By Rachel Levin, senior editor, Sunset magazine

The Ferry Plaza’s Thursday Market itself is back, just in case you haven’t heard. It’s like a scaled-down (and less-crowded) version of Saturday’s weekly local food fest, and—don’t tell anyone—but I  kinda like it better. For actual eating anyway.

 While the Saturday market is great for grazing and grocery shopping… the Thursday market makes a mean hot lunch.

Take your pick from a handful of mobile vendors—from Pizza Politano’s wood-fired pies to the porchetta sandwiches from Roli Roti to Namu’s nori-wrapped Korean “tacos.” Anyone who knows me knows I had an agonizing time trying to decide what to get.

But, ultimately, on this day, Tacolicious won out: They sell 3 tacos for $9 but with the homemade chips and a ridiculously refreshing pluot-hibiscus agua fresca, I held back and only had 2. And they were damn tasty: one beer-braised chicken, one veggie with rancho gordo’s vallarta beans, peppers, and prickly pears. Topped with homemade roasted tomato-mint salsa.Yum.

Enjoyed under a shady tent, on a table draped with a lovely plasic floral cloth. (And, yes, despite the (bearable) lines, there were seats available. Something you won't find on Saturdays either.)

Hey, Tacolicious—I can’t be in the city every Thursday. How about driving your tacos down to Sunset?

 Have you hit the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Thursday market yet? What’s your favorite thing for lunch?

Lassen Volcanic National Park is probably one of the most underrated parks in the state of California.  Within the park lie 30 active volcanoes, hot springs, countless streams and glassy, emerald lakes.  On the final day of a recent camping trip in Lassen, my friends and I decided to venture to the less-visited, northeast side of the park for one last hike.  Our mission: climb the Cinder Cone.  

After a scenic drive down a dirt road, we arrived at Butte Lake where the trailhead to the infamous Cinder Cone begins.  The trail is surrounded by lava rock and ashy sand, remnants of the volcano erupting multiple times over a period of about 300 years.  The Cinder Cone stands like a smooth mound of dark sand with a snake-like path leading up the side.        

The climb to the top is slow and steep, but hikers shuffling down the hill repeatedly ensure you that your efforts will be well worth it.  When I reached the top I felt ashamed for ever having doubted them.  The view from the top is magnificent.  For such a short hike (less than 4 miles round-trip), I couldn't believe how different the landscape is from the rest of the park.   

By Rachel Levin, senior editor, Sunset magazine

One of my favorite places in all of Northern California—heck, in the world— is Point Reyes, a refreshingly undeveloped paradise of a peninsula about an hour-and-a-half north of San Francisco. And one of my favorite times to be there is now. September. How come? The summer fog has lifted. The sun is shining. And there is wildlife All. Over. The. Place.

Want proof? Check out these pics from last weekend:

Tule elk

Where can you seem them? Hiking the Tomales Point trail: a gorgeous, windswept 10-mile out-and-back that follows the Pacific the whole way.

Pelicans

Where can you seem them? Everywhere — usually skimming the surface of Tomales Bay. Or lined-up like schoolchildren along the sand like, they are here. Aw.

Seal lions

Where can you seem them? On Tomales Bay—and the best way to play with them is to rent a kayak from Blue Water Kayaks in Inverness, and paddle around. Cuties.

And more elk

Okay, sorry. It's nature! But, I know. Not as cute as the seals.

Photographs by Matt Krumme

More on Sunset.com: Great fall getaways

by Natalie Jabbar, Sunset editorial intern

If you're visiting Yosemite National Park's Tuolumne Meadows on these crisp fall days, don't cruise through without getting out of the car to explore a bit. Even if you're in a hurry, try to set aside a bit of time for Twin  Bridges. You'd think a spot this idyllic, and just a 10-minute walk from a major road, would be packed with people, but, oddly, it isn't.

When I ventured to Twin Bridges recently, I couldn't help snapping way too many photos (two pictured below), before simply lying down on a flattened rock, basking in the last rays of summer and in the quiet beauty of those mountains.

To get to Twin Bridges, just follow the easy trail from Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, where parking is also  available.

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For more tips on what to do and where to stay in Yosemite, check out Sunset's Yosemite National Park Guide.