House Mountain - First Hike in Tennessee

Move in date - November 30th; first hike date - December 4th. No time to waste!

This hike was an interesting one. It's been a while since I have hiked in the winter (well, technically not winter yet) among bare trees. House Mountain trail was a 4 mile trail with some elevation gain, and in my perception was going to be an easy one. 

Somehow it was not. Maybe it is my lack of regular hiking practice or possibly I was exhausted from the move, but going uphill was pretty strenuous. The surface was covered with fallen leaves making the ground somewhat slippery. My hiking shoes were up to the challenge sturdily gripping the moist soil under my feet. The rocks were a bit more difficult, but with careful foot positioning, I got to the top of the mountain. The view was rather nice.

The way down was a bit more tough as now slippery leaves were hiding rocks and roots underneath them. There is something about the sound of fallen leaves that made me feel peaceful in this serene place with few people around me. Quiet, very quiet... 

Stavrand & Sea to Sky to Raptor Ridge Loop

I had an amazing opportunity to visit The Stavrand, a getaway from the hustle and bustle as part of Yelp giveaways. A night at a hotel plus a dinner was exactly what I needed the week before my move. I arrived at The Stavrand just past their check in time of 3 pm and found someone to check me in. There was still some construction wrapping up as they just renovated the building I was going to stay in.

Main square

I got the keys, and an amazing staff member walked me to my room on the second floor of the Armstrong building. The service was superior! I walked in the room and saw what I have been hoping to find - a jetted tub!

The room was very light and spacious. Neutral color scheme, fresh smell...

Not complimentary, but nice to have nevertheless

A comfortable king size bed with a memory foam mattress

Entryway

Jetted bathtub - one of the few bathtubs I used in a hotel because it was very clean

Bathroom set up

The soundproofing of the room was not the best one, but the fan of the heating pleasantly masked any noise from the outside. There was also a gas fireplace and a nice balcony, but somehow I took pictures of the toilet, not the fireplace...

I walked outside to their garden and later uphill to see the view.

Pathway to the garden

The changing colors of leaves looked amazing!

Pathway to the top of the property

The view at the top

The property itself is rather small, but the town is only 10 minutes away. Dinner was not scheduled until 7.30 PM, so I decided to take a bath. It was incredible, although I must admit I poured way too much soap in the water.

After 20 minutes in the tub, nice and relaxed, I watched Harry Potter on their large TV. It's been a while since I watched TV in such great quality!

I heard some conversations outside, and knowing that most guests would be Yelpers like me, I headed out. I first went back to the top of the property to see what it looked like in the darkness. It was really neat seeing the moon today.

I went back to the building, and the staff member was generously pouring wine. I could not say no. I chatted with a group of people by the gas firepit.

Just before dinner, I went upstairs to freshen up and saw that the night service was done! It's been a while since I stayed in a hotel with a "tuck-in" service.

I headed to dinner where the group of us joined together for dinner. It was such a great group of people, from different backgrounds but yet united for the same reason. We had an amazing time together eating delicious food.

Vegetarian bucatini

One of the best desserts I've had! Miso caramel sauce was a strange combination of sweet and salty.

The dining hall itself was a piece of art. Cozy with multiple fireplaces, beautiful chandeliers and spacious seating.

Food was paired with wine, so by 10 PM I was ready to go to sleep! I glanced one more time at the moon and went to bed.

In the morning, I had a delicious breakfast and drove to hike Sea to Sky trail. I wanted to do another hike next to the ocean before my quick departure out of state.

The fog was almost completely gone, and the views were incredible!

The loop unfortunately was closed, but I was at least able to do the in and out. It was beautiful!

Mount Burdell Open Space via Novato Blvd

Today I just wanted to hike in the greenery. This was my goal, so after so much rain I headed to Marin County again. Mount Burdell Open Space via Novato Blvd trail had very few reviews on Alltrails, but after looking at posted pictures, I decided this was exactly what I was looking for.

I arrived at the parking lot for the dog park right on Novato Blvd (hence, it is in the title) and walked to the trailhead next to the residential district about a quarter a mile away. There is no parking there, so I guess this is the best spot to park if you are hiking the trail. 

This early in the morning, there was not a soul, just fog. It was pretty dense, almost disorienting. 

Resilience of nature - burnt grass giving space to brand new green grass

Spider webs all over the grass with fog exposing them with tiny little droplets

As I continued the hike uphill, the sky started to show through dense fog. While the fog often prevents from seeing the views on hikes like this one, it also exposes something mysterious, the light that is invisible in normal circumstances.

Visibly lone tree

The light can fool you so easily that you might even picture a rainbow above. Who knows what's real...

The trail continued uphill and became pretty steep in some parts. Such a great cardio workout! The view was worth it. While there was no single "top of the mountain" on this trail, the fog beneath the elevation I was at was really beautiful.

I really enjoyed this hike, especially with all green colors surrounding me!

Sumêg State Park Exploration Loop (aka Patrick's Point) & James Irvine Trail (incomplete)

When I hiked this trail, the name of it was different than that in the title. Instead of Sumêg State Park Exploration Loop it was Patrick's Point Exploration Loop. As I found out later, on September 30th the park officials renamed the park. "This is the first park name change as part of the state’s Reexamining Our Past Initiative and is a momentous step to heal relationships with Native Americans in working together in recognition and honor of indigenous cultural and linguistic relationships." said Director of California State Parks in an announcement posted on the official website.

There are multiple trails within the park, but I chose this one as it goes along the perimeter. Unfortunately, the fog was overwhelmingly thick, and I did not get a chance to see the water. It did add to the mysterious feel of the forest!

But let me begin with the breakfast and this amazing crepe that I had at Renata's Creperie. This was by far the best breakfast I have had in a while!

Now onto the trail... The start was so foggy that you could barely see a few feet ahead.

I hoped that the fog would burn off, but the density of it was too significant for the sun to manage it this morning. As I got to Ceremonial Rock, I was able to see some blueness in the sky and captured this:

Believe it or not, this picture is not edited at all, and here is the proof:

There were a few other spots that were particularly fascinating.

Foggy chipmunk

I left the park and continued driving north to get to James Irvine Trail. I didn't have much time since I had to drive back home that day (Kitty situation), but I wanted to see the redwoods. The forest did not disappoint! The whole trail is about 10 miles round trip, but even if you walk just a few miles, you get the pleasure of being among the giants that are hundreds of years old.

Mushrooms

I would like to come back to do the trail fully, but not sure when this is going to happen before I move. In the meantime, I had a great experience hiking in this area! Such a treat!