The ultimate holiday mixer isn’t eggnog and rum (although it’s a close second); it’s Drake’s Estero! Part salt water, part fresh water, Drake’s Estero is smack in the middle of Point Reyes, and one of only two marine wilderness areas in the entire nation. Yeah, it’s worth a look…

Scrolling through your social media feed looking for quick-trip ideas, and it’s all same old, same old? Time to shake things up! Time for a road trip to the most mountainous state in the lower 48 … Nevada! Nevada has more hot springs (300!) and ghost towns than any other state…

One of the best holiday light displays doesn’t involve a plastic Santa or synchronized blinking icicles. It’s catching the San Francisco skyline at sunset from high atop Ring Mountain. The Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve in Tiburon is pretty compact but occupies some of the…

Red, green, and blue are just a few of the holiday hues. Get your Christmas colors and some solitude on a 5-mile (round-trip) hike in Butano State Park on the San Mateo Coast. The Mill Ox Loop has you walking through forests thick with redwood trees, hiking up to panoramic blue…