Walkabout California

The benefits of a carbon-free vacation 3

This is my cousin Tom’s idea of a vacation:

He takes a bus across the Golden Gate Bridge to Rodeo Beach. He’s wearing hiking boots, jeans, and a windbreaker. He carries a small backpack, volume of John Muir inside. And a sandwich. He hikes up the Coastal trail to Wolf Ridge, bundled against the morning fog, then down to Tennessee beach. Seagulls caw and whirl. Sandwich, book, nap on the beach to the sound of crashing waves on California’s north coast. Stretches, shakes the sand out of his hair, hikes over the ridge to Pirate’s Cove, then down to Muir Beach. Checks into the Pelican Inn. Has a cold Lagunitas Lager and reads a few pages of Muir, soaking in the clawfoot tub. Down to dinner, then a nightcap with locals. Really, Jerry Garcia used to play here? And you filled in on harmonica? Nip of night air and impossible stars before turning in. And that’s just day one. There are three more days until Olema.

A carbon-free vacation sounds pretty good, don’t it? He’s got tips, trail maps, and community here.

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  1. thebarefootbadger Posted 9:17 pm
    11 Feb 2009

    self powered travelCarbon-free (or minimal) vacations sound great!  Touring by bicycle is another great option.  Perhaps "slow travel" will become the next "slow food"?

    Live simply. Live barefoot.

    thebarefootbadger.com

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  2. cheflovesbeer Posted 2:49 am
    12 Feb 2009

    Carbon Free!It is funny to see backpacking labeled as carbon free. I shall now refer to my backpacking habit as carbon free!
    On my longest carbon free vacation, I walked from the California/Mexico border to the Washington/Canada border, on the Pacific Crest Trail.

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  3. EmilyAnjuli Posted 8:36 am
    20 Feb 2009

    Inn to Inn Hiking - I love slow travel!This definitely qualifies as low impact travel. My partner and I took this trip in March. We agreed it was one of the best vacations we've been on. We hiked from our apartment in San Francisco, across the Golden Gate bridge and into the Marin Headlands. We stayed at the MH hostel and then hiked to Muir Beach where we stayed at the Green Gulch Zen Center. From there we hiked to Stinson Beach. Don't miss the Muir Beach overlook! I can't count the number of times I've driven past that sign, but on foot it's easier to appreciate the gems in the journey. We caught the bus in Stinson to within three blocks of our apartment. We loved this trip so much that we hiked from inn to inn down the Point Reyes peninsula for our honeymoon. What a great way to travel!

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