All Blog Posts (78)

The ancient city of Burgos was founded in 884 as a defensive fortress for the Kingdom of Navarra against the Muslims to the south.  Today´s pilgrim hikes several kilometers through stark, modern Burgos before passing through 14th century walls, under Arco de Santa Maria, and into the magical old city.  Here the streets are narrow and winding, there are few cars, but the lanes are busy with foot traffic.  People crowd the shops and sidewalk cafes.

After 13 days of hiking and 180 miles,…

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After a few days on the Camino, the pilgrim´s life settles into an easy rhythym.  Albergues may be small with only a dozen beds or big with bunk beds for 100 in a large room.  It is wise to sleep with earplugs or you will enjoy all the sounds of nocturnal humanity.

People begin to stir around 5:30am.  alarms beep, pilgrim pack away sleeping bags and prepare to hit the trail.  I usually am out of bed by 6:30 and hiking by seven.  This is my favorite time of day.  It is still dark and…

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The Camino traverses western Navarra Province mostly on country trails, passing through small villages, always dominated by a church, the tallest building.  Pilgrims are a major source of revenue, and many villages will offer a cafe, a fountain, and possibly a small inn and/or albergue.  The harvested grain fields of the rolling farmland yielded to bountiful vineyards as the trail approaches Rioja Province, the home of some of Spain´s finest red wines.

I entered the city of Logrono at…

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Pamplona is the capital of Navarra, a semi-autonimous province, the south being more Castilian, the north, Basque.  The Basque are a fiercely independent people.  Linguists tell us that the Basque language, Euskara, is one of Europe´s oldest and has no know relationship  to any other language.  It is as if the basque people were always living on this land.  Picasso´s…

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The hike from Roncesvalles to Pamplona took two days, climbing and descending the foothills of the Pyrenese.  Most of the trail was on mountain paths, ascending to ridges and dropping into the valley of the Rio Arga, which the trail crossed and recrossed.  Early in the morning, before dawn, I hiked with the north star to my back and Orion high overhead, passing through the ¨woodlands of the witches,¨ a dense beech forest.  During the 16th century, it is said that covens of witches practiced…

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I have wanted to hike el Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St. James, ever since I read Pualo Cuelho´s book The Pilgrimage more than a decade ago.  Now, with the publication of Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn to Inn this spring, I decided to give myself the gift of a 500 mile trek across northern Spain.

 

The legend of the Camino began in AD 813 when Pelayo, a religious hermit, heard the song of angels and followed a star to an ancient Roman… Continue

I plan to walk from SF Fort Funston to Half Moon Bay, as in the book. I have a few questions.

Was there a lot of walking on sand? If so, what shoes should be worn and were the tides a problem or dangerous?

Also, is there a good place meet up with people at Fort Funston (i.e. a parking lot or building that can be easily found with a car)?

My wife and I are planning a two day walk along the beach from Torrey Pines State Beach to Oceanside Pier.  If anyone has done this we would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Trail Professionals and Advocates,

Mark…

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With 71,000 acres of coastal hills, dense forests, pristine beaches, and 140 miles of hiking trails, Pt. Reyes National Seashore is a walkabout paradise. It is only an hour and a half north of San Francisco by car or bus. This walkabout explores the central portion of the park. You’ll stay at…

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We are thinking about coming out for a group hike this summer. We have budgeted airfare and food expense, but have not yet received our Travel Insurance Quote. We are not sure if this is a necessary expense, but want to make sure we have all our bases covered. For all of you guys who have coordinated group trips, what do you think? Is this something that we need to do or not. Some in our group have… Continue

My husband Tom and I spent this past weekend hiking in Marin, as a celebration of our 9th anniversary. We left the kids with my folks and took off Friday morning to the Headlands, where we talked with a volunteer in the Visitor's Center. They had not heard of Walkabout and weren't sure what we should do about the car. Finally, after a few discussions and phone calls with other docents, it was decided that we could leave the car in the Headlands, and a pass was written out for us, which we left… Continue

Hello fellow hikers! My wife and I just finished the Mendocino Coast Walk . It was our anniversary gift to ourselves. On our way to Albion, we stopped and tasted wines in Anderson Valley, had a picnic at Husch, and then drove on to the coast. A great start!



Checked in at Albion River Inn where staff members were not familiar with Walkabout, but they should be now. To help celebrate our anniversary, complementary wine in our room and two glasses of champagne for our dinner. We had a… Continue

seems that the Anderson valley, Napa and Sonoma valley areas are ideal for a inn to inn hiking trip. Has anyone got some ideas on a 3 day hike in these valleys?

Along the Pacific Rim’s Ring of Fire, the Cascade Mountains reach as far north as Mt. Garibaldi in British Columbia. This range of massive volcanoes stretches south through Washington, Oregon and Northern California. At its southern tip lies Lassen Peak, resting from its most recent eruption in 1917. Surrounding the mountain is Lassen Volcanic National Park, a wild and exotic Northern California treasure.…

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Hike the coastal bluffs and forests of America’s western edge, some of the most beautiful country in California.  This moderate 41-mile, 4-day Walkabout starts in Marin Headlands, just 10 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, and hikes to Point Reyes National Seashore.

The first two days are an easy stroll,…

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This is a challenging 41.6 mile hike that crosses the Sierra Nevada from east to west. It passes through some of the most breathtaking parts of these majestic mountains, traveling along the trail of the pony express and in the footsteps of adventurers who once sought fortune in the gold rush of the mid-1800s.

There are three days of hiking, each ending at a beautiful…

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"The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky, the woods, and is a man again."

- Henry David Thoreau



Americans flock to Europe for walking tours from inn to inn on long established trails. They hike the Alps or Southern France, explore the British Isles at two miles an hour, or pilgrimage through Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, stopping each night at a hostel or inn. Northern California also offers dozens of multi-day treks… Continue