresh-baked bread are spot-on, as are the made-from-scratch pastries and coffee. Their menu also features lots of local seafood and organic ingredients. There are tables inside, but outside, in one of the weathered Adirondack chairs with views of Penny Island and the mouth of Russian River as kayaks go gliding by, is where you want to be.
Just two days later, a friend and I walked the West County Regional Trail from Graton (where we live) north to Forestville, had lunch, and then walked back for a total of 5 miles. While I regularly walk on the portion of this trail between Graton and Sebastopol, I hadn’t done this part in quite awhile and was reminded of how beautiful it is. And, since we went in the afternoon on a warm day, we were most grateful for all the shade along the way.
The West County Regional Trail is a mostly paved, 5.5-mile trail linking Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville. The path is separated from Highway 116 and offers views of farms, pastures, and vineyards. The trail is popular for walking, running, and cycling. Spring and fall are particularly beautiful times of the year to take in the surrounding countryside. Just north of Graton, a section of the trail becomes an elevated boardwalk to pass through the Atascadero Creek Ecological Reserve, an ecologically important wetland. The northern end of the trail leads into downtown Forestville, and nearby picnic tables make it a nice destination for a picnic.
So that’s it for my September self-care adventure days. As of this blog post, I only have one hike scheduled in October at Tolay Lake Regional Park in Petaluma. We’ll see what else unfolds later in the month - and then, of course my annual birthday trip to Fort Bragg is fast approaching on November 1st - YAY!!!. In the meantime, I hope you are inspired to create your own uplifting experiences. I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.