McNee Ranch State Park

Hiking. One of the things that strengthened my appreciation for living in the Bay Area was its close proximity to beaches, mountains, whatever you would want for a quick day trip activity outside of the city. Last weekend, Z and I drove about 15 minutes down the coast towards Pacifica on Highway 1 to try out a new dog-friendly hiking trail. McNee Ranch State Park is a beautiful, scenic, and easy hike if you take the Gray Whale Cove Trail north from the trail-head to the incredibly scenic rest bench facing west. This short hike is a wonderful choice when you just need a break from the world. The trail information recommended bringing binoculars in the winter for whale watching. The Gray Whale Cove Trail hugged the coast-line with sweeping views of the ocean and beach down below. Its small dirt path was flanked by the beautiful California wildflowers, blackberry bushes, shrubs, ferns, and succulents. I really wished I had a pocket-sized botanical guide with me, so that I could learn to identify more of the plant life in the area. I highly recommend checking out this hike if you're ever in the area. Z and I are going to try at least one new hiking trail each month and this guide for dog-friendly hikes is an awesome jumping point. Now, for the never-ending picture filled post:

Tiny Boxes On A Hill

During my walks with Finnegan in the afternoon, I try not to only capture him in playful poses for his pugstagram, but of the pretty houses that I see. One of the things that I love about San Francisco are that the blocks of houses are not the cookie-cutter identical homes that sprawl through-out suburbia, but instead are various colors in pastel shades reminiscent of Easter eggs. Each home tries to make itself different from its neighbor, which is great if you're trying to give your friends/family directions about which building you live in. I find myself day-dreaming about owning one of these homes and arranging how I would decorate the inside. Sigh! A girl can dream! Below are some photos of houses that Finnegan and I have walked passed during our pre-dinner walk. Don't forget to follow me or Finnegan on Instagram. Enjoy!