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.

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

This weekend, June 20–21, is the first of three admission-free weekends planned for this summer at all the national parks. (Mark your calendars, the others are July 18–19 and August 15–16.) Some of the biggies aren't cheap, so clear your calendar and hop in the car.

Here's me enjoying Zion with the kids earlier this year. Price of admission that day: $25.

by Sunset editorial staff

California is home to 279 sanity-saving state parks, but it’s also home to a $24.3 billion budget deficit. Governor Schwarzenegger recently proposed closing down 220 parks. And the list includes some serious A-list spots: Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, Julia Pfeiffer Burns in Big Sur, Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, Torrey Pines State Beach north of San Diego.

At least one ranger at Butano State Park this past weekend thought it was all bluster. But these days, who knows? It might be smart to make this the summer of the state park and knock a few off your list before the talked-about shutdown date of November. Here, a few suggestions to get you started: 

1. Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Your pick of four waterfalls is the payoff for tackling the roller-coaster trails that fan out under gargantuan old-growth trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Located 65 miles south of San Francisco, Big Basin Redwoods is the oldest state park in California, established in 1902. 831/338-8860.

Photo courtesy of redwoodhikes.com

2. Fort Ross State Historic Park

The perfect place to play "storm the fort," the Russians' southernmost outpost has high walls, corner towers, and, as frosting on the cake, sweeping views of the north coast. Well worth a stop whether you're a history buff or not.

Photo courtesy of inn-california.com

3. Mount Diablo State Park
Because Mt. Diablo rises abruptly from relatively flat land, visitors to Mt. Diablo State Park's eponymous 3,849-foot peak experience unmatched panoramas encompassing Sacramento, the Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, Lassen Peak, Mt. Hamilton, and the Farallon Islands. It's a veritable tour of Northern California, all from one spot. Get oriented with trail maps and dioramas at Mt. Diablo State Park's historic visitor center and museum. Stand on "the rock" (Mt. Diablo's highest point), which juts through a hole in the floor. 925/837-2525.

Photo courtesy of waymarking.com

For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov.

Hiking Half Dome in Yosemite—that's right, the cables are up

By Amy Anderson, Sunset editorial intern

Growing up, my family never took trips to the beach. I’ve yet to visit Hawaii or Mexico, and I’m pale year round. Instead, we were all about the National Parks: road trips to Yellowstone and the Tetons, camping, kayaking, hiking.

But surprisingly, I’d never been to Yosemite. Until last weekend, when my dad (fellow hiker and adventurer extraordinaire) and I left San Francisco on Friday night and woke up Saturday morning in our canvas cabin in Curry Village — surrounded by granite walls and massive trees.

Committed to conquering the hardest possible hike everywhere we go, naturally my dad and I chose to hike Half Dome, 8,800 feet above sea level. Here's the iconic image that Ansel Adams captured in his photographs:

Daunting? I agree.

For a little inspiration, here's our Half Dome experience:

We were on the trail by 6:30 am, along with all the other early bird hikers trying to beat the heat and crowds. Our backpacks were filled with water bottles, Gatorade, and power bars to last us the projected 10-12 hours of the hike.

We took Happy Isles trail to the Mist Trail, excited to see the rushing waterfalls that spring in Yosemite is known for.

Note: the name Mist Trail is quite misleading at this time of the year. It should definitely be renamed Downpour Trail. As we climbed slick stair after steep stair to get to the top of Vernal Fall, it was like we were in the middle of a storm— we came out completely drenched.

I was not pleased.

Nearing the top and practically in tears, I told my dad that I couldn’t do it. We'd only gone a mile-and-a- half, but, already, I was fed up. But Yosemite's climate is tricky—if I turned back, I would have to go right through the downpour again. If I kept going, I would dry off in the sun. So I swore at the waterfall under my breath, wiped off my wet camera, and continued.

By 11:00am, we were at Half Dome, staring up at the cables that would take us to the very top. The last 400 feet are traversed by walking nearly vertically up the rock face, gripping wire cables on either side. There’s nothing to strap you in—you just hold on for dear life and pull your way up.

The cables were just put up for the season the day before we arrived. (Depending on the weather, you can expect them to go up around the third weekend in May each year.)

Nine hours after we started on Happy Isles Trail, we were back down to the trailhead, hobbling and groaning, but proud. Already planning which mountain to climb next.

Yosemite National Park: $20 entrance fee; www.nps.gov/yose

by Elizabeth Jardina, Sunset researcher

On the very western edge of Hawaii's westernmost island, you'll find a plush, 3-mile-long strip of golden sand.

Kauai's Polihale State Park reopened weekend before last. Heavy rains closed it in December, and stuck by a budget crunch, the state department of land and natural resources said it didn't have the funds to repair the washed-out road.

That's where a group of dedicated island volunteers came in. In a few weeks, using donated materials and labor, the volunteers regraded the road and helped repair broken water fixtures, as well as cut back overgrown vegetation and removed trash.

Visiting Kauai last week, I hadn't planned to head out to Polihale until we were in the state building to get a permit to hike part of the legendary Kalalau Trail. Everyone else in the office was a local, getting a permit to camp at Polihale. It went on the to-do list.

It is true, I am no conoisseur of beaches; a smidge of melanoma on my left arm removed 10 years ago—a dark, malevolent comma—left me resigned to the reality of vacations coated with a ghostly smear of sunscreen.

Those people who go on beach vacations wearing ridiculously protective hats and excessively technical clothing, the kind with built-in SPF 45? Hi. That's me.

So at a truly magnificent beach like Polihale, I'm a teetotaler on a Wine Country getaway: aware that the vineyards are pretty, but without a true devotee's understanding.

On the other hand, if I were the sort of person who liked to, for example, lie on a beach, towel warmed by the sun, feeling the softness of fluffy sand under me, perhaps reading a trashy novel, conveniently adjacent to a cooler of frosty beverages, I'd head for Polihale posthaste.

Because, the other people at the beach that day were living the life: Tents set up on the sand, families gathered for afternoon picnics, kids splashing in the water. There's only one spot in Polihale where it's safe to swim, Queen's Pond, a tiny pocket of reef-protected aqua water, calm as a bathtub, surrounded by crashing waves.

For Hawaiians, the area is more than a spot for family beach fun. The cliffs on the far north end of the beach, three miles from Queen's Pond, were considered a jumping off point for spirits as they left the corporeal world. 

So, let's recap: soft golden sand, aqua water, sunshine nearly all the time, a laid-back attitude, a lack of tourists. Ready to go?

There's only one thing in your way: A dirt road, 3 miles and change, that snakes through the brush, till you take a left at the big monkeypod tree (I swear, these are the real directions). We did it in a rented convertible, which, while not recommended, did get us there with the car and ourselves unscathed.

Polihale State Park: Free, open daily, official website here.

By Rachel Levin, Sunset senior editor

 

Last year, the Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes added canvas tent cabins. This spring, the scenic, sprawling campground added another supercool option for non-campers— a 1978 Sovereign Airstream. A 31-foot silver bullet complete with a kitchenette, four-burner stove, fridge, and, yes, a private bathroom—with Molten Brown products to boot.

Want to go somewhere in Washington other than San Juan Island? Orcas? Bellingham? Lake Sammish? Your own backyard? You can rent your very own vintage airstream from Northwest-based Silver Cottages Airstream. They’ll deliver it right to your destination. Pitch a tent why? http://www.silvercottages.com/

21 great camp eats

Frolicking in San Francisco’s Fort Funston

Why? Because this wild stretch of dunes south of Ocean Beach (popular with off-leash dogs) is always, always, always cloaked in fog and cold, with winds so high you can barely breath. (No wonder it's a haven for handgliders.)  But, this springy weekend, temps in San Francisco are expected to hit 80. Hallejuhah! So bust out your sunhat, pack a picnic, and grab a patch of sand overlooking the Pacific. Ahh.

Photo taken on the last perfect afternoon in Fort Funston. Oh, about four months ago.

Checking out the puffins in Oregon’s Cannon Beach

By Rachel Levin, Sunset senior editor

Confession: I’ve got a thing for birds. I’m a wannabe birder. I can’t tell a scrub jay from a blue jay; I confuse egrets with herons; and, it’s embarassing to admit, but I’ve been known to mistake a turkey vulture for a red-tailed hawk.

However, I do know that tufted puffins—aka Fratercula cirrhata, (okay, I looked that up)—are pretty darn cool. I mean, check out this proud little puffin, with his stocky black body, snow-white face, thick orange bill, and ridiculously overgrown yellow eyebrows. After a winter spent diving on the open seas, the puffins have just returned to nest on Haystack Rock in Oregon’s Cannon Beach, where they’ll be laying eggs and raising chicks now through mid-July.

That’s pretty much all I know about puffins. But real birders from Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program will be on hand all summer long with their big scopes pointed right at the rocky island if you want to learn more.

Whale watching on Whidbey Island

That’s right, the Eastern Pacific gray whale is en route from Baja to the
Arctic by way of Puget Sound—and the cozy-luxe Inn at Langley is giving them
(and you) a rather warm welcome.

Photo by Lara Ferroni

Starting this weekend, $265 buys front-row suites to the Saratoga Passage, a popular whale feeding ground, plus breakfast and a three-hour (a three-hour tour...) for two aboard the 100’ Mystic Sea (valued at $120), where whale sightings are almost guaranteed. If you don’t see any of these massive sea creatures, though, hearing their faint calls off the balcony as you sink into bed is second best.