I just took a DNA test. Turns out, I’m 100% that beach… lover.
Lizzo fans out there?
At least I think I’m funny…
California’s pacific coast is the most important place on the planet. It is literally the edge of the earth. If we were a nation of Flat-Earthers, this would be where everyone sails off if they go too far. (That is probably a lie, I don’t know anything about what they think).
I live in San Francisco. Most of us who grew up in the bay area have watched our beautiful home transform into a place that is unattainable for the futures we always pictured. Tech has come in and taken over. The city is claustrophobic, noisy, and moves so fast you can’t tell what’s coming for you. The economic and sociopolitical casualties are piling up.
I live in a tiny apartment. Our truck (Elly May) has a rough time trying to find a place to bed down at night. I work too hard and I earn too little. Just like everyone else here who isn’t fortunate to work for some computery-conglomerate.
I have always resisted leaving the Bay Area for two reasons. First, my family is here. Second, I love the ocean.
Going to see the ocean “just because” was something I did with both my parents. Getting takeout and sitting in the front seat facing the waves was one of my favorite dinner outings as a child. Rain or shine, at least once a month we would pull right up to the edge of the cliff, where erosion had wiped out all the sand under the concrete. It was thrilling, sitting there, on the edge of the earth, listening to the coastal wind, and watching the waves crash over surfers and make birds bob up and down.
The ocean makes you feel small. It is where I go to get a little perspective.
Anyway, enough of this nostalgia.
Here are a few local places to visit that will make you feel content in your insignificance:
Harold’s Hill
*SPOILER ALERT* If you have ever seen Harold and Maude, this is the cliff the car goes over. It is also a fantastic little hike up from the Pacifica Pier and levee. The hike is has some stairs, but there is also a less inclined trudging trail for those who enjoy trudging. Oh, and it is actually called Mori Point.
Mount Tam
Most people know about Mount Tamalpias, but it is still very nice. The roads give you amazing views and places to get above the clouds. Lots of hiking and driving options.
Russian Ridge
First of all, yes, this is inland. But you can see all the way to the coast, no hiking necessary. You look out over mostly uninhabited land, from Skyline Blvd. to the Pacific Ocean! That is so rare in coastal California. The parking lot is on Alpine Road about 5 minutes from Skyline.
Alamere Falls
The pièce de résistance so this post is Alamere Falls. It can only be reached by a long hike around the steep and undulating coastline from the Palomarin Trailhead. Much of the walk is overlooking a steep cliff to the ocean, before heading back down towards sea level, past a lake and a pond, through a tree tunnel, and scrambling down a sandy cliffside. When doing so, please be sure to respect the delicate nature of the coast. Don’t forget to watch the tide!
The bottom line:
Just get outside and climb a hill and look at everything that is bigger than you.
Please forgive any spelling and grammar errors. I do not stand on ceremony.
-G
