Mi Piace Kate by Kate Koeppel

My mom’s visit to SF coincided with some very nice weather, so we took advantage of the sun  over the course of several days with a few adventures in the Marin Headlands and Healdsburg for wine tasting and a picnic. We’ve passed the Headlands dozens of times on our way to other destinations, but we’d never stopped until now. Holy crap, it is insanely beautiful over there. We hiked for a bit over the beach, then drove around on some of the winding one-way roads to catch different views of the bridge and the skyline across the water.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, there are very few days of warm weather in the fall, and nearly every outdoor adventure requires a waterproof jacket or at least some warm layers. This is the weather that makes me ache when I think of someday leaving San Francisco and returning to Seattle. We are heading into our fourth winter here in the city, two winters more than we’d ever planned for. When we first moved to SF, we were certain we’d stay for two years and return home, but that plan was extended, and extended, and now we’ve all but stopped talking about a return date. The possibility remains of course, but its hard to discuss when we think of the months of gray and darkness that are waiting for us in Seattle. Many wonderful things are waiting for us as well, like our families, friends, good food, beautiful scenery, places we love… but we’ve come to find most of those things here in San Francisco as well.

Tags: autumn, Bay Area, house guests, Travel