San Quentin Prison of Yesteryear: The most fashionable inmates ever and the tiny town next door

Tumblr/Yeoldenews

One of my favorite tumblr accounts is yeoldenews, and recently they've shared a few posts (and stories) of women inmates in the early 1900s at San Quentin Prison. And they're a must see.

San Francisco Shopping: Foggy Notion

Photo from Yelp

This store's name is very true of its location. In the Inner Richmond neighborhood, the fog is often tumbling outside Foggy Notion's front window. But inside, the small, cozy store is full of great local products, cute totes and purses, jams and honey, coffee mugs and tea, and many other items that make great gifts for friends (or yourself), and they also sell my favorite candle.

Visiting Joshua Tree Part 4: Hikes and Must See Views from Inside the Park

If you look closely you can see a person near the top of Old Woman Rock. Photo: Wikipedia

Today wraps up the last of my four part series about visiting Joshua Tree; and sadly, the weather here is still is pretty dreary. But the forecast for the long weekend says there will be sun, so keeping my fingers crossed that the meteorologists got it right this time.

Joshua Tree National Park is a distinct desert region, a closer look will reveal that it's comprised of two differing desert ecosystems. According to the NPS, Joshua Tree is where the Mojave Desert (the high desert) and the Colorado (the low desert) meet, providing for a cross over of weather and species.

Visiting Joshua Tree Part 3: Places to Eat and Funky Must-See Attractions

Photo:Yelp; the HQ for High Desert Test Sites

Eat, eat, eat: One of my favorite thing about going on vacation is discovering quirky cafes and great dishes. So, I've scoured through a few spots to stop by in the Joshua Tree region. Also, I suggest if you're driving in from the L.A. area, to stop by Hadley Fruit Orchard and get a date shake. You won't be disappointed.

Visiting Joshua Tree Part 2: Where to Shop

Photo: Imgur/Reddit

If you missed part one, you can check out the post on where to stay in Joshua Tree, over here.

If you already know where you're staying, here are some things to do after you've checked in:

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park, Part 1: Where to Stay

Photo: Jessie Eastland

I'm not sure if it's the dreary weather we're having in San Francisco, or the feeling that summer is just out of reach, but I've been daydreaming of the desert. Joshua Tree National Park to be exact. So my next few posts are going to be dedicated to everything desert.

First off, if going to Joshua Tree, I suggest you camp or -- if camping just isn't your thing -- Airbnb at a location where you feel immersed in the surroundings.

Bodega Bay: The Perfect Getaway for the Birds (Or You)

One of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies is the Birds -- it's campy, creepy and classic all at the same time, and I will definitely be writing about it in-depth on this blog at a later time. But today it's all about one of the towns it takes place in: Bodega Bay.

Located 66 miles north of San Francisco, I highly suggest if you're driving from the City to take HWY-1 to get there. Yes, it takes longer, but it's so scenic you won't care!

A San Francisco Hike: Batteries to Bluffs Trail

A photo I took on our last walk along the B to B trail.

My favorite part of living in San Francisco is actually escaping the concrete jungle -- and hiking through the Presidio.

Busy but not forgotten

Sorry I've been m.i.a. this week, been very busy, but more posts are in the works!

When Art Pops Up on a San Francisco Street

(Photo: imgur)

I love street art, especially when it's out of the box like Set in the Street, a project from a New York artist (and San Francisco native). Check out this piece I wrote about a photo set that grew out of nothing on a San Francisco street.

Happy New Year! A Look (Way) Back...

New years eve at the Palace Hotel (Image: SFPL)

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, I've done so in the past, and by mid-January they were already becoming a distant memory. But I do enjoy the idea of a clean slate, a new year -- nothing written, new memories on the horizon. And it's always interesting to think back about past celebrations, ringing in the years that have now become part of history. For today I'm sharing some photos from the San Francisco Public Library of New Year's Eve 1934 in SF.

Feels Like Winter (Well, a California Winter)

Okay, it's not this cold (Image: bestphotos.us)

There will never be a winter in the Bay Area as cold as the ones I remember in Wisconsin. I still have a very clear memory of dropping a box of crayons in the driveway and them shattering -- because it was THAT cold! This morning one sign read 42 degrees, which may not seem very cold to many, but the wind was howling, which means it had to feel like it was in the 30s.

So, wherever you are in the U.S., stay warm; and here's what I keep in my mug on chilly days.

Foggy Musing: When Fog Envelops the Coast

(Point Reyes Lighthouse. Photo: Library of Congress)

There's something about the way California coastal fog envelops the landscape -- the cypress trees, the waves, the hillsides -- that makes it feels as though I've been transported to somewhere new. And when it recedes, pulling back like blanket, it reveals that I've been in the same place all along.

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."*

Yosemite (Photo: Wikipedia)

John Muir
April 12, 1838-December 24, 1914
Environmentalist, writer, and savior of Yosemite

Muir, 1907 (Photo: Wikipedia)

"John Muir will never be fully appreciated by those whose minds are filled with money getting and the sordid things of modern every-day life. To such Muir is an enigma — a fanatic — visionary and impractical. There is nothing in common to arouse sympathetic interest. That anyone should spend his whole life in ascertaining the fundamental truths of nature and glory in their discovery with a joy that would put to shame even the religious zealot is to many utterly incomprehensible. That a man should brave the storms and thread the pathless wilderness, exult in the earthquake's violence, rejoice in the icy blasts of the northern glaciers, and that he should do all this alone and unarmed, year in and year out, is a marvel that but few can understand. These solitary explorations were quite in contrast with the usual heavily equipped expeditions which undertake such work. John Muir loved and gloried in this sort of life and approached it with an enthusiasm and power of will that made hardships and those things which most human beings consider essentials, mere trifles by comparison. He was willing to subordinate everything in life to this work which he had set out to do supremely well, and it is little wonder that he attained his goal."

Don't Go Off the Beaten Trail: Hiking Guides for California

(Photo: Library of Congress. Glacier Point in Yosemite, 1902)

If you got Wild fever this year when Cheryl Strayed's book became a feature film, and want to head out into the wilderness, you may find the Pacific Crest Trail (which starts at Campo, California and ends at the Canadian border -- a solid 2,663 miles) more than a bit grueling. Below are four great sites for hiking options across the state of differing lengths (from an hour to days long) and altitudes (beach side to mountain peaks), and some tips on what you'll need to bring.

California Girl: Chloe Kim Shreds Harder Than You

(Chloe Kim. Photo: Facebook)

Outside Magazine is comparing snowboarder Chloe Kim with Shaun White -- and she's only 14. She's had an impressive career for someone who can't even get a learner's permit -- last year she was named Overall World Snowboard Tour Champion, and is currently sponsored by Burton. Next up is the Winter X Games at Aspen (January 22-25).

Here's a clip of her silver-medal winning run from last year's games:

The Coolest Bar Cart This Side of the Street: Decanter Sets

(Reclamation Etchworks)

I've seen these spirit-bottle sets at a few boutiques and gift fairs this fall, and they're at the top of my Christmas wishlist. Born from a surplus of decanter bottles, and access to a laser engraver, the San Francisco company Reclamation Etchworks grew into a viable business after a successful Kickstarter campaign. And all bar cart lovers rejoiced (or at least I did).

No one will know I bought the cheap vodka.

The bottles can be purchased through the Reclamation Etchworks site. 

We'll see you back here on Monday!

At Least I Made It Out Alive: A Lesson I Learned from Adventure Writer Tim Cahill

(The Western Sierras; photo: Wikipedia)

I didn't plan on writing two reading-themed posts back-to-back, but life happens -- and a writer I admire, Tim Cahill (founding editor of Outside Magazine), faced death earlier this month, and his terrifying story was shared on the Outside Magazine site two days ago. After reading the white-knuckle piece, I thought back on the time I had the opportunity to meet him and learn a few lessons about adventure writing.

What We're Reading: The California Sunday Magazine

This news-oriented publication, The California Sunday Magazine, was born from a pop-up stage performance and debuted earlier this year. An inconspicuous start to what's becoming one of my favorite new journalism sites.

The long-form pieces they're producing are thought provoking (I'm still thinking about this one), and all the stories center around California (and other western states), Latin America and Asia. If you're looking to add a few news-feature pieces to your must read list, head to their site and check out the latest stories. The next one on my list is "Their Town," a story about the fundamentalist community on the border of Arizona and Utah.

Acre Coffee: Caffeine (and Design) Fix

(Photo: Yelp)

Acre Coffee, based in Petaluma, makes a good cup of joe. All their coffee is French pressed, and while I usually grab a cup while flying through their San Francisco Civic Center location, when I'm in Petaluma, I slow down and nurse a cup at one of their tables as long as I can.

(Photo: Yelp)

The walls feature a rotation of art from local artists, changing with the months -- landscape photos that show the peace of the desert at dawn, delicate collages of strong waves. The seating is reminiscent of a time where schools were in large one-room houses, and features (the ever popular) communal table, alongside desk-sized spaces.