Brunch, Besties, and Batteries to Bluffs Trail

This weekend I went to visit Holly, one of my best girlfriends, in San Francisco. Holly and I go back; we met in Washington, DC after college while both living big city life and working for Members of Congress. We were young, single, phenomenally hot and tempting, and living large on tiny incomes and big dreams. Her office was on the floor below mine, and in the lull of recess afternoons we’d walk down to the coke machines and get our caffeine fix. When 5:30/6 rolled around, we’d meet up in her office, reapply lip gloss, and head out to receptions. Together we turned reception into a verb: reception-ing.

Fast forward years later, I’m in Austin, Holly’s on the West Coast, we’re both in new chapters of our lives, trying new professions, blah blah blah but we quickly fall in step like old times. Lifelong friends are great that way.

Saturday morning Holly took us to a chic brunch spot called Plow where we gorged ourselves on food so delicious it felt like a dream: lemon ricotta pancakes topped with blueberry sauce and butter, thickly cut bacon, and a fried egg sandwich on thick toast with avocado and arugula. I was on vacation after all.

After brunch and discussing the pros and cons of online dating, we decided we had two options: try to work off some of this meal or find somewhere to lay down. We decided to work off the meal by hiking the bluffs at Presidio Park.

We set out on the Batteries to Bluffs trail, a meager 0.7 miles of easy terrain that winds down towards the San Francisco Bay. It was just the perfect amount of exercise for post-brunch: not too rough, not too easy.

I probably burned more calories carrying a full stomach up and down that hill, right?

San Francisco is a concrete jungle crammed to the brim with people. As you come down this trail towards the water, the houses and cars fade out of sight and it’s just you, the ocean, and the Golden Gate bridge.

And the icey ocean air. There’s Holly saying, “Bring that selfie stick over here…”

Even on a cloudy day, the views are breathtaking. The dreariness added to the beauty of the scene, with seafoam waters, green hillsides, and the rust from the Golden Gate mixing up a subdued and calming palette.

Sing it with me: goorrrgeooouuuus!!!!!

This trail has to be the most scenic view in all of San Francisco. I really enjoyed this light, easy, and very breezy trail and recommend it for anyone wanting the most natural and scenic views of the bay and the bridge, or anyone needing to burn off brunch with a bestie.

PS. Later that day I picked up this cookbook about cooking wild game. I’ll let you know how it goes…right after I try to recreate lemon ricotta pancakes.