Golden Gate Recreation Areas Adventure Challenge: Update

Last April I posted about about the Golden Gate National Recreation Areas and said we had been challenging ourselves to cross off all of the areas as we explore and get to know our city.  Now that we've lived in San Francisco for more than a year, I'm back to review our progress and set our sights on future adventures.

Michael Schwab portfolio

At last review, we had visited 12 of the sites, though some were brief views on the way to other adventures. 

via

The two places I had most wanted to visit were Point Bonita and Marin Headlands. 

In November we finally had a free day with clear skies and explored the Point Bonita Lighthouse.  It was a relatively easy hike that led to gorgeous views and an impressive new suspension bridge.

As for visiting the Marin Headlands, we actually hiked and explored trails there a number of times in the last six months, in both fog and sun.

Other GGNRAs we had been to before, but we explored them again in more depth:

Muir Woods

The Presidio

Baker Beach

Ocean Beach

Fort Mason

Fort Baker (where we stayed for our friends' amazing wedding)

We've made quite a dent in the GGNRA adventure list, but there are still some sites we need to explore.
Coming up: Adventure Goals for 2013!

Cozy

A little inspiration for your Tuesday:

Cozy

Is anyone else finding it a challenge to return to the real world after the holidays and last week's breezy 3-day work week?

Not to mention we're experiencing a cold snap here in SF...

Stay warm!

Overnight Caramel Rolls

A new year, a new sticky bun recipe!

My sweet mama made these overnight caramel rolls after dinner on December 30th, so we woke up to these sticky, caramel buns on New Year's Eve morning:

This recipe will be my go-to trick for breakfast when we host overnight guests this year!

Overnight Caramel Rolls

Ingredients 1 package of 24 Parkerhouse frozen dinner rolls or equivalent
3.5 oz. pkg Jell-O Cook & Serve Butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

The night before serving:
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray
Set the rolls in rows in pan
Sprinkle over rolls: sugar/cinnamon mixture, then nuts, then dry pudding mix
Melt butter and brown sugar in separate pan, then pour over all ingredients
Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and place it over the dish, covering the buns.  Leave out over night

In the morning:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake (covered with foil) for 30-35 minutes
Wait 5 -10 minutes, then turn over onto a tray
Serve warm



These made for a perfect, indulgent breakfast for the last morning of the year.  
Enjoy!

San Diego Zoo

On Christmas we took our nephew to the zoo.  It was one of the highlights of our time in San Diego, for toddler and adults alike.

The little guy liked the monkeys and giraffes the most (as well as the buses transporting everyone around the zoo--he loves anything with wheels).

I was most intrigued by the tigers and lions.

We had perfect timing the entire visit.  We arrived to the hippo tank right at feeding time...

...to the polar bear habitat just before they were given veggies and meat bones...

...to the rhinoceroses' pool during a big fight...

...and to the lion's den when they awoke from their nap and began pacing in front of us.

The lioness actually jumped up on the glass in front of her in this photo below--I think because she was agitated when a zoo visitor knocked on the glass.

The little guy loved the animals, and I'm glad we were able to document the visit!

2012 Superlatives

Happy New Year's Eve!

To wrap up 2012, here's a look back on the year, pointing out some highlights.  It's only appropriate for my 200th post!

2012 Superlatives

Best Adventure

Winner: Revival Crusade 2

Runner-Up: Whitewater rafting with Pliny the Elder closer

Best Meal
Winner: Our homecooked Valentine's Day dinner, of scallops, steak, and chocolate lava cake

Runner-Up: (Will's choice) Five-course French meal at Les Florets in Gigondas

Runner-Up: (Sarah's choice) Anniversary dinner at Boulevard in San Francisco

Best Blog Achievement 

Winner: Having BuzzFeed pick up my foie gras macaron post and link to my blog (see #9)

Runner-Up: Hitting my 200th post on NYE 2012

Best Photo

In the running:

Photos from: Top: Paris, Half Moon Bay hike, Muir Woods hike;
Middle: Lyon Zoo, San Diego sunset, Vacqueyras winery;
Bottom: San Diego Christmas, Lyon, San Diego Zoo

Vote for your favorite in the comments section below!

Happy New Year's Eve, and cheers to 2013!