Hiking Lands End in San Francisco

There's an old joke about San Francisco dwellers, which is that once the weekend hits, you'll find them either a) hiking, or b) in line at brunch. Sometimes both. Actually, more often both than not. And as I am not one to pass up a ticket aboard the predictablewagon, a couple of Saturdays ago I found myself doing just that. Sort of.

Leah and I rolled out of bed and commandeered the kitchen–she on pancake duty and me to whip up some eggs. Then we woke a reluctant Hanna, had a light brunch that we didn't have to wait two hours in line for, and then scampered out of the apartment to give our lovely cleaners some space.

Our Uber rolled past Ocean Beach, where there was a Corgi Con (!!!!) but my friends would not let us stop to go check it out because they "don't think Corgis are cute" and yes, now I am currently reconsidering these friendships. The compromise was to stop at Cliff House (which by the way has the best popovers), try and see the Corgis from afar, and then set out on our expedition.

First stop: the storied Sutro Baths! Public saltwater swimming pool complexes from way back in the day. Along with Lands End itself, Sutro Baths has been a SF mainstay that we've been longing to check out for awhile now. 

It's an easy hike with incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge and of the Bay in general, and we stopped to snap pictures every other step.

For a breather, I plopped on down atop a ledge that overlooked Mile Rock Beach, enjoying the crashing waves, the melody of what sounded like an organ far off in the distance, and the sunshine gently beating down on my back.

Then, a little birdy named Leah decided to keep me company.

And Hanna, too.

And lest you thought our squad was complete...

it wasn't.

Apparently. According to Cassandra's painstakingly illustrated contribution.

After having enough of a break, we decided to keep going - and came upon the Labyrinth.

Not too long after, we finished off our hike with a grin and a walk through the unbelievably posh neighborhood of Seacliff (um those houses ... are ridiculous) and a happy hour along the Embarcadero.
A Saturday well spent.