Weekend Sherpa: Take It Outside

Autumn in the outdoors is refreshing and recharging. Let's turn over a new leaf on 2020. Weekend Sherpa's podcast came about as a result of the early quarantine days of the Covid-19 pandemic and 9 months later many of us have never been more thankful and grateful for the great outdoors. In this episode, Brad and Holly discuss getting outside as the weather turns colder, and share top recommendatio...

2020 has been the year of "hold my beer" and this week is going to be no exception, as America votes! Want to clear your head? Brad and Holly are dedicating this episode to sharing some of the most meditative hikes and outdoors spots in both NorCal and SoCal for taking a breather and getting a little distance from multiple stressors. They'll talk about easy-going hikes that are beautiful this time...

Come for the wine, stay for the outdoors! However you decide to visit, fall in Sonoma County is outdoors-spectacular. In this episode, Brad and Holly give the beta on the best places to hike on the coast, drink wine overlooking the Pacific, bike ride to family-owned wineries, catch the greatest of all time sunset, and hike in to beach very few people know about. They'll also tell you where to eat...

Wild times with wildfires and bad air are challenging the state. When the smoke clears and the air quality is better, beat the blues by finding blue skies. In SoCal, that includes urban hikes to less known but spectacular local bridges, including one of the few remaining pedestrian wooden trestles in SoCal, and possibly the most romantic bridge in Los Angeles. In NorCal, what's the scene at San Fr...

Brad and Holly discuss the recent wildfires in Northern California, the new reality of wildfire season stretching longer every year, the status of the redwoods endangered by the flames, what happens next, and ways keep your spirits up (hint: get outdoors). They discuss some great local hikes and bike rides by the ocean, lakes, and reservoirs in Northern and Southern California. They also reveal a...

Okay, it's secret-ish. In this episode Weekend Sherpa co-founders Brad and Holly highlight their recent visit to The Lakes Basin, a lesser known outdoors adventureland in the northern Sierra Nevada. Get tips on everything from scenic drives, old school lodges, lakeside campgrounds (including how to score a site, and which one is their favorite), and several remarkable (and uncrowded!) hikes, inclu...

Ready to tell 2020 to hit the road? We feel you. With reluctances to get on planes, and international travel pretty much not an option, the road trip has emerged as a welcome way to have an outdoors-focused getaway. So where do you go for wide open spaces and plenty of fresh air and fun things to do outside? We say, go for The Road Trip Less Traveled! In this special episode Brad and Holly (and ot...

Weekend Sherpa co-founders Brad and Holly talk about unique hikes with great views, from ridge rambles where you can get good social distance in the Bay Area, to trails in LA with great views of the Hollywood Sign, as well as their experiences with celebrity sightings. They also discuss the Great American Outdoors Act, Covid-19 and the outdoors, and the Sierra Club's recent statement about John Mu...

A secret hike-in beach in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brilliant sunset hike in LA county, oh yeah, summer is on—and Weekend Sherpa has the goods on where to go and what to do in California. In this latest episode, co-founders Brad and Holly talk about everything from the ultimate Angel Island adventure (including where to grab a pineapple margarita afterwards), to the Canadian Rockies, including...

Point Reyes is back! In this episode, Brad and Holly go all out for Point Reyes National Seashore. As one of their go-to destinations, they'll discuss favorite hikes, bike rides, paddles, and beaches in Point Reyes. They also catch up with one of Weekend Sherpa's content creators, Brad Hyland, an avid birder and Point Reyes outdoors aficionado (he'll tell you about a trail he's been on four times...

Our 10th episode since starting this podcast in quarantine! Is it us or are more people hiking than ever right now? The outdoors is "in." And change is afoot at Weekend Sherpa while some things remain the same: a commitment to Very Local Outdoors. Brad and Holly discuss the new website & email, how beer factored into its launch, and of course, where to go and what to do locally outdoors, including...

While this episode discusses new local parks to discover and re-openings of old favorites, Brad and Holly open by addressing the protests surrounding George Floyd’s death and a painful week in America. They later catch up with their Southern California lead writer and photographer, Matt Pawlik to find out what trails he's been hiking in Los Angeles and San Diego County, where he's going next, and...

(Dipping our pinky toe in...) Weekend Sherpa is back to recommending local outdoor adventures. Brad and Holly discuss parks across California re-opening (Joshua Tree!), some of the ongoing mixed messages from park agencies, and the importance of getting outdoors as a health benefit. Hear about some of the parks that Weekend Sherpa recommends, plus part of the podcast was recorded from the top of a...

Ready to visit the national parks?! As we eagerly await news about national parks welcoming visitors again, which may happen soon, Brad and Holly and one of Weekend Sherpa's SoCal based writers, Natalie, discuss three California national parks to put on your shortlist for visiting ASAP upon official re-openings. We also talk about some of the positive and negative feedback from our "New Rules of t...

Brad and Holly talk with award-winning travel editor, author, and trip guide leader Don George. Don's extraordinary career spans the globe, literally, and includes time with The San Francisco Chronicle, Salon.com, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveler, Gadfly, GeoEx, and—woohoo—Weekend Sherpa, where he was a founding editorial advisor! Brad and Holly talk to Don about quarantine life, travel...

Beach, blanket, what the hell is going on?! In this week's episode, as the weather is getting warmer, quarantine tensions are running hot. Brad and Holly discuss the outdoors during quarantine blues; the interesting array of outdoor activities that are now allowed, Brad's recent appearance on NPR/KQED radio's Forum, beach-goers going big in Orange County; and some of Weekend Sherpa's favorite beac...

Brad and Holly discuss the latest developments in California's inch towards opening the outdoors again. And is the outdoors getting picked on? They also chat with a special guest and good friend "Irish" Greg McQuaid, formerly of the popular KFOG morning show. Greg talks about his new entrepreneurial endeavors leading stairway walks in San Francisco and how he's using his time in quarantine to "ste...

Co-founders Brad and Holly discuss the state of the outdoors during COVID-19 and if the outdoors is considered "essential," mask mandates outside, physical and mental health in the parks, the possible fall of influencers, and one of their favorite (less-traveled) CA national parks not named Yosemite.

As we enter week 4 of quarantine in California, Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss ways to get your outdoor fix and creative solutions for keeping the parks open.

With the closures of parks and beaches in California due to COVID-19, what is an outdoorsy person to do?