We hate to go full Grinch here, but this time of year — OK, sure, mulled wine, holiday lights, kids freaking out … it’s not all terrible.
It is, however, mostly terrible, if you like spending your time away from the office as far from the office as possible: ideally in a redwood grove overlooking the ocean. (And we can do that because, like all residents of northern California, we’re #blessed.)
Compared to June, though, we’re getting by on five fewer hours of sunshine per day.
And you know what? Those are the hours when we’d actually be outside, rather than behind a screen.
That’s why this month’s Gear Trails offers maximum nature (and killer views) with minimal effort: You don’t even have to leave the city to do it.
Marshall’s Beach. Maybe you’ve been. We’ve found, though, that it’s one of those Bay Area spots that’s easy to reach but often overlooked.
(Unless you’re a nudist, in which case it is definitely on your radar. As the Presidio’s own website puts it: “Rumor has it, some dare to go bare.“)
Getting there is easy. Get an Uber/bus/your own car. Go to Baker Beach. Take the steps up to the Batteries to Bluffs Trail — you’ll see the Marshall’s Beach spur on your left, heading down to the water’s edge.
This isn’t a high-mileage hike. But leave the striving ’til 2017. It’ll be here soon enough.
The gear we recommend:
This is, no joke, one of the best vistas in the entire city, which is saying something. We suggest remembering it with the help of Leica’s new instant film camera, the Sofort.
It’s good-looking. Bring it along and you’ll have proof of your photo skills in hand on the trip home.
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