One thing that I love about exploring California and all of the places I travel to is finding hidden gems. Sure, I like to see what all of the fuss is about at touristy spots too, but there's something special about experiencing a place that feels like a little treasure, an area unknown to most, a secret spot. A few weekends ago, I went on my most recent San Diego hidden gem adventure. Nestled in the multi-million dollar mansions of La Jolla lies the Ho Chi Minh trail. The hike leads down to Black's Beach - a secluded spot that partly attracts local surfers, and partly attracts people that come for freedom from clothing at the nude beach. Over the bunch of years that I've lived in California, I've hiked most of the San Diego area trails, but I only heard of Ho Chi Minh very ... [Read More]
Southern California hikes
My 7 Favorite Hikes in San Diego County
Since I moved to California 7 1/2 years ago (cannot believe it's been that long!), I've become an avid hiker. Hitting the trails offers a workout, stress relief, time in nature, and exercise for my dog all at once. I've realized that hiking is also a spiritual experience for me. It leaves me feeling centered, grateful, and connected to the earth. I believe in the interconnectedness of everything in life, and hiking seems to always remind me of that. It's also a lovely chance to practice mindfulness. I can only describe it as losing myself for a few hours to really find myself. Hiking just with my trail buddy, my pup, also gives me time and space to clear my head. There's always so much going on - lots of noise, distractions, and busyness - but on the trails, everything sort ... [Read More]
Hiking Boat Canyon at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
Happy Friday! Any fun plans for the weekend? Speaking of the weekend, today I want to back it up to last weekend and talk about my latest hiking adventure - which took me up to the Laguna Beach area. With my hubby working for the Marine Corps all weekend and no plans on my agenda, I declared last Saturday a hiking day! I invited my cousin Michelle to meet me for an outdoor workout together. She lives in Long Beach, and I live in Northern San Diego County, so we decided to try to meet up somewhere in between us. The Laguna Coast Wilderness Park seemed like a perfect halfway point, with it being 45-60 minutes from each of us. We decided on hiking a trail called Boat Canyon - which is described as a strenuous workout by local hiking websites. I wanted to get a real workout in, and ... [Read More]