Backpacking in Henry Coe State Park

The Mavens

The Pictures

The (Music) Video

The Highlights

• Absurdly gorgeous weather: pleasant in the shade, hot in the sun, cool at night
• Three solid hours spent lounging by a swimming hole while fish nibbled at our toes
• Twelve miles of hiking over two days
• Being visited by packs of wild turkeys
• Learning about (and successfully avoiding) poison oak
• Dinner prepared by a trained chef (shout out to Jenna!)
• Hours of conversation beneath the stars

A Taste of the Takeaways

Want to take voice lessons (for singing, or just to project/public speak better)? Try Open Voice in Noe Valley, which comes highly recommended by Amanda.

Looking for a couple great books to read? We recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (fiction) and Stumbling on Happiness (nonfiction). Check out this compelling TED talk by the author of the latter, Dan Gilbert, to get a taste of what it's all about.

Speakeasy SF is the greatest thing ever (akin to Sleep No More in NYC). Buy tickets yesterday. As of noon on June 10, there were still a few spots left for the June 19 show, but once those are gone, you (and the rest of the city) is out of luck.

Baking tip from our culinary expert, Jenna: you know how recipes tell you to mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another? It's actually a good idea. Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts when it hits moisture, so you want to mix it with your wet ingredients and get it into the oven ASAP to maximize a crisp, light texture. If you mix them too soon or leave your batter out for ages before cooking, the chemical reaction will already have taken place.

Best healthy grab-and-go breakfast: overnight oats, without a doubt. Before bed, add one part oats to one part milk/milk substitute, and fancy up with a sweetener (jam, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc.); seeds (chia, flax, etc.); and fruit. Put it all in a mason jar in the fridge. In the morning, top off with nuts or granola for added crunch.