Saturn Street Stairs-San Francisco Stair Walk (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location:  Saturn Street Stairs on Saturn Street starting from Ord Street. Starting Point :  We visited Randall...

Climb at Your Own Pace             As a kid, I couldn’t move forward fast enough to feel satisfied. I skipped a grade, graduated from high school at age 16, and finished college at 20....

Autumn Breeze             We discovered a feral cat living in our backyard several years ago. She now lives a comfortable domesticated life a block away in the house of a neighbor who...

Animate Inanimate Objects             Behind the 1870 vintage wooden door framed by thick stone walls of the house I grew up in, in the dark cellar dimly lit by sparse incandescent light...

A Change of Scenery             A friend who took on too many extra work assignments for too many months realized as we were chatting that she needs a break. Not just a full weekend off,...

After the Crowds Leave             A friend who lives in Cape Cod—a hugely popular destination for summer visitors—recently posted about visiting a local beach just after the summer...

Stapleveldt Trail-Mt. Tam (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location:  Pantoll Campground parking area, Mount Tamalpais State Park Starting Point :  Pantoll parking area,  6456 Panoramic...

Love Without Words             Hugs with my severely autistic son sometimes look awkward. He often responds to a hug request with a brusque shoulder bump rather than a full on, heartfelt...

Urban Nature             I love San Francisco. As a country girl—raised among the forests, creeks and farmland of the Adirondack Foothills—whose consistent saving grace was time spent...

Summer Essence             A golden glow hovers over a hilly field of tall green grass and yellow flowers. The sea below is a mixture of blues, greens and grays as waves crash against...

Waves and Shadows             Waves crash in big bursts against a rock one moment, then roll in shallow layers over the sand another. Shadows flicker with leaves blowing in the breeze, or...

No Place Like Home             Years ago, my beloved aunt and uncle came to stay with us in San Francisco, bringing their nine-year-old grandson, my cousin’s son. They were visiting...

Floral Ballet             Pale pink figures float in the air, dancing together in the breeze. Bright reddish-pink arms rise elegantly above purple petal tutus. Variations of these...

Urban Pastorale             Feathery white clouds float above a layer of blue. Cypress trees rise high above their surroundings. Willow tree branches drape in layers over the path ahead....

Early Bloomers             “Look, the dahlias are blooming!” my husband said, pointing to the Dahlia Garden in the distance from where we were taking our easy Sunday stroll in Golden...

Heroes Grove-Golden Gate Park (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location:  Redwood forest pathway near J.F. Kennedy Drive between 10th Avenue and Park Presidio in Golden Gate Park, San...

Quiet Heroes             I’ve lived long enough to see news about numerous wars in various parts of the world. When my brothers and friends were of an age young men would be called to...

Summer Dreams             Open skies, open roads, open schedule. When I was a kid, the start of summer brought a feeling of endless possibilities. In the weeks before school ended, my...

Rippled Reflections             Reflections are entrancing, in mirrors, glass, or on liquid surfaces. A glassy lake surface is magical, whether on a mirror-smooth day, or when wind and...

Summer Stunners             White, orange and neon pink, creating a zingy tie-dye-like effect. A buttery yellow center melting into pink at the edges of outer petals. Apricot-colored...

Heart Focus             Aiming a camera lens and pressing the shutter when elements in the viewfinder fall into a satisfying composition is something I’ve enjoyed since studying...

Mosaic Magic             There are several dazzling stairways in San Francisco ornamented with mosaic tiles that create the illusion of a cohesive image from small, individual structural...

"Heroes: Living, Dead, and Imagined" by Lisa Louis. The measure of a fictional hero is what often makes a real person a hero as well.

Heroes Real and Imagined             Heroic characters in books and movies can sweep us off our feet. We are lifted by the illusion that there are people that strong, that good, that...

Tunnel Crew             I love tree tunnels, and love finding and exploring new ones with my regular hiking crew, my family.             Surrounded by a green halo ahead, the...

Golden Gate Overlook to Warming Hut (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location :  Golden Gate Overlook, off Langdon Court Parking Lot, the Presidio, San Francisco, near Battery Godfrey Starting...

Love Affair with a Bridge             Whether as orange-red triangles peeking out from layers of fog, or the full double-tower span gleaming orange against a deep blue sky as it spans...

Meandering Together, Apart             Whether along a dirt path, a snowy field, a pine-covered forest floor, a grassy meadow, or along the water’s edge, I have loved walking outdoors...

A Different World             Orange and red ice plants meld into a background of pale, medium and dark greens like hot lava oozing out of a plant covered landscape. Hills rise in a...

I Spy             For long drives to my grandmother’s house or on our way to camp in the Adirondacks, we kids in the back of the station wagon would stave off boredom by playing a...

Battery Mendell-Marin Headlands (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location:  Mendell Road/Trail, from intersection with loop end of Field Road, Marin Headlands Starting Point:  There is parking...

Wild Irises             I love the name “wild iris.” It sounds like a flower making merry on the party scene.              I’ve enjoyed seeing irises that are safely...

Yellow Brick Road             “Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road,” sing the Munchkins as they instruct Dorothy and her dog Toto to follow the road that...

Name That Blossom             “The plum blossoms are pretty well gone,” I said, looking inquisitively at a blossoming tree.             “And they don’t look like plum...

Sleep Is a Currency             I was lying in bed this week, awake well before my alarm as is often the case. I was practicing my habit of recent years, which is to stay in bed resting...

Step by Step             As I work on the manuscript for my upcoming book  Autism Outdoors , I’m finding that key information I want to convey is about working step by step to address...

My Hiking Buddy             This week I have a new story, “ Clash of the Control Titans ,” appearing in the Renaissance Garden Guy web site. It shows how two people with harshly...

"Clash of the Control Titans" by Lisa Louis: Putting two people with an overwhelming need to control the environment in the same space.

Evolving Pathways             I started creating HikingAutism.com in March of 2018, and some of the trails I visited early on have had upgrades. One of these is Hawk Hill, a high spot...

Big and Bold             Small, delicate blossoms such as of baby’s breath or forget-me-nots are lovely. Charming and understated, they may appear as background support in a bouquet....

Back On the Trail             Ahead on the trail, I watch my husband walk alongside my two sons, my autistic son holding the arm of his big brother.             This was a...

Magical Trees             Have you ever been walking along and suddenly noticed a tree that is so fascinating, it stops you in your tracks? Perhaps you’ve seen a gnarled old oak tree...

Pedro Point Arroyo Trail (scroll to bottom for photo gallery) Location:  Trailhead near Devil’s Slide North Parking Lot, Cabrillo Hwy/Rte. 1, Pacifica.  Park in the north parking lot for...