New Perspectives

Start 2015 with a fresh point of view. From bluff strolling bliss to a secret mountain ridge ramble—and a tiny urban park in between—here are three ways to gain a new perspective this year.

Week: 01.06.2015
Regions: Northern CA

Bodega Booyah!

Hike Bodega Head at Sunset

Tiny Bodega Head in beautiful Bodega Bay has long lured visitors to its dramatic cliff-above-ocean setting and excellent vantages for spotting migrating gray whales. But visit on a winter day right before sunset and you’ll be treated to fewer crowds and a glorious technicolor dre
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New Year's Resolution: Drink More Wine!

2015 Wine Road Winter Wineland

This New Year let's be realistic and strive for something really fun to do: Drink more wine! Make it happen in one easy step on one wonderful road: The Wine Road’s annual Winter WINEland weekend is coming in hot (January 17–18), so get your tickets now and benefit from an early-b
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Hill Topper

Kite Hill San Francisco

You know that phrase, it's hiding right under your nose? Well, the tallest landmark in San Francisco, Sutro Tower, is a blinking beacon to one of the city's least known urban parks. Twin Peaks! Just kidding. It's tiny Kite Hill, hidden beneath Sutro Tower. This east-facing grassy
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Short Secret

Mount Diablo Secret Trail

Some secrets you keep to yourself; others are worth sharing. It might be no secret that Mount Diablo offers some of the best views in the state, but the trails weaving around it? With so many choices it's hard to know where to begin. This short and sweet hike is just under 3 mile
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

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  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

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  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

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  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

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  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

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  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

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  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

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  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

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