A day trip to Mt. Tamalpais ⛰️
3 buses and one ferry ride later…
If you are reading SIN PRISA for the first time, welcome. If you are returning, welcome back. Mil gracias (a thousand thank yous) for being here.
In case you missed it, check out last month's newsletter A nature-based guide to California ☀️, outdoor destinations accessible by public transportation.
Bonjour amis,
Last month, 54% of readers voted to spend the majority of their time in California’s outdoors if they won an all expenses paid trip. My green heart is happy to be in the company of people who appreciate the outdoors.
This month’s newsletter is about my super slow day trip to Mt. Tamalpais.
Like a true tree hugger, I celebrated Labor Day weekend outdoors in nature. For those of you outside of the United States, Labor Day is the last holiday before the end of summer.
The final days to fire up the BBQ pit, squeeze into a sun dress, or hit the trails.
What started as a casual trip to the outdoors turned out to be a long lesson on the barriers tourists face with Bay Area public transportation.
Dressed in my favorite hiking pants from the Outdoor Afro x REI collection and armed with my favorite trail snacks, I departed promptly at 11:15AM to catch the ferry.
As I strolled down to the San Francisco Ferry Building, I noticed a bus headed in the same direction as Mt. Tamalpais.
I thought “hmm, if I ditch the ferry maybe I can get there faster.” Spoiler alert: mission failed, I did not arrive faster.
In classic E fashion, I confidently hopped on the bus, popped in my AirPods, and zoned out to lo-fi beats.
At each stop, I noticed the bus operator chatting with large groups waiting to board. I removed my headphones to see if I could understand the source of the delay.
It turns out, the bus I casually hopped on is a popular tourist route to the Golden Gate bridge. Unfortunately, the information for bus fares and routes are primarily written in English.
As you can imagine, the tourists had a million and one questions. With grace, the bus operator answered each question and explained Bay Area transit etiquette in great detail.
Meanwhile, I sat arms crossed regretting my decision to ditch the ferry. Forty-five minutes had passed and we still had a ways to go.
You may be thinking, what’s the deal E? Isn’t the point of slow travel to embrace a slower and intentional pace?
In theory yes, but I am a human who still gets impatient. My heart was so set on reaching Mt. Tamaplais by a certain time that I forgot the number one rule of slow travel: patience.
I was also out of integrity with one of my core values as a slow traveler: help thy fellow tourists.
I‘ve certainly been the lost tourist in a foreign place with no idea how to navigate public transit. If not for the kind locals who took the time to answer my questions and point me in the right direction, I’d still be lost.
I also recognize language barriers are a reality for tourists, especially in the U.S.A. My privilege as a native English speaker, affords me the ability to see, hear, and read my native language across borders.
I know this is not the case for the majority of the world.
Before the end of the journey, I fixed my face as my mom would say and befriended an international student from Denmark. They taught me about about the stark difference in public transit culture in Denmark vs the U.S.A.
Spoiler alert: As a nation, our public transit systems are light years behind other parts of the world.
After nearly five hours in transit, I arrived. Funny enough, I asked the bus operator for directions to a specific trail too.
Mt. Tamalpais was incredible and worth the hassle. The beautiful sunshine and bright skies were the perfect end to a beautiful summer.
The best part? There was no need to rush at all, everything was exactly as I imagined it to be.
Until next time, take it slow 🦥
E
Bay Area at a glance
Budget: $$$$
Best time: June - September
Best Public Transportation: Golden Gate Ferry or San Francisco Bay Ferry
Primary Languages: English, Cantonese, Spanish
Best eats: Indian or Thai
Next month we’ll journey out of the country. I am beyond juiced to celebrate my beloved best friend from college, who completed her 30th lap around the sun and is now a fiancée. My new passport arrived and I am counting down the days until my first stamp. ¡Hasta pronto Shams!
Questions? Send me a note sinprisatravel@gmail.com.
Need support or want to chat? Book time with me here. I’ve curated 20+ trips for solo, couple, and small group travelers across the globe. I’d love to hear about your trip dreams!
The redwoods are a real treat in the Bay Area, so glad you got to experience them. There is so much to see outdoors! 🌞
I'm glad you finally made it after taking various transportation routes gesssh , it looks amazing cool pants!!!