"Driving Miss Moblee," Act III, Scene III (14/18)…read more [Overhead shot of Esther and Boke sitting on a wooden bench overlook at Franklin Point, as heavy waves and king tide surf crash against the rocks and scour the beach with frothy sea foam to "Beachcoming" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgZXTCkkgLk)]. [Camera zooms in to a small picnic of sourdough rye bread topped with Harley Farms chevre (Pescadero, CA) and hickory smoked lomo from El Salchichero artisan butcher shop (Santa Cruz). E. and B. also share bottles of 2017 Howard Family Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and 2017 Wirz Vineyard Cienega Valley old vine Carignane, both from Big Basin Vineyards, using stemless Riedel wine glasses]. E: Boke, this here is one LOVELY view! And these Big Basin wines ya' brung' are DIVINE! I visited their Saratoga tastin' room and all for The Press, but these particula' wines wasn't available - back theeeen. B: No'um, lahkly not, butt wez wahn klub membahs at da' Beeg Bas'n Wahn'ry, 'n we jes' luvs ta' stop there ta' taste wahns like 'dat. [E. sets down her glass of Chardonnay on the bench and stares intently at B., despite his efforts to avert her gaze]. E: Boke ... or should I say ... Bradley N.? Ya' cun drop ya' redneck hillbilly Appalachian acc'nt thing, OK? OK?? I dun looked ya' up on tha' Internet, and while it is true that ya's from West Virgin'a an' all, ya' ain't no real redneck, is ya? Yeza Redneck In Name Only. Yeza R.I.N.O.! [B. is silent. He stares down into his glass and waits]. E: Ya' was valedictorian of ya' high school class and then ya' went ... ta' Williams! Of all places, ya' hadta' pick a New England school like that, didnta'? And not only that ... ya' had ta' go an' graduate summa cum laude AS WELL ... [B. blushes]. B: Honestly speaking, Esther, I didn't think you'd hire me as your driver if you knew all of that. Or if you learned about the Hopkins advanced humanities degrees, the Stanford postdoc, the Harvard interview, the Defense Language Institute training, or the still classified Black Ops secret mission stuff. I figured that the "Morgan Freeman meets Chris Cooper in Matewan" simple minded redneck persona would be easier for you to handle. E: Ya' maght be right about that. Nobody will hire a' Hopkins man these days, especially one witha' degree in the ... HUMANITIES! [B. nods his head, knowingly]. B: Well, Esther, in the interests of full disclosure, I doubt that your "Jessica Tandy meets Vivien Leigh" Southern Jewish belle thing is totally accurate, either. They teach you to act like that at Smith, did they? [E. acts shocked, but is clearly acting]. E: Well, I nevah! That is jes' so ... Yeah, screw it. I went to Smith and was an English lit major who got into wine instead of teaching or grad school. The Southern belle schtick still works on the Robert Parker generation of multimillionaire men in Sonoma, Paso, and Napa who are styling themselves as vintners these days. It's easier that way with most men, except for the more enlightened ones like Ian Brand, Chris Brockway, or Dan Petroski. B: Makes sense to me. A lot, actually. E: I figured that hiring you as my hillbilly driver would fill out the whole "Driving Miss Daisy in a black Tesla" thing that we had going there when seeking out cult wines by folks like Reeve, LIOCO, Belden Barns, Baker Lane, Littorai, Red Car, Leo Steen, Hirsch, or Pax Mahle. And it was working with the high-end Napa folks at Progeny, Lokoya, and Kapcsandy, too, before you had to go and blow the whole thing up on Yelp. Thanks for that, by the way! [E. gives B. the finger]. B: Well, you started it! E: No, you did! Jerk. B: I know you are, but what am I? [E. and B. smile, take sips of their wine, and stare out at the waves crashing in front on them]. E: Dude, what say we hike back to the Tesla and hit up some of the Westside tasting rooms in Santa Cruz this afternoon? Well, after coffee at Verve first. My treat. What do you say, B.? Are you even still listening? B: E., I'd say that's a very smart idea coming from a spoiled little Smith girl who gets paid to drink expensive wine. [After E. throws Chardonnay in B's face, the two start hiking back to the Tesla]. E: Hillbilly rednecks who went to Williams! When will they learn how to treat spoiled little Smith girl wine sluts like me properly? B: Never too late to try. After you. E: After you, dude. Also: I'm driving. [B.'s eyes widen, but gives her the key]. [Camera pans out to the trailhead where the Tesla is waiting. E. enters with B. and turns on the ignition, but she hesitates long enough for B. to notice]. B: The engine's on. On means go. E: Give me your "made in Montana" hat first. [B. places the hat on E's head, who is now wearing her mirrored aviator glasses. Like a Titan rocket, the Tesla streaks South on Highway 1 with "Joyride" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCorJG9mubk) blasting through open windows]. [End of Act III].

Jamie W and I would've never discovered this bucolic area were it not for a quiet weekend we…read moredecided to spend at Costanoa, our first time there (review: https://yelp.to/vaqsPWt1bI). While we really liked our lodge accommodations, we recognized we had to be resourceful about our time since we felt removed from civilization. Walking out of the property on the main drive, we simply crossed Hwy One. Easier said than done. We followed the trail that veers to the left and leads to the dunes. The views were beautiful with the bluffs lower than what you'd see in Big Sur. Consider it Little Sur. At 3-1/2 miles, the path was not excessively onerous except for the occasional patch of poison oak. The reward was the beach, but you can always turn back if nature gets too overwhelming. Might I suggest a campfire martini at Cascade in Costanoa as your alternative reward? RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails l've walked and reviewed: https://yelp.to/_QDxW4IQx4

We really enjoyed this hike at Purisima Creek Redwoods. We started at the North Ridge parking area…read moreand followed North Ridge Trail Whittemore Gulch Trail Harkins Ridge Trail, returning to the same parking area. The entire loop ended up being around 6.5-7 miles. About 75% of the hike was shaded, much of it through beautiful redwood forest, with a small creek alongside portions of the trail. There are also some more exposed sections with great views. Be prepared for the elevation changes! The extended downhill sections are harder on the legs and knees than you might expect, and the return on Harkins Ridge is a long, sustained and quite strenuous uphill climb. It was probably one of the more strenuous hikes I've done in California in many years. That said, it was absolutely worth it. Beautiful scenery, lots of shade, peaceful forest, and a great workout. I'd definitely do this loop again -- I'd just be mentally prepared for that climb back to the parking lot!

I think my mainest girl is trying to eliminate me. I don't know why, but she thinks I love taking…read morelong arduous hikes through the woods and huffing and puffing through beautiful scenery. Levity aside, this is a stunningly beautiful park to commune with nature. But be warned, if you're a novice (me), don't have broken in hiking shoes (me) or could be in better shape (also me), it will be challenging. Steep inclines and declines are the order of the day. Also plenty of banana slugs. The park is beautiful, the silence is eerily beautiful, and you will enjoy all of it.

I went there for part of the day and saw a dense redwood forest and fairly shady and a stream There…read moreare a couple of trails as you walk on the main road and I had no problem parking

Planned out a day trip including a stop at Pescadero first followed by a hike at Butano State Park…read more The park itself is quite small and cozy and it's easy to see why it's often referred to as one of the least known California State Parks, because you really do have to make an effort to come here. That being said, the road to the park is quite well paved and there should be no trouble accessing it. We unfortunately visited the park during one of the controlled burns. I would not recommend visiting at those times because the smell of smoke lingers for quite some time even though we visited over a week after the burn ended. There was even one area of the park that was still smoking. It's also sad to see the extensive damage from the CZU fire that ripped through this area back in 2020. But overall there are still tons of beautiful redwoods and the trails are well maintained. Also not many people visit this park so you'll have plenty of peace and quiet on the trails!

My first time visiting here…read more Absolutely gorgeous. If you're into quiet drives surrounded by nature, and/or love hiking, this is the place for you and your family and friends. Bicycling, jogging or just walking, this is the place for you.

One of the most interesting hikes I've been on in the South Bay!…read more We took a random hike on a Sunday afternoon, and it actually wasn't too crowded in the lot or on the trail. There's a number of different types of trails you can go on. It fascinated me how it alternated between a regular trail, to smoother hills, to a bit of a rocky climb. I would definitely recommend stopping by, especially for the gorgeous views!

The trail is really a collection of trails all over the Half Moon Bay area. You can jump on the…read moretrail quit and find it again miles from your last location. Most of the trail is paved and level making it a highly enjoyable family walk.

Too Big to Trail The…read moreHalf Moon Bay Coastal Trail is an amalgam of several trails that run thru HMB and goes for 11.5-miles one-way from start to finish. The southerly end is at the Cowell Ranch Trail in HMB and runs all the way north to Dardanelle Trail in Moss Beach. The Good: *Great views *Easy flat to moderate trails *Trails are mostly AC with some compact dirt, as well, and they are mostly in good to great shape. *Bike, dog, & horse friendly *Multiple beach access *Lots of different (free) parking lots up and down the coast The Meh: *Little to no shade for most of the trail. This isn't really a big deal, as HMB is almost always cloudy, foggy, and cold--but there's always a few days a year where it can get into the 80s and low 90s. The Ugly: *Some of the lots do require payment, so be sure to check signage before parking. Oh, and in case you're wondering, they most definitely *DO* enforce parking. Conclusion: One of my all-time favorite trails in The Bay.

I'm sure if you read my reviews you'll see that I sound like a broken record when I talk about all…read morethe nature and hiking around the Bay Area. Yet, I'm still amazed when I discover a new area like the redwood-lined woods along the Whitehouse Ridge Trail. This trail is hidden away off the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, a place I find myself weekly. However, I only recently discovered this trailhead down Whitehouse Canyon Road. You'll have to be vigilant to notice the street because it's unmarked off of the PCH 1, but about 2.3 miles up a very uneven dirt road you'll come to a little parking area right before a private residence area. The Whitehouse Ridge trail is 1.2 miles but moderately strenuous in my opinion (maybe a little less depending on your fitness level) but is worth it for the totally amazing views of Franklin Point, Pigeon Point lighthouse, and Año Nuevo Point. You can choose the lower vista for a short hike or go up to the higher vista point for better views and further exploration amongst the redwoods. This area skirts Big Basin State Park and continues onto Chalk Mountain to eventually connect with the West Ridge Trail. To do the whole thing from Whitehouse Ridge to West Ridge would take all day so do some exploring before you attempt it all because it would not be a walk in the park (heh). This is one of my favorite hikes in Northern California. If you're looking for a moderate hike in a shaded area try this. Here's a link to a Google maps with markers to aid you: https://goo.gl/zx0e2b

I've only hiked about 16 miles of this trail, but my oh my is it absolutely breathtaking! This is…read moretruly a hiker's and backpacker's dream trail. I've hiked about 8 miles of this trail through Castle Rock State Park and another 8 miles through Big Basin Redwoods State Park. I hiked this trail with a friend last year up to Berry Creek Falls and it was absolutely stunning! The actual trail itself is almost 30 miles long and stretches from the Santa Cruz Mountains all the way to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The trail begins at the Saratoga Gap which is a ridge within the Santa Cruz Mountains. It makes its' way up the coast past the Pacific Ocean, then through the beautiful mountains of Castle Rock State Park, and finally through the amazing Redwoods within Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This trail has such an amazing variation of different terrains. From your typical coastal ridge paths, to hilly and mountainous inclines, to flat and paved excursions through the Redwoods; this trail seems to simply have it all. I'd have to say that my favorite section of this trail was definitely being able to hike through the Redwoods. Big Basin is California's oldest park and you'll get to see the most amazing old growth Redwood trees. I've always been fascinated by Redwoods, so exploring them while on this trail was so much fun. Aside from the Redwoods, the stretch of this trail through Big Basin is extremely green and filled with a plethora of different plant species and vibrant flowers. And of course, there's Berry Creek Falls which is pretty much the icing on the cake. This waterfall is beautiful and worth the extra miles to get there. I can't forget to mention the incredible rock formations that you'll see while hiking the section that goes through Castle Rock State Park. These views are equally mesmerizing. It's definitely a great workout as much of the trail ascends and descends through the mountains. Lots of water is must and I would recommend bug spray (at least for the portion that runs through Big Basin). I would love to hike the rest of this trail at some point and hopefully make it down to the beach one day. Either way, any hike along this trail will be enjoyable whether it's 5 miles or 30. Would highly recommend this hike if you're planning on visiting Big Basin Redwoods, Castle Rock, Sanborn County Park, or Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve.

What a fantastic trail! 30+ miles over 3 days starting at Castle Rock campground to Waddell Beach…read more(stopping at Waterman Campground and Jay Campground at the Big Basin HQ). Almost all shaded by the trees (lots of redwoods!) and fantastic scenery the entire time, will well marked trails. You pretty much can't get lost at all. If you do, you deserve to get lost! Also all these campsites have piped drinking water and pit toilets so you probably don't need to bring your water pump. You'll need to make these reservations quite early too since they're pretty limited. State park # is (831) 338-8861 to make the reservations. NIGHT 0: Castle Rock Campground. We ended up not actually staying here because we thought (and there wasn't anything that indicated otherwise) that the campground was right at the trailhead. Instead it's 2.7 miles in. Thus as we had prepared for car camping the first night and were meeting others the next morning at the trailhead, we decided to find another campground elsewhere that was next to the road. Parking at Castle Rock trailhead gets crazy packed on the weekends so come early! The parking lot also closes at sunset so you'll need to make sure your car is in before then. DAY 1: This will be the most "complicated" path since you have to take a couple different trails. As you hike towards Castle Rock (assuming you didn't stay there the night before), you'll see a bunch of day climbers and boulderers. Gorgeous views above the tree skyline along the way. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skyline-to-the-sea-trail-davenport?select=mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw#yvfjWy3mdAw7PSTrD67dWw After you past Castle Rock, take the Travertine Springs Trail for ~2 miles which will connect to the Saratoga toll road trail for another mile until you hit an uphill dirt road on your right. It's 0.4 miles going up a couple hundred feet so not too bad. This will take you to the Skyline to the Sea trail (finally!) in which you'll take this for another ~2.6 miles to Waterman camp. You'll hug Highway 9 pretty closely so you'll see a couple abandoned cars that fell off the road. This one more recent. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skyline-to-the-sea-trail-davenport?select=mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw#QekFu-9mgaN6xt7NUH5KsA. And this one from a while ago! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skyline-to-the-sea-trail-davenport?select=mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw#UnpOYfPqPlJ-impxBrz65A NIGHT 1: Waterman Gap Campground Your instinct may be to tucker down at the sites right around the pit toilet. My advice is to walk a little further towards the back to sites 5 and 6. It's a a bit extra of a hike but totally worth it since you get your privacy. Campsite isn't too far from Highway 9 too so you may hear some speedracers zooming by at night like we did. This is also the first (and only) area where you do get cell phone reception. DAY 2: You pretty much stay on Skyline to the Sea trail the entire way from here now. Your goal now is to get to the Jay Campground at Big Bason HQ. You still hug the road sometimes and even cross it a couple times. Again gorgeous views along here. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skyline-to-the-sea-trail-davenport?select=mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw#WIfT7_JSDYc7zXVP0uHMWA NIGHT 2: Jay Campground You're at the park HQ so good time to stock up on stuff or get a bit of real food if you're tired of your freeze dried! THEY DO HAVE BEER THOUGH. And showers too (1 quarter = 2 min), The camp shop does not carry propane for Jet Boilers in case you run out like we did. However you can ask them to use their hot water though to heat up your freeze dried foods. DAY 3: You're almost there! A slight change in scenery here. No more hugging highways and more bridge crossing and waterfalls. Oh and way more banana slugs. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skyline-to-the-sea-trail-davenport?select=mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw#mjXU08P2ueRqY-WvlfHxSw I swear, the last ~3 miles felt like FOREVER. The trail opens wider and the trees start thinning in front of you which makes you constantly feel like you're almost there. Then you immediately smell the salty ocean breeze and which iswhen you know you're at the end!

Had an amazing hike on Trail. I was eagerly looking for a place to see the redwoods and it was…read moremore than I expected. I love hiking on the trails there in the redwoods in the shade. I loved going off the trail where you can go high and then see all of the redwoods together. I was looking for a place that I could hike and walk on a trail in the redwoods and that was what I got. I went on a 4 1/2 hour hike and loved every minute. The didn't ask me to write a review. I got asked by

We drove to the Purisima Creek Road Parking Area, arriving at 9:50 on Friday as the 5th car in the…read more7 spaces lot. Toilet at trailhead; out of TP by afternoon so BYOpaper just in case. Walking next to the creek was easy and tranquil. Looped up Craig Britton Trail for vista views. Had a trail lunch at a u turn. Later at Harkins Ridge Trail, we were treated to see and hear a beautiful bird pecking on a tree trunk. I think the best part of hiking this trail is the lack of people; we had the forest to ourselves. We finished this 7.4 miles loop in 4 hrs, including a lunch stop.