The Atlas Heart

Hi! I’m Mimi.

As someone who has spent over 80% of her life in California, I created this space to share local insight, practical travel tips, and everything you need to explore the best of the Golden State. From cities to beaches, historic sights, and raw natural beauty, let’s go find somewhere beautiful to get lost!

Hi! I’m Mimi.

As someone who has spent over 80% of her life in California, I created this space to share local insight, practical travel tips, and everything you need to explore the best of the Golden State. From cities to beaches, historic sights, and raw natural beauty, let’s go find somewhere beautiful to get lost!

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Death Valley National Park to Joshua Tree National Park

Death Valley National Park to Joshua Tree National Park

MY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

All of my favorite travel essentials in one place! Find out my recommended travel resources, preferred products, and must-have gear that I use in my own travels so you can be prepared for your next trip.

✨SAVE this rooftop bar for the next time you’r

✨SAVE this rooftop bar for the next time you’re looking for good views in San Francisco✨

🏙️ Rising 120 feet above Market Street, Charmaine’s is located in the San Francisco Proper Hotel.

It’s right around the corner from the Orpheum Theatre and a great spot for a drink looking over the city on a nice day.

We went to Charmaine’s after seeing The Book of Mormon and it was the perfect way to end a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the city. Plus, it’s right near BART for easy transport!
 Tip: Besides their delicious cocktails, I highly recommend ordering the pretzel rolls with the smoked pimento cheese dip. Yum.  
🍸What’s the best rooftop bar you’ve been to?

Follow @theatlasheart for more bucket list ideas, local tips, and outdoor adventures in California.
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#charmaines #rooftopbars #sanfrancisco #bayarea #northerncalifornia

✨SAVE this hike for your next trip to San Jose✨

🥾Mt Umunhum Peak Trail - 8 miles, 1188 elevation gain, 3.25 hours to complete
Trailhead: Start from Mt Umunhum Trail (37.159130, -121.876230)

Located in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, this hike features an 84.5-foot radar tower at the top that was used by the US Air Force during the Cold War. Before that, the Amah Mutsun tribal band inhabited the region.

This was my 2nd of six peaks I’m hiking this year in the Bay Area.

The trail had more tree coverage than I expected but it’s still a good idea to start as early as possible if you’re hiking in the summer or fall because San Jose gets HOT.   Another tip: The trailhead is small and fills up quickly, by around 9 am on weekends.  
⛰️Have you hiked to the top of Mt. Umunhum? If you haven’t, are you adding it to your bucket list?

Follow @theatlasheart for more bucket list ideas, local tips, and outdoor adventures in California.
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#mtumunhum #sanjosehikes #sanjose #bayareahikes #bayarea #southbay #northerncalifornia

✨Anyone else craving some beautiful hikes near t

✨Anyone else craving some beautiful hikes near the water this summer?✨
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Here are my favorite hikes near the water that are around the Bay Area:
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🥾Bodega Head Trail [1.7 miles] - The hike pictured here! Beautiful any time of the year, but I especially love this hike during spring and summer. Such a scenic and relaxing place to go for an easy hike.
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🥾Lands End Trail [3.4 miles] - This easy coastal hike is fairly flat and gives you stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as one of San Francisco’s most unique sights, the Sutro Baths.
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🥾Alamere Falls [13.8 miles] - One of the most popular hikes in Point Reyes National Seashore that features a waterfall that flows into the ocean.
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🥾Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Loop [4.1 miles] - One of those tucked-away gems that offers beautiful viewpoints of the bay.
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🥾Alpine Lake Loop Hike [10 miles] - One of my all-time favorite hikes near the water. This trail has a little bit of everything—calf-burning inclines, waterfalls, shade, lakes, and wide-open grasslands. If you’re looking for a shorter alternative, go for the Cataract Falls Trail [4.8 miles].
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🥾Mori Point Loop Trail [2.5 miles] - For unbeatable cliffside ocean views, Mori Point is the most popular lookout point in Pacifica.
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🥾Coastside Trail in Half Moon Bay [9.4 miles] - This flat trail takes you through four beaches in Half Moon Bay and provides ample coastal views throughout most of the journey.
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🥾Old Landing Cove Trail [2.3 miles] - One of my favorite coastal hikes in Santa Cruz. Takes you past stunning viewpoints and hidden coves. Afterward, take in the sunset from West Cliff Drive nearby.
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🥾Rubicon Trail in D.L. Bliss State Park [10 miles] - A little further in Lake Tahoe, but one of the prettiest hikes near the water in California and the best one to take in those lakeside views.
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Send this to the person you want to go hiking with this summer!☀️
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#coastalhikes #waterfallhikes #californiahikes #bayareahikes #sanfranciscohikes #sanfrancisco #bayarea #northerncalifornia

✨Looking for an alternative waterfall hike in Yo

✨Looking for an alternative waterfall hike in Yosemite?✨
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You’ve probably heard of Yosemite Falls, but Chilnualna Falls is a great alternative if you’re looking for a hike with fewer crowds.
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The nice thing about this hike is that the waterfall is at the start of the hike, so once you get past it, there’s significantly fewer people. And the rest of the hike is just as beautiful. There’s even a natural water slide towards the end of the hike!
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What’s your favorite lesser known hike in Yosemite?
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🥾Chilnualna Falls hike—7.7 miles, 2201 ft elevation gain, out-and-back
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#chilnualnafalls #chilnualnafallshike #yosemitehikes #yosemitewaterfalls #yosemite #nationalparks #california

✨Looking for a fun and relaxing day trip from Sa

✨Looking for a fun and relaxing day trip from San Francisco this summer?✨
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Let me introduce you to CALISTOGA!
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Only about an hour and a half from SF, Calistoga is part of the Napa Valley and feels far away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area.
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Besides wine tasting, It’s also known for its geothermal activity and mud baths. Suneel and I, of course, experienced all of that and more while we were in town. Here’s my full itinerary:
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🧇Grab breakfast: For a casual diner feel that’s right in downtown, head to Cafe Sarafornia. If you’re looking for something more upscale and Instagrammable, head to Sam’s Social Club. We liked both, but have more of a soft spot for local diners.
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📍Head over to Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser to watch it blow. When I was there, it erupted close to every 30-45 minutes. While you wait for it to erupt, there’s a farm with cute animals on the property where you can go say hi to the goats.
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🍷Go wine tasting! This is Napa Valley, after all. I highly recommend Tedeschi Family Winery for the delicious wine and beautiful property that isn’t as busy as some other Napa Wineries. For a place closer to town, you can’t go wrong with Tank Garage Winery. Grab some sandwiches from Palisades Eatery afterward.
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💆‍♀Experience a mud bath and soak in a hot spring. We booked our mud baths at Golden Haven Spa and then soaked in their hot spring-fed pool, but there are plenty of places around town to book this experience. The best way to describe the mud bath was...weird, but also fun and a very unique experience. Make sure to book this well in advance or look for last-minute cancellations.
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🍝End the night with a romantic dinner at Lovina. This is such a cozy place that has delicious food with a gorgeous outdoor patio, perfect for summer.
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🍺If you’re looking to keep the night going, head to Susie’s Bar. We love a good dive bar, and Susie’s did not disappoint.
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#calistoga #napa #napavalley #hotsprings #northerncalifornia #bayarea

✨I still can’t get over those Mt. Tam views✨

✨I still can’t get over those Mt. Tam views✨

If you want this view without the work, there’s a parking lot near the summit of Mt. Tam. Just put in Mt. Tamalpais State Park Visitor Center into your GPS, near the East Peak. It’s $8 to park and you’ll want to bring that in exact cash.
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There’s also a cute museum at the Visitor Center that talks about the railroad that used to operate up there, as well as the Gravity Car Barn if you want to see how people used to ride down the mountain.
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If you’re looking for more of an adventure to add on to the view, I highly recommend hiking to the peak of Mt Tam from Stinson Beach area instead of driving.
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This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Bay Area, and will take you past lush forests as well as expansive views like this along the way.
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The hike we did was just over 15 miles roundtrip and worth every step. And honestly, it made the view at the top that much more worth it.
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#mttam #mttamalpais #bayarea #sanfrancisco #northbay #californiahikes

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