The Atlas Heart

Hi! I'm Mimi.

I created The Atlas Heart with the intention of not only seeing the world, but understanding and writing about cultures from the perspectives of locals – what I call ‘seeing the world through a kaleidoscope lens’.

Popular posts

Destinations

World Map Placeholder

World Map

latest adventures

best gifts for hikers

50 Best Gifts for Hikers | Ultimate Gift Guide for 2020

Outdoor Travel, Travel Products

50 Best Gifts for Hikers | Ultimate Gift Guide for 2020

Maui Hikes - Haleakalā Volcano

15 Best Maui Hikes: A Detailed Guide to Hiking in Maui

North America, Outdoor Travel, USA

15 Best Maui Hikes: A Detailed Guide to Hiking in Maui

where to purchase tieks - rose gold glam tieks

Where to Purchase Tieks Shoes | New and Used Tieks for Sale

Travel Products

Where to Purchase Tieks Shoes | New and Used Tieks for Sale

best big basin hikes and campgrounds - big basin redwoods state park

Best Big Basin Hikes & Campgrounds | Big Basin Redwoods State Park

California, Outdoor Travel, USA

Best Big Basin Hikes & Campgrounds | Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Things to do in lake Tahoe

50 Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe (For Every Season)

Bucket Lists, California, Outdoor Travel, USA

50 Best Things to Do in Lake Tahoe (For Every Season)

38

countries visited

10

Places I've lived

7

years of blogging

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.

Have you heard of the Berkeley Fire Trails? 🔥✨ My boyfriend, who went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, recently took me to visit these secret trails near campus. Trails that he used to hike and run on a weekly basis when he was in school. The 7-mile fire trail system cuts along Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve and through UC Berkeley campus. And these trails offer some of the best views I’ve found in the East Bay. The most popular fire trail to start with is the Stonewall-Panoramic Trail, which starts from the Stonewall Road entrance to the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve and takes you to the East-West Trail once it gets to the portion of land that’s run by UC Berkeley. Be prepared for a steep and unshaded, dusty ascent but stunning panoramic views from the top make the journey very much worth it. You can make the hike as long or as short as you want. The best views are towards the beginning of the hike, so we ended up doing around 3-4 miles roundtrip. Along the way, you’ll get views of colorful houses on the surrounding hills, windswept perspectives of the San Francisco Bay Area, and some desert wildlife - we saw a rattlesnake while we were eating lunch! 🐍 This hike reminded me a lot of the hikes you might fight in San Diego or LA - that feeling of urban nature combined with desert landscapes. And speaking of desert landscapes, I’d recommend hiking this trail either in the early morning or around dusk to avoid too many people and the worst of the heat. We hiked this around 3pm and it was hot and crowded. Also, make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and energy to tackle those steep climbs. And don’t forget your mask! 😷 This hike has been one of my favorite activities to do during COVID-19 this summer, made complete with eating burritos at the summit on a hot day. . . #berkeleyfiretrails #berkeleyca #berkeleyhikes #berkeleytrails #berkeleycalifornia #bayareahikes #bayareahiking #eastbayhikes #eastbay #eastbaytrails

Looking to get lost in a redwood forest this weeke

Looking to get lost in a redwood forest this weekend? 🌲🌿 . I hiked the French Trail Loop a few weeks back in Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Here are the deets if you want to hike it soon too: . 🌲This 6-mile loop trail starts on the main Stream Trail from the Skyline Gate parking area and cuts over on the Chown Trail, which then takes you to the French Trail (my favorite trail in Redwood Regional Park - it’s everything you’d imagine a magical redwood hike to be). I actually did a slightly longer hike that was probably closer to 7 or 8 miles and hiked the full length of the Stream Trail and took the West Ridge Trail to the Orchard Trail, which then took me to the French Trail. . 🌲Whether you go for the 6 or 8 mile option, this hike is relatively flat but filled with diverse landscapes and hushed redwood forests. . 🌲 Besides redwoods, you’ll find evergreens, chaparral, and grasslands around the park. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a golden eagle or Alameda striped racer. . 🌲 COVID-19 Info - I hiked this trail at the end of June and about 60%-70% of people were wearing masks on the trail. Trails were two-ways so you sometimes passed other hikers. All restrooms along the trail, water fountains, and picnic areas were closed. Although the restroom at the trailhead was open. The Stream Trail is a super wide trail, so if you want to keep 6-feet or more distance, it’s easy to do so. Although it’s also the busiest trail in the park. The trails that are more inland, like the French Trail, are quieter but much more narrow, so you just have to be mindful when you come across other hikers and move to the side as they pass. . 🌲There’s free street parking or $5 paid parking in the lots (although these fill up quickly). If you’re parking on the street near the park, don’t leave anything valuable in your car as car break-ins happen from time to time. . . I’m going to try and share a new California hike with you guys every week. Right now, it’ll mostly be Bay Area hikes, but I may be staying up in Tahoe in September/October to explore some unique hikes and outdoor adventures in the Sierras so stay tuned. ✨

Summer in the city 🌞✨ *hand sanitizer not pic

Summer in the city 🌞✨ *hand sanitizer not pictured* . . I’ve been discovering so many good date ideas around the Bay thanks to @nudgetext. Not sponsored at all, but I’ve been using them as a resource for things to do around the city and beyond for the past few months. It’s a free service and they text you multiple ideas for things to do every month (all COVID-friendly) around the Bay Area (and they’re in other cities too). We added on to this pizza at the beach recommendation with a game of Mille Bornes and champagne, because we fancy. 🍾🍕

There’s no better time to get lost in nature, es

There’s no better time to get lost in nature, especially with the precautions local parks in California are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 🌲🌿 . . My siblings and I grew up hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains and we recently went on a family hike, just like old times, at Big Basin. . . On my blog, you can find a complete guide to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, including which trails to hike, how to get there, and what to expect with a visit to the park during Coronavirus times. Big Basin is about an hour and a half south of San Francisco and well worth the journey. It’s the oldest state park in California and one of the best places to explore old-growth redwood trees that are thousands of years old. And they just opened up campsites again so it’s perfect for a weekend getaway! . . I plan to write up a lot more of these COVID-friendly guides to local parks in California and I’ve been going on hikes almost every weekend so let me know if there’s anywhere in particular you’d like to read about. I’m looking forward to making this an ongoing series on my blog for the foreseeable future. 😷🌲✨ . . Have you gone on any outdoor adventures or good hikes lately?

If you’ve been following my stories, you know th

If you’ve been following my stories, you know that I recently started a book club with a few friends in San Francisco featuring Black and Brown authors and perspectives. The point of the book club is to not only educate ourselves but to discuss the systemic racism that exists in our country more openly, and to talk about how we can be better allies to the Black community. Our first book is “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo. I’m almost finished with the book and I already have so many important takeaways from reading it. In her book, Oluo covers topics like: - How to be more aware of your privilege so you can use it to help those who are oppressed by it. - The school-to-prison pipeline and how Black and Brown kids are disproportionately punished at school, as well as suspended and expelled, which often leads to a life of fewer opportunities. - Microaggressions and backhanded compliments that Black people (and POC) have to hear all the time - e.g. wow, you’re so articulate! - The myth of model minorities - What is and isn’t cultural appropriation and why you should probably think twice before wearing that Native American headdress to Coachella. - Intersectionality and the problems of white feminism - how the ‘white’ feminist movement has a long history of not supporting or listening to Black women and what they need. - Why police brutality is in fact about race. - Affirmative action and why it’s so important and the idea of equity vs equality. If you want to follow along in the discussion of this book and future books, I’ll be posting stories throughout each month that can be found under ‘Book Club’ in my highlights. And, if you’re interested in picking up your own copy of “So You Want to Talk About Race,” here’s a link to Black-owned bookstores where you can order it online: https://aalbc.com/bookstores/list.php I have a list of about 30 other books that are on my to-read list, but I’m always looking for more recommendations! Let me know in the comments below your favorite books by Black authors.👇

Happy 4th of July!! 🎇 It’s an interesting ho

Happy 4th of July!! 🎇 It’s an interesting holiday this year. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and a historic civil rights movement. I’m celebrating American independence today, but I’m also taking time to reflect on how far we still have to go. In 1776, we gave white male Americans (with property) the right to vote. It took another century for that to be extended to Black men and another 50 years after that for that right to be given to women. But even today, IN 2020, there’s still a large chunk of our population that doesn’t get that right. Right now there are 6.1 million Americans who can’t vote because of a felony conviction. In most US states, felons lose their right to vote while incarcerated and usually for a period after their release during probation, or they have to pay fees they can’t always afford to pay before they’re able to vote again. In other words, voting (a basic human right in this country) isn’t a given or made easy for you if you’re a convicted felon. In one state - Iowa - there’s still a lifetime ban on felons being able to vote. Although the governor of Iowa recently said she’s working on changing this. Because of the systemic racism that exists in our country and how many Black Americans are wrongfully convicted, 1 in 3 Black men will likely go to prison at some point in their life - meaning this loss of voting rights disproportionally affects Black men and BIPOC in a profound way. So yes, today I’m grateful for the independence we won in 1776, but I’m also reflecting on how much work there still is to do in this country and how the freedoms we’re celebrating today still don’t extend to all US citizens. If you’re celebrating today, don’t forget how powerful your right to vote is as an American citizen. Come November, your vote in local and national elections can make a difference in whether this country moves in a direction of progress and change. If you want to learn more about felony disenfranchisement, I’d recommend visiting thesentencingproject.org, where you can learn more about how to get involved, where to donate, and how to speak up. ✨✨Continued in the comments ✨✨👇👇

Follow Me on Instagram

Join the Adventure

Get first dibs on travel updates, tips, and deals. Life is an adventure, join me around the world!

© 2019 The Atlas Heart | made in collaboration with Ink & Honey Design Co. + Michelle Robins Creative