i'm a country girl at heart.

i'm beginning to understand why san franciscans boast about their city so consistently. yesterday, life begins @ 30, her sister and i went on a drive around the point reyes area. located about 45 minutes away from the bustling, busy city of sf in a county called marin where liberal white people roam, most of this area is a national park so it is quite pristine. when i was young, my dad would take me riding through this area. i wonder if that's why i have such a fondness for the bay area's countryside? my friend was a knowledgeable guide since she and her beau have spent a vacation or two in the area.

on our drive out to point reyes peninsula, she commented on the fact that she loved the diverse geography and environment through which we would pass. she was right on target. in a matter of under an hour we drove through salt marshes, redwoods, grasslands and pine-forested hills. i kept imaginining early settlers and how excited they must have been at this multeity. what richness, what opportunity.

we passed by the olema inn of olema (epicenter of the 1906 earthquake, said our guide), a beautiful old building with celebrated restaurant. olema is all of about 10 buildings, which was incredibly charming and attractive. we decided to stop in point reyes station to load up on some snacks. with two baguettes of brickmaiden bread in hand, we stopped in at the building that houses tomales bay foods and cowgirl creamery. there, we stocked-up on salami, cheese, olives, fresh beets and tapenade of sun-dried tomato. i was going to buy some olive oil, but the oil that usually retails at $4.99 at trader joe's was $12 there. yikes.

instead of going toward the lighthouse, we veered up and headed toward real live tule elk and getting-green pastures and (i think) mcclures beach. at the top of the trail, we encountered another species of wildlife: the i'm-out-of-shape-and-almost-dying-from-the-300-foot-hike-back-up-here guy. with beers in his pockets, he asked us if we ate watercress because there was a lot of it down there. uh. ok. we headed down the trail, that actually was not that steep, along a ravine filled with green ferns and we supposed, something that looked like watercress to our little buddy.

the trail opened up onto a wide beach with incredible, tumbly, rumbly, teal surf. the cove is surrounded by red sandy cliffs that could have been in arizona. unfortunately, some visitors feel obliged to carve in their names. the weather was just right, sunny and not too cold and it wasn't too windy (an anomaly for that area, apparently). streaks of sunlight came down through the clouds like someone had a big ol' flashlight up there. we ate lunch on some rocks on the beach and after my friends took some pics (yes, i forgot my camera again), headed back up.

on our drive back, we pulled over to watch a herd of about 20 tule elk, a native species to the area. i felt lucky to see a big daddy elk with huge, beautiful antlers. the elk are light brown and their butts were really cute; they were all white. it was elk rutting season, so as the sign said, we did not approach as we did not want to be rutted by an elk. we were all in awe that these elk were right in front of us in their natural environment. we're such city girls.

we left the elks to eat their grass and found some cows that had, as my friend put it, "the best view in california." their hilltop pen overlooked the rolling ocean waves below. lucky cow.

on our drive back, we drove through a town that i had been trying to find for years. on one of the rides with my dad, we had passed through a little town that i could not get out of my mind. it was quaint, sweet and lovely. the name of the town is fairfax. finally! i had fantasies of my better half and i walking haley along the streets, chatting with the postmaster, catching-up on neighborhood gossip and taking breaks for picnics at mcclures beach. at least we'd be in good company, politically speaking, as demonstrated by the flag hung upside down over some anti-bush poster. (alas, my better half pointed out that i had to pick the most expensive area in the nation as my fantasyland. whoops.)

i was grateful for the trip with my friends and some time away from the hospital.

and after we parted, i did what any city girl would do: i went to the nordstrom's half yearly sale.

guest photographer: life begins @ 30.