wandering

Death Valley National Park

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I stayed truly in the middle of nowhere last night (Ridgecrest, CA) but it is the only place to stay to enter the park from the west side. It still was an hour and a half drive to get to Death Valley this morning. I drove through Trona, which was a wasteland of mining mounds and smokestacks. I found it interesting that there was a sign posted that if you litter there is a $1000 fine, yet the desecration of the land seems to be just fine. I also drove through Lost Hills yesterday. There were hundreds of oil drilling machines in the large oil fields. I’ve never seen anything like it. I am not in beautiful San Francisco any more!

Fortunately, Death Valley trumps Trona and Lost Hills by a thousand fold. Death Valley was amazingly beautiful and varied. On one side of the road there were smooth, colored, layered mountains and on the opposite side of the road jagged peaks like one would expect. I visited:

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Sand dunes in the middle of this park were amazing to see.

Badwater Basin. The lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. The salt looks like snow. Because of the recent storms, the flats were actually covered with water and looked like a lake. The storms also prompted some road closures.

Artists Drive. The colorful hills with layered rock formations were mesmerizing.

Zabriskie Point. The golden colored badlands were my favorite thing in the park. It was nice that Pete was able to see them, too.

After I left the park I drove four plus hours to Needles, CA. It’s another very small town in the middle of nowhere. But tomorrow will only be a five hour drive and we will be in Tucson!

Tennessee Valley Trail

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today my daughter and I decided to hike on the Marin side of the bay. This was a 4 mile trail that had us traveling through gentle hills of greenery and rock and ultimately landing us on the coast of Tennessee Beach. We brought Pete but then noticed a no dog sign. We spotted a few dogs ahead of us so we brought Pete along. We kept him on the trail and leashed but his nose was busy so there must have been scents of animals. All Trails said there were deer, coyote and birds spotted in the area.

Even though cars were lined up down the road from the trailhead, the trail was actually pretty empty. We noticed lots of offshoot trails and many cyclists so we guessed the plentiful number of trails dispersed the crowds. Picnic tables and benches were strategically placed in several areas. Overall, this was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

Weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Carmel is approximately a two-hour drive from San Francisco and an easy getaway from the city. Carmel’s reputation as a storybook, quaint town is well-deserved and accurate. We stayed a few blocks from Carmel Beach, which is considered one of the cleanest beaches in the world. The sand was white and the thunderous waves were littered with surfers.

We stayed at a pet-friendly hotel, but were not allowed to leave Pete in the room alone, which meant we were limited on what we could do. It worked out fine because Pete garnered tons of attention anywhere we went. When we arrived on Friday, we went straight to the beach and Pete rolled in the sand nonstop. We then wandered downtown, snacked on some made-to-order beignets and chose a seafood restaurant for dinner.

The next morning was a bit rainy but after breakfast and coffee we walked to the beach. Instead of the hike we planned to do, which Pete could not join, we drove along the stunning coast, Monterey and Mission Ranch. We then returned to Carmel and hunkered down at a wine bar for wine and a snack. We purchased a bottle and went next door to an amazing cheese shop for lunch-worthy snacks, made a quick stop for some more beignets and then returned to our room to wait out the rainy afternoon. It felt decadent and exactly the right thing to do.

Later that afternoon, we walked down to the beach and meandered an hour further along the coast, returned to our room and ordered takeout sushi. Our final morning we grabbed coffee and returned to the beach so that Pete could have his final roll in the sand. We stopped in Palo Alto on our way home for lunch and a quick mall saunter. It was a fantastic weekend with my daughter!

Castro and Another Walk on the Embarcadero

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I decided to take the Muni and go to the last stop wherever that might be. I boarded at Fisherman’s Wharf and landed at The Castro. I love the freedom and sense of pride of the area…I just felt it. No one said it and there were no signs saying so, but with flags plastered everywhere and people out on the streets living exactly who they are the freedom was evident (and loved every minute of it!).

On my return trip on the Muni, I jumped off at the Embarcadero because I just could not resist another walk in the sun with art sprinkled along the way.

Wave Organ + Palace of Fine Arts

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I have created a little routine that on Tuesdays, which is street cleaning day, I go grocery shopping during the cleaning time slot (8 a.m.). Once that task was completed, I decided Pete and I would find the nearest post office to mail a package and then cross some must-see items off my list. Today was Wave Organ and Palace of Fine Arts. It ended up being a six mile walk and Pete got a romp on the beach, too.

Wave Organ was a bit of a hike, out onto a jetty by the yacht club, and a very interesting concept. I did not hear the “music” since the waves are just too loud. But I suspect that if I stayed for a few hours I might be able to pick up on the nuanced sounds. Pete was more interested in rolling around on the beach next to the “organ” so we spent the majority of our time doing that.

We then walked to the Palace of Fine Arts. It is a beautiful piece of architecture with its Greek-style colonnades and soaring central rotunda. It is larger than you would think, too. It is quintessential San Francisco and is now used for events and lots of wedding photos!

It’s All an Adventure

Posted on by Seniye Groff

It is funny that all it takes is a routine to feel comfortable and at home. At least that seems to be the case with me. I located my gym and it is only a thirty minute walk each way. I have found my grocery store and most importantly, landed many options for Pete’s daily walks. I see Steven (the valet at the Fairmont) daily so that Pete can gather his treat and I have met people, and know their names, from my daily visits at the dog park.

The process of wandering is not only learning about the new places I visit, but also learning about myself, too. Building a community is important to me and these daily achievements help make that happen. I have learned that the daily minutiae of crap doesn’t end just because I am wandering; I am still spending parts of my days dealing with daily living stuff.

Today I met with friends of a friend. Meeting new people allows me to hear new perspectives. We met this morning at the boat house at Golden Gate Park. Golden Gate is larger than Central Park and we saw some really cool art installations on a pedestrian-only area of the park. When I meet people that have lived in the city for 30 plus years, I learn their favorite spots, as well as, their perspective on what works and what doesn’t in their hometown. I saw the park through their eyes (and it was splendid!).

I don’t want you to think I don’t make mistakes, though. Today, after our walk I tried to return back to my rented studio…big mistake! With Fleet Week and a North Beach festival happening, there was not only no parking but many streets were shut down. After driving around for an hour trying to find a parking space, I decided to return to the Golden Gate Park area. Pete and I investigated Lincoln Park and found the Lincoln Park steps. We also walked around Lands End. Basically, I was trying to burn time.

At 5 p.m. I returned but to no avail…still no spots. Fortunately, Carli’s friend took my car and found a spot in her neighborhood since she will be using my car tonight, anyway. Thank goodness Pete is easygoing. I will be more careful going forward on noting events and when I should and shouldn’t use my car!

Museum Day + A Hike

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today I ventured out to visit the Legion of Honor (in Lincoln Park) and de Young (in Golden Gate Park) art museums. The Legion of Honor Museum is situated high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The entry is stunning and the museum holds the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris. It also has an impressive collection of European painters and contemporary art. This is the perfect-sized museum with just two floors and a digestible amount of art.

After leaving the museum I drove the Sea Cliff neighborhood (stunning!) to the Lands End hiking trail. The trail is easy and the views are spectacular.

I then drove to the de Young Art Museum. It is another two-level museum (so perfect-sized). It focuses on American art from the 17th century to present day. There was a special exhibit on Japanese comic art that I think Pearl would have loved. They also had some African art. Overall, I preferred the Legion of Honor museum but both are worth a stop.