It's a Pittie-full Life
  • Home
  • Travels with Tucker
  • Is it Tucker-Tough?
  • Precious Cargo
  • Renovating Rover
  • Tucker's Favorite Folks

Travels with Tucker

I'm not John Steinbeck and Tucker is certainly no Charley. But after our first year together travelling over 14,000 miles, criss-crossing America, hitting 17 states, I thought it was about time we started documenting our adventures.

All Trails Lead Us Home... Again

11/23/2019

0 Comments

 
The first time I visited San Francisco was 1999 on my first “long way around” the country from Massachusetts to Los Angeles to spend my last semester of college. I stayed with a friend for a few days and instantly fell in love with the city. Over the years, I applied for jobs there, but I never got in the running for Pixar.

Then in 2011, my luck changed. Twelve years after vowing to eventually live in the Bay area and not just be a visitor, I got my first distant gig here—living in the redwoods on Skyline Blvd, and working in San Mateo and Half Moon Bay. I didn’t need to be in the city itself. I discovered that living on the peninsula was better for me; I was in the woods, but only a short drive to civilization.
Picture
It was during that job that I envisioned what I truly needed in a house: sliding doors in every room to a lush, green backyard; lots of trees, and the sense of the outdoors inside. This job provided the inspiration and the money to pay for such a house. To my surprise, it wasn’t in Northern California but in Burbank, California. That was okay, because I would bring the Bay back to Burbank, create a home here, and then continue to live in the Bay as often as possible.

I have been blessed to return often, not just for visits with friends but for jobs. I am so lucky to be spending my fourth winter in the Bay area, my third with my canine partner along side me. We’re living in the city proper this year, but have found an eclectic place with enough character to make us feel like when we step outside, we will be in a redwood forest.

It seems we have done almost all the trails around here, and yet I know that can’t be true. While there are a few tried and true places to return to, I still seek to find new places.

One such place is McNee Ranch. Half way between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, just south of Pacifica is an open space east of the highway, overlooking Montara Beach.

Due to lack of parking at the trailhead, I parked at Montara Beach, and Tucker and I made the harrowing race across Highway 1. I felt as if I was playing Frogger and hoping I did better in real life than I did at the video game.

The beginning portion felt a little Los Angeles with its dusty trail and low sagebrush along the sides. Up the hill we went toward a blue sky.
Picture
​The difference between this and Southern California is what’s at the top of the hill. Rather than a view of downtown Los Angeles, we found this:
Picture
There is just something about the brown cliffs, the green hills, the blue sky and the ocean that reaches into my chest and grabs a hold of my heart.

​We stood a spell, not only to enjoy the view but to catch my breath before ascending further up the trail. We went eastward, up the hills, where no houses stood. When I paused and turned around, I saw the echo of Southern California’s Wisdom Tree.

While the Los Angeles tree sits atop a Hollywood Hill as the only survivor of a wildfire some decades ago, here stands this tree, seemingly the only survivor of some ancient storm, now holding sentinel over the ocean.
Picture
Further up the hills, we spotted some signs of humanity—a town to the south.
Picture
​But looking north, there was only the wilds.
Picture
We continued up the dusty trail for more solitude and soon silence out-sang the ocean’s waves.
Picture
There was no end to this trail-only my desire to make it back to to the truck before nighttime and the entrance to the loop trail we had passed on the way up. And so we turned back to the setting sun, and descended.

Along the way, we found and followed a short trail to find a bench.
Picture
​We sat a moment to watch the sun over the ocean, and then took the trail that would lead us into the forest and back out to the sea.
Picture
Beneath the canopy of trees, the sun’s light faded faster. But there were still moments that we could reach out and touch the rays before they dipped beneath the horizon.
Picture
​We finished our walk in the woods, and came back out to twilight. The ocean blushed a shade of purple, and the cliffs reflected the setting sun’s golden rays. Here on the edge of the bluff, we looked out over the beach, grateful for the trails we've taken, and blessed to find that throughout the years, they lead us here time and time again.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    January 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014

    Posts

    All
    2016.01.03 Home For The Holidays
    2016.01.04 A Hike On Another Planet
    2016.03.25 Equality Is For Everyone
    2016.03.27 Our Easter Weekend Services
    2016.04.15 Just Des(s)erts
    2016.05.29 Max Patch
    2016.05.29 Rising To The Peak
    2016.05.29 Spring Adventures
    2016.06.11 The Best Of The Unexpected
    2016.06.25 The Ghostly Tale Of Greybeard Trail
    2016.07.03 Escape...to Storyteller Rock
    2016.07.05 A Salute To Asheville From Chimney Rock
    2016.08.15 Up
    2016.10.01 Since You've Been Gone
    2016.12.09 How We Spent Our Summer Vacation
    2016.12.10 Let The Sun Shine In
    2016.12.11 Eyes To The Skies
    2016.12.11 Where The Rainy Day Takes You
    2016.12.18 Waiting For Whistler
    2016.12.31 Only In Canada
    2017.01.10 Christmas On The Coast
    2017.01.11 Christmas On The Coast
    2017.04.22 Out Of The Desert And Into The Land Of Enchantment
    2017.05.05 Someplace To Be; Not Somewhere To Go
    2017.05.20 New Canada
    2017.05.28 Rise To The Challenge
    2017.06.18 Exploring The 'Hood
    2017.06.24 Bishop's Lodge: Anything But Heavenly
    2017.07.01 Finding Your Church
    2017.07.08 Mother Nature's Springs
    2017.07.22 Beside Every Great Woman
    2017.10.15 Finding (Water)Fall(s)
    2017.10.28 This Is 40... Part I
    2017.10.29 This Is 40... Part II
    2017.11.18 Battle Amidst Beauty
    2017.11.25 To The Looking Glass
    2018.02.25 Where The Dog Takes You
    2018.03.31 After The Rains
    2018.04.14 Truly Home Again
    2018.06.02 Just A Walk On The Beach
    2018.07.21 Ready? On Set!
    2018.08.04 Return To The Redwoods
    2018.08.11 Return To The Redwoods
    2018.10.27 The Forty-First
    2018.12.15 The End Of The Tour
    2018.12.30 Santa Cruz
    2019.01.05 Chasing Mavericks
    2019.01.20 Finding Your Soulspace
    2019.02.09 Muir Magic
    2019.02.23 The Point Of Point Reyes
    2019.02.25 From Muir To Mori
    2019.03.02 Our Own Monterey
    2019.03.09 An Irish Escape
    2019.03.16 Hidden Vistas
    2019.04.06 Our Life: The Carnival
    2019.04.20 One Man's Trash Is Another Dog's Art
    2019.05.04 Black Rock And Blue Skies
    2019.06.08 Water
    2019.06.15 In Conversation... With Nature
    2019.06.29 Go Tell It On The Mountain
    2019.07.06 Not So Yosemite
    2019.07.07 Magic Chimneys
    2019.07.20 The Long Way Around
    2019.11.23 All Trails Lead Here
    2019.11.30 Seeking Solitude In All Directions
    2019.12.14 Forest Friends And Soul-Places
    2019.12.21 The San Franciscan Canine
    2019.12.26 An Unexpected Christmas
    2020.01.11 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part I
    2020.01.12 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part II
    2020.01.12 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part III
    2020.01.19 From The Beach To The Bay... Almost
    2020.03.01 Livin' La Vida Local (SF Style)
    2020.03.20 A Place In Which To Shelter
    2020.03.23 Socially Distant
    2020.03.26 Shelter Of Majestic Beauty
    2020.03.28 Follow Your Heart
    2020.04.04 South For The Spring
    2020.04.21 Finding The Way Back
    2020.05.11 First Rate Second Choice
    2020.05.30 Trails Worth Taking
    2020.07.15 A Reflection Of The Bay
    2020.07.22 A Quarter Of The Way To Half Moon Bay
    2020.10.10 Mountain Air
    2020.11.21 The Great Donut Drive
    2020.11.26 Holiday Special
    2020.12.21 The Great Conjunction
    2020.12.25 The Magic In Every Day
    2020.12.31 Some Other Beginning's End
    2021.09.12 The Oregon Trail
    2021.09.18 Reaching The Summit
    2021.09.26 In Light Of Grey Skies
    2021.10.03 Adventures Need Not Be Far
    20211010-from-the-sea-to-the-mountain
    2021.10.10 From The Sea To The Mountains
    2021.10.16 One Beaut Of A Butte
    2021.10.23 Birthday Falls
    2021.10.31 Where Angels Rest
    2021.11.07 Where Falcons Soar
    2021.11.14 To The End Of The Road... Or Island
    2021.11.20 Reflections
    2021.11.28 Giving Thanks To Mother Nature
    2021.12.05 The Journey Of The Falls
    2021.12.18 Right Here
    2021.12.26 The Magic Of Any Day
    2022.01.03 Taking Our Leave... Maybe
    2022.01.04 Beaches And Bluffs To The Redwood Forest
    2022.01.06 The City By The Bay... And Beyond
    2022.02.28 Chasing Waterfalls Again
    2022.04.06 The Beauty Along The Way
    2022.04.07 The Endless Coast
    2022.04.18 Eostre's Art
    2022.06.06 Near
    2022.06.14 Climbing A Mountain To Reach The Sea
    2022.07.11 Go South To Be North
    2022.07.18 Discovering Terranea
    2022.07.25 The Tee Off Trail
    2022.07.31 Farewell To The Westside
    2022.09.25 Fleeing The Heat For Fall
    2022.10.27 Return To The Redwoods
    2022.10.28 Commit To Adventure
    2022.10.29 Unexpected Turns
    2022.10.31 The Day After
    2022.12.26 The Mountain Temple
    2023.01.03 Back To The Bay
    And Away
    And The Day After...
    But Not Far Away
    Comes The (Water)Fall
    Everywhere
    Maximum Wind Speed
    Nose To The Wind
    Not Out There
    Not The Map
    Part I
    Part II
    Santa Clause
    Santa Paws
    The Look Of Discrimination
    The South's Answer To The Southwest
    Tucker Wescott: Interior Designer
    Up
    Water
    Yet Far

    RSS Feed

About    Contact   
c 2014 August Nights Press