Sojourns: 100 Trails of Enlightenment

Jill Thayer Ph.D.

Description

Sojourns: 100 Trails of Inspiration offers a visual narrative that captures the essence of my journey. In this book, I share my favorite trails on the California Central Coast, resources on how to find them, and why they are my go-to for balance, reflection, and a bit of exercise.
There is nothing more exhilarating than a walk in the forest. Hiking the trails is a daily ritual for many on the California Central Coast, and for Jill Thayer, each path is a new adventure that inspires and renews her appreciation of the natural environment.
In Sojourns, Jill shares her favorite trails from Big Sur to Oceano Dunes and regions in between with resources on how to find them, and why they are her go-to places for balance, reflection, and a bit of exercise. A photographic essay captures the rich experiences from walks and hikes up and down rugged hills; across lush green meadows and fields of wildflowers; along winding forest paths of centuries-old oak, cypress, and eucalyptus trees; over chiseled sand dunes and windswept beaches; and atop dramatic cliffs that cascade down to the Pacific. Interspersed with favorite quotes that reveal the essence of the journey, the imagery takes you on a visual narrative of discovery through exquisite trails of the region, and beckons to the wanderlust of your imagination.
Make time to immerse yourself in the healing power of nature. Sojourns seeks to inspire you to get out, connect with our natural environment, and embrace the conservation of our land and Pacific coastline. Take a deep breath and fill your senses with wonder and solace from a hurried world.

Sujets

• Loisirs
• Collections photographiques
• Photographie Créative
• Walks
• Hikes
• Special Interest
• Travel

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 17 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665737067
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

SOJOURNS

100 Trails of Enlightenment

Inspired by the California Central Coast

Jill Thayer, Ph.D.
SOJOURNS
Front Cover:

View of the Pacific coastline

at Big Sur

Back Cover:

Ragged Point Trail

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Pismo Preserve Trails

Highway 1, Big Sur

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve

Salmon Creek Falls Trail

Avila Ridge Trail

Whalers Knoll Trail, Point Lobos

Cypress Grove Trail, Point Lobos

Garrapata State Park Rocky

Ridge Trail

Cerro San Luis Obispo Trail

San Carpóforo Creek Trail

Author Jill Thayer, Ph.D.

This page clockwise:

Pismo Preserve Trails

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park,

Big Sur

Shell Beach

Big Sur Coastline

Garrapata Trail State Park Rocky

Ridge Trail

Morro Rock

Photography, Narrative,

and Book Design:

Jill Thayer, Ph.D.

The world is but a canvas to our imagination.
Henry David Thoreau

North Dune Trail overlooking Hazard Canyon dunes,
Montaña de Oro State Park
Copyright © 2023 Jill Thayer, Ph.D..

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written

permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed

since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not

necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3705-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3704-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3706-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023900826

Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/13/2023
Family, Sacramento, California, 1956


To my parents, Bill and Shirley Thayer,
who supported my sense of wonder
that led to a lifetime of passions and
interdisciplinary pursuits

and to my brother, Dennis Delrogh,
whose appreciation for the arts
enlightened my own

Dennis Delrogh and Jill Thayer at Mercantile in Denver, 2015
My dad, William “Bill” Thayer, and his older brother, Robert “Bob” Thayer, at their campsite at Mount Borah, Idaho, 1949. My dad loved the outdoors and especially camping with his brother Bob. I think my passion for nature and walking the trails comes from him.

A postcard of Mount Borah, Idaho, from Bill to his mother, Alta Hoppe Thayer, 1949

Dad at Mount Borah, Idaho, 1949
Grandpa Jean Shillig Thayer on the American River in Sacramento, California, 1916

From top clockwise: portrait of my grandmother Alta Hoppe Thayer with her sons Bill (left) and Bob in Sacramento, California, 1930; me with my dolly in Lilac Park at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, 1961; and my dad as a young man, Sacramento, California, 1948

Getting ready for a trip to the mountains with my dog Sable, Sacramento, California, 1960

Grandmother Alta and my dad in Sacramento, California, 1928

My mother Shirley and me at home, Sacramento, California, 1963
Three Bridges Oak Preserve, Atascadero





Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu
The author at Cypress Grove at Point Lobos, Big Sur







Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.
E. B. White
CONTENTS


THE 100 TRAILS
FOREWORD
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION
THE SUBLIME

PART 1 SAND AND SEA

PART 2 EARTH AND SKY

PART 3 TRAILS BY REGION
Arroyo Grande
Atascadero
Avila
Big Sur
Cambria
Cayucos
Hearst San Simeon State Park
Los Osos
Montaña de Oro State Park
Morro Bay State Park
Paso Robles
Pismo Beach
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County
Santa Margarita

APPS
THE 100 TRAILS

The 100 trails I have walked at the time of publication are listed in alphabetical order by region. They are a small sampling of the multitude of trails that you will discover through online apps listed on page 97 of this book.

Arroyo Grande
1. Biddle Regional Park
2. Marina and Rocky Point Trails, Lopez Lake
3. Turkey Ridge and Blackberry Springs Trails, Lopez Lake

Atascadero
4. Atascadero Lake
5. Blue Oak, Marj Mackey, Pine Mountain, and ALPS Trails at Stadium Park
6. Heilman Park Trail
7. Jim Green Trail
8. Juan Bautista de Anza Trail
9. Las Lomas Nature Path
10. Three Bridges Oak Preserve

Avila
11. Avila Ridge Trail
12. Avila Sea Caves, Cave Landing Trail, Pirate’s Cove Beach
13. Bob Jones City-to-Sea Trail
14. Ontario Ridge Trail
15. Sycamore Crest Trail

Big Sur
16. Bird Island Trail, Point Lobos
17. China Cove Trail, Point Lobos
18. Cypress Grove Trail, Point Lobos
19. Granite Point and Whaler’s Cove Trails, Point Lobos
20. Garrapata State Park Rocky Ridge Trail
21. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
22. Limekiln State Park Trail
23. North Shore Trail, Point Lobos
24. Overlook Trail to McWay Falls
25. Pfeiffer Beach
26. Ragged Point Trail
27. Salmon Creek Falls Trail
28. South Plateau Trail, Point Lobos
29. South Shore Trail, Point Lobos
30. Whaler’s Knoll Trail, Point Lobos

Cambria
31. Bluff, Arch, Marine Terrace, Meander, Ridge, and Seacliff Trails, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
32. Leffingwell Landing Trail
33. Moonstone Beach Trail
34. Santa Rosa Creek Trail East at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
35. Santa Rosa Creek West, Creek to Ridge and Creek to Forest at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

Cayucos
36. Cayucos State Beach and Pier Trail
37. Estero Bluffs State Park Trail
38. Hand Glider Hill
39. Harmony Headlands State Park Trail
40. Whale Rock Reservoir

Hearst San Simeon State Park
41. Boucher Trail
42. Junge Ranch Trail
43. Piedras Blancas Point to San Simeon Cove
44. Point Sierra Nevada Trail
45. Point Sierra Nevada Dunes Beach
46. San Carpóforo Creek Trail
47. San Simeon Bay Trail
48. San Simeon Beach
49. San Simeon Loop and North Moonstone Beach
50. San Simeon Point Trail
51. Washburn Campground Trail
52. William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach
Los Osos
53. Elfin Forest Natural Area Trail
54. Morro Bay Harbor and Estuary
55. Oak Trail, Los Osos Oaks State Reserve
56. Sweet Springs Nature Preserve

Montaña de Oro State Park
57. Bluff Trail
58. Canopy Trail
59. Coon Creek Trail
60. Hazard Canyon Reef Trail
61. Islay Creek Trail
62. Morro Bay Sandspit Beach Trail
63. North Dune Trail
64. Point Buchon Trail
65. Reservoir Flats Trail
66. Valencia Peak Trail

Morro Bay State Park
67. Black Hill Trail
68. Cerro Cabrillo Trail
69. Cloisters Wetland to Morro Rock Trail
70. Heron Rookery Natural Preserve
71. Morro Rock and Morro Strand State Beach
72. Marina Peninsula Trail
73. Portola Point Trail
74. Quarry and Park Ridge Loop Trail

Paso Robles
75. Centennial Park Trail
76. Downtown City Park
77. Montebello Oaks Open Space Trail
78. Rambouillet Snead Trail
79. Salinas River Walk Trail
80. San Juan Bautista Trail
Pismo Beach
81. Grover State Beach
82. Monarch Butterfly Grove Trail
83. Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve
84. Pismo State Beach
85. Pismo Preserve Trails
86. Shell Beach Bluff Trail
87. Shell Beach Coastal Conservancy Preserve

San Luis Obispo
88. Bishop Peak Trail
89. Cerro San Luis Obispo Trail
90. Irish Hills Natural Reserve
91. Johnson Ranch Open Space
92. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Trail
93. South Hills Open Space
94. Terrace Hill Open Space

San Luis Obispo County
95. Carrizo Plain National Monument
96. Lake Nacimiento
97. Lake San Antonio
98. Reservoir Canyon Trail

Santa Margarita
99. East Cuesta Ridge Trail
100. West Cuesta Ridge Trail
FOREWORD


We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
- Native American Proverb

I grew up running wild in the Santa Cruz Mountains, lucky to live just steps from a county park lush with oak woodlands, redwood groves, and mountain meadows. I can still feel the soft, spongy green moss under my fingertips as I played tag with my sister among the trees. I remember watching from my window as dozens of baby quail flittered about–following their dutiful parents and entertaining me for hours. And I’ll never forget delighting in the first tiny delicate wildflowers of spring, symbols of renewal and rebirth that taught me about the complexities of nature and instilled in me a desire to protect them as my path in life.
Connection to nature nourishes and sustains us–fresh air restores our breath, rich soils grow our food, and the work of a honeybee makes us smile. A quiet walk on a meandering path helps us reset, finding solace away from a hurried life, even if just for a moment. Pausing at the top of a ridge and looking out at the sea reminds us that we are a part of something bigger–an interconnected world offering beauty, joy, and abundance.
In this book, regional adventurer Jill Thayer takes us on a path of wonder as she explores 100 trails up and down the California coast. She gives us a glimpse into a world of discovery that draws upon our gratitude for nature and stewardship of the land where we live. Each path leads to insight, to beauty, and to renewed faith in the goodness of humankind.
Organizations such as land trusts and other conservation groups work every day to ensure people have the chance to enjoy the benefits of nature as I did as a child–that people will forever have the opportunity to explore these trails, and more, for generations to come. We take our duty to care for these lands seriously, ensuring our access to nature is sustainable for the animals that call these lands home, and protecting nature for nature’s sake. We know that