Central Coast Home & Outdoor Magazine, February 2008
Life in the Shoes of Interior Designer Pamela Burden
The "Life in the Shoes of..." section was created to showcase local Central Coast business owners and outstanding citizens for their dedication to their craft and their generous, positive impact on the Central Coast.
The "Life in the Shoes of..." section was created to showcase local Central Coast business owners and outstanding citizens for their dedication to their craft and their generous, positive impact on the Central Coast.
You’ve got four days, 10-foot high beam ceilings, two uncomfortable 80s colored tweed couches, funeral home wallpaper and four library’s worth of books. Your mission: organize, decorate and make beautiful. Armed with an eye for style and a knack for beauty, interior designer Pamela Burden is the woman to call for Central Coast home revamps.
With 12 years of full-time design work under her belt, Pamela travels from the Santa Maria area to Paso Robles to redecorate homes in need.
“I work on largely residential (projects), everything from new construction to completion of accessorizing the new home,” Pamela said. “I have done major remodels, as well as rearranging clients' existing furnishings and rechanging their art.”
After getting her BS degree from Oregon State University in Elementary Education, Pamela then got her Certificate from the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach.
“Rather than pursue another college degree (as I had children in college at the time), I chose to intern with an established designer in Newport Beach for a year before venturing out on my own,” Pamela said. “From this experience I gained valuable insight, not only for the design aspect but for the business side of interior design as well. I began to realize early that vendor relationships were as important as client relationships.”
And that early experience taught her well as she has now become an established interior designer on the Central Coast. She runs her own business with the organizational help of an intern.
“I'm able to handle large and detailed budgets because of an excellent software program called Genesys, which my husband developed and manages for me,” Pamela said. “Having the ability to keep my clients up to date with the money they entrust to me with accurate ledgers and invoices has made the business end of my design work very manageable.”
With a business that is mainly run by her own intellectual creativity, Pamela has the freedom to individually express her own style and ideas with her projects.
“A particular style I am known for is ‘No White Walls.’ This is what I prefer of course. If a client wants something different however, I creatively rearrange that palette to be what they are excited about!
“I have a flair I am told regarding arranging art and accessorizing. I relate these items to what they are near in the room, and I have a sense of fun about it as well. I like to throw in a little of the ‘unexpected’ humor to those final touches,” she said.
Pamela’s versatile personality gives her an advantage in the field in that she can accommodate the needs of her clients no matter what type of decorating transformation they are looking for. And while she has fun doing her job, she no doubt takes it very seriously when it comes to client and vendor relationships.
“I have found that good working relationships with my vendors is paramount to getting a job done well. For instance I don't waste their time, and the more precise I am at describing what I want the end result to look like, the better they are at executing it,” Pamela said.
She works with vendors all over the state and makes special trips to L.A. and San Francisco for the best products.
“I am a great shopper and snoop! I go from the traditional design centers, to retail, to consignment shops to ‘hole in the wall’ antique stores, to catalogs, and the internet. Keeping abreast of the times and where products can be found is part of the challenge and the talent I bring to a project,” Pamela said.
The eclectic collection of products that she brings together is one of the prime reasons that Pamela’s work goes above and beyond the typical decorating job.
“I love transposing the ordinary and mundane into the exciting and breathtaking. This can be accomplished as simply with paint colors, as well as a complete makeover,” she said.
Her work has even been showcased by HGTV as she was a participant on the show “Designers Challenge.” She has a respectable portfolio of clients from the Behr Paint family to one of the original partners of the Denny Restaurants, and one of the past editors of TIME Magazine.
The work that Pamela does is not just her career but her passion. With every blank slate that she approaches, she is professional, creative and most important of all excited.
“I love creating beauty! I love seeing how many different expressions of beauty that come about by starting with totally different spaces and needs of clients. Being able to share the joy that my clients feel about their homes, which often surpasses their expectations they tell me, is a very rewarding aspect of my work,” Pamela said.
And this is an enthusiasm that stems from her youth, “starting from a teenager and loving to rearrange my bedroom, to being a young bride and transforming my first home in 1971. It had red carpet, so I decided to pair that with gold walls in the main living space as well as stain the furniture a dark walnut. With the flooring in the kitchen black and white squares, it felt natural to paint those white cabinets black and VOILA!
“Everyone thought I was so gutsy. There was a lot of ‘my hands on’ experience back then that I did. From that time, and throughout the years, friends would ask for my advice and eventually ask me to do a job and pay me. I seemed to have an eye for art arrangement and doing some unusual things that people really liked and wouldn't have thought of themselves.”
With 12 years of full-time design work under her belt, Pamela travels from the Santa Maria area to Paso Robles to redecorate homes in need.
“I work on largely residential (projects), everything from new construction to completion of accessorizing the new home,” Pamela said. “I have done major remodels, as well as rearranging clients' existing furnishings and rechanging their art.”
After getting her BS degree from Oregon State University in Elementary Education, Pamela then got her Certificate from the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach.
“Rather than pursue another college degree (as I had children in college at the time), I chose to intern with an established designer in Newport Beach for a year before venturing out on my own,” Pamela said. “From this experience I gained valuable insight, not only for the design aspect but for the business side of interior design as well. I began to realize early that vendor relationships were as important as client relationships.”
And that early experience taught her well as she has now become an established interior designer on the Central Coast. She runs her own business with the organizational help of an intern.
“I'm able to handle large and detailed budgets because of an excellent software program called Genesys, which my husband developed and manages for me,” Pamela said. “Having the ability to keep my clients up to date with the money they entrust to me with accurate ledgers and invoices has made the business end of my design work very manageable.”
With a business that is mainly run by her own intellectual creativity, Pamela has the freedom to individually express her own style and ideas with her projects.
“A particular style I am known for is ‘No White Walls.’ This is what I prefer of course. If a client wants something different however, I creatively rearrange that palette to be what they are excited about!
“I have a flair I am told regarding arranging art and accessorizing. I relate these items to what they are near in the room, and I have a sense of fun about it as well. I like to throw in a little of the ‘unexpected’ humor to those final touches,” she said.
Pamela’s versatile personality gives her an advantage in the field in that she can accommodate the needs of her clients no matter what type of decorating transformation they are looking for. And while she has fun doing her job, she no doubt takes it very seriously when it comes to client and vendor relationships.
“I have found that good working relationships with my vendors is paramount to getting a job done well. For instance I don't waste their time, and the more precise I am at describing what I want the end result to look like, the better they are at executing it,” Pamela said.
She works with vendors all over the state and makes special trips to L.A. and San Francisco for the best products.
“I am a great shopper and snoop! I go from the traditional design centers, to retail, to consignment shops to ‘hole in the wall’ antique stores, to catalogs, and the internet. Keeping abreast of the times and where products can be found is part of the challenge and the talent I bring to a project,” Pamela said.
The eclectic collection of products that she brings together is one of the prime reasons that Pamela’s work goes above and beyond the typical decorating job.
“I love transposing the ordinary and mundane into the exciting and breathtaking. This can be accomplished as simply with paint colors, as well as a complete makeover,” she said.
Her work has even been showcased by HGTV as she was a participant on the show “Designers Challenge.” She has a respectable portfolio of clients from the Behr Paint family to one of the original partners of the Denny Restaurants, and one of the past editors of TIME Magazine.
The work that Pamela does is not just her career but her passion. With every blank slate that she approaches, she is professional, creative and most important of all excited.
“I love creating beauty! I love seeing how many different expressions of beauty that come about by starting with totally different spaces and needs of clients. Being able to share the joy that my clients feel about their homes, which often surpasses their expectations they tell me, is a very rewarding aspect of my work,” Pamela said.
And this is an enthusiasm that stems from her youth, “starting from a teenager and loving to rearrange my bedroom, to being a young bride and transforming my first home in 1971. It had red carpet, so I decided to pair that with gold walls in the main living space as well as stain the furniture a dark walnut. With the flooring in the kitchen black and white squares, it felt natural to paint those white cabinets black and VOILA!
“Everyone thought I was so gutsy. There was a lot of ‘my hands on’ experience back then that I did. From that time, and throughout the years, friends would ask for my advice and eventually ask me to do a job and pay me. I seemed to have an eye for art arrangement and doing some unusual things that people really liked and wouldn't have thought of themselves.”
Siding with Spinach
Featured every month was a different ingredient, giving readers the origin, details, preparation methods, storage and selection facts, health benefits, recipes and more about the specific ingredient.
Featured every month was a different ingredient, giving readers the origin, details, preparation methods, storage and selection facts, health benefits, recipes and more about the specific ingredient.
When I was a kid, I thought that Popeye and my mom were the only ones that saw eye-to-eye on the subject of spinach. Seeing the gooey mess of slobbery-looking greens tempted me to live the life of a runaway and never look back. I debated faking sick and going to bed hungry to avoid the poisonous taste of cooked spinach. And my mother never let me leave the table without finishing it, causing me to continue my hatred for the leafy disgrace of a vegetable into my teen years.
And while I still don’t ever want to pull-a-Popeye and bust out a can of plain spinach, I’ve begun to see that there is more to spinach than my childhood nightmares tell me. Almost everyone has that vegetable-phobia as a 10-year-old whether is it string beans or brussel sprouts or broccoli. And as they say, with age comes knowledge and I’ve realized that there are plenty of delicious ways to eat spinach and plenty of reasons too. So I’m going to go against my fifth grade alter-ego and explore the world of spinach.
ORIGIN
Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. In the 7th Century, it arrived in China as a gift from the King of Nepal. It was introduced to Europe between the 11th and 15th Centuries by the Moors, who brought it into Spain. This gave rise to spinach being referred to as 'the Spanish vegetable' in England.
ABOUT
There are 3 basic types of Spinach: savory, flat/smooth leaf and semi-savoy.
Savoy has dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. It is the type sold in fresh bunches in most supermarkets. Flat/smooth leaf spinach has broad smooth leaves and is often grown for canned and frozen spinach. Semi-savoy is a hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but it is not as difficult to clean. It is grown for both fresh market and processing.
The offical plant name for spinach is spinacia oleracea and it is a flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to central and southwestern Asia and grows to a height of up to 30 cm. When in bloom, the flowers are small, yellow-green and mature into small dry fruit clusters.
NUTRIENTS
Spinach has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. To get the most benefit from its nutrients, it is best to steam spinach. It is a great source of folic acid, vitamins A, C, E and K, magnesium and many beneficial antioxidants. It can be frozen for up to eight months and still keep its nutritional value. In the fridge, the vegetable will last about eight days fresh.
And while I still don’t ever want to pull-a-Popeye and bust out a can of plain spinach, I’ve begun to see that there is more to spinach than my childhood nightmares tell me. Almost everyone has that vegetable-phobia as a 10-year-old whether is it string beans or brussel sprouts or broccoli. And as they say, with age comes knowledge and I’ve realized that there are plenty of delicious ways to eat spinach and plenty of reasons too. So I’m going to go against my fifth grade alter-ego and explore the world of spinach.
ORIGIN
Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. In the 7th Century, it arrived in China as a gift from the King of Nepal. It was introduced to Europe between the 11th and 15th Centuries by the Moors, who brought it into Spain. This gave rise to spinach being referred to as 'the Spanish vegetable' in England.
ABOUT
There are 3 basic types of Spinach: savory, flat/smooth leaf and semi-savoy.
Savoy has dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. It is the type sold in fresh bunches in most supermarkets. Flat/smooth leaf spinach has broad smooth leaves and is often grown for canned and frozen spinach. Semi-savoy is a hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but it is not as difficult to clean. It is grown for both fresh market and processing.
The offical plant name for spinach is spinacia oleracea and it is a flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to central and southwestern Asia and grows to a height of up to 30 cm. When in bloom, the flowers are small, yellow-green and mature into small dry fruit clusters.
NUTRIENTS
Spinach has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. To get the most benefit from its nutrients, it is best to steam spinach. It is a great source of folic acid, vitamins A, C, E and K, magnesium and many beneficial antioxidants. It can be frozen for up to eight months and still keep its nutritional value. In the fridge, the vegetable will last about eight days fresh.
The Science of Sushi
Food Feature
Food Feature
Tako, maguro, hamachi, toro . . . these different types of sushi may seem foreign and a tad bit daunting to many but eating raw fish is very beneficial to one’s health and provides important nutrients that the body cannot provide itself.
Fish is high in protein, low in fat, and is a standard, everyday food in many countries. The main benefit of fish is its high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fatty acids raise the “good” cholesterol in one’s body, the HDL (high-density lipoproteins). Omega-3’s have also been show to help those with type II diabetes by helping to moderate blood sugar levels. And the list goes on as omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of blood lots and decrease triglyceride levels. There are some types of fish that do rack up grams of fat but they are still heart-healthy and stray from the typical saturated fat meats.
Plus fish is relatively low in calories and gives high amounts of protein in proportion. For example, in 3 oz. of yellowtail (USDA serving size) there are just 123 calories and a whopping 19.8 grams of protein. Sweet shrimp has 90 calories per 3 oz. and 17.4 grams of protein.
Some worry that raw fish could contain parasites or other forms of bacteria. However, restaurants are required to only serve fish that has been commercially frozen for at least 72 hours at 4ºF. This kills any parasitic worms and their larvae.
The Central Coast has become home to many sushi bars and the raw fish craze has spread all over the area. San Luis Obispo is fully equipped with Japanese restaurants with places like Yanagi, Sumo Sushi, Shin’s Sushi Bar, Tsurugi, Sushiya and more.
For those who still fear the thought of eating ocean-to-table fish without the reliable use of a stove, most Japanese restaurants serve thoroughly cooked fish like salmon and yellowtail.
Fast Facts:
-To-be-mothers should avoid raw fish due to the high amounts of mercury that fish contains as well as the possibility of any type of bacteria.
-Crab and wild salmon are low in mercury. Shark, swordfish and yellowfin tuna are high in mercury.
-Wasabi is the Japanese horseradish and grows naturally as a root and is made into a paste by mixing the finely grated radish with mustard and food coloring.
-Almost all wasabi in sushi bars is imitation because real wasabi is extremely expensive. Imitation wasabi is typically made with add-water-powder.
-Ginger relaxes and soothes the gastrointestinal tract, and contains powerful anti-inflammatory agents that can relieve pain associated with joint disease. It also clears the palate between bites.
-Approximately 80% of the world's bluefin tuna catch is used for sushi.
Fish is high in protein, low in fat, and is a standard, everyday food in many countries. The main benefit of fish is its high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fatty acids raise the “good” cholesterol in one’s body, the HDL (high-density lipoproteins). Omega-3’s have also been show to help those with type II diabetes by helping to moderate blood sugar levels. And the list goes on as omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of blood lots and decrease triglyceride levels. There are some types of fish that do rack up grams of fat but they are still heart-healthy and stray from the typical saturated fat meats.
Plus fish is relatively low in calories and gives high amounts of protein in proportion. For example, in 3 oz. of yellowtail (USDA serving size) there are just 123 calories and a whopping 19.8 grams of protein. Sweet shrimp has 90 calories per 3 oz. and 17.4 grams of protein.
Some worry that raw fish could contain parasites or other forms of bacteria. However, restaurants are required to only serve fish that has been commercially frozen for at least 72 hours at 4ºF. This kills any parasitic worms and their larvae.
The Central Coast has become home to many sushi bars and the raw fish craze has spread all over the area. San Luis Obispo is fully equipped with Japanese restaurants with places like Yanagi, Sumo Sushi, Shin’s Sushi Bar, Tsurugi, Sushiya and more.
For those who still fear the thought of eating ocean-to-table fish without the reliable use of a stove, most Japanese restaurants serve thoroughly cooked fish like salmon and yellowtail.
Fast Facts:
-To-be-mothers should avoid raw fish due to the high amounts of mercury that fish contains as well as the possibility of any type of bacteria.
-Crab and wild salmon are low in mercury. Shark, swordfish and yellowfin tuna are high in mercury.
-Wasabi is the Japanese horseradish and grows naturally as a root and is made into a paste by mixing the finely grated radish with mustard and food coloring.
-Almost all wasabi in sushi bars is imitation because real wasabi is extremely expensive. Imitation wasabi is typically made with add-water-powder.
-Ginger relaxes and soothes the gastrointestinal tract, and contains powerful anti-inflammatory agents that can relieve pain associated with joint disease. It also clears the palate between bites.
-Approximately 80% of the world's bluefin tuna catch is used for sushi.
Japanese Rock Gardens
Outdoor Feature
Outdoor Feature
Zen gardens, or Japanese rock gardens, are a unique and cultural way to change up your backyard and represent calm and serenity in gardens all over the world.
The garden consists of an enclosed shallow sandpit with sand gravel rocks and other natural elements. This is traditional karesansui style, representing the words dry, mountain and water.
The sand is representative of the sea and the way the sand is raked shows the movement of rippling water. The rocks that are placed within the sand strokes are usually associated with mountains. Although there are generally accepted symbols of a Japanese rock garden, there are many other theories as well. Some say the rocks represent the islands of Japan or China while others say that they represent a mother tiger with her cubs. There are even mathematical breakdowns to the garden’s structure.
There are many lifesize zen gardens worldwide such as the one that sits in the Japanese tea garden in San Francisco. There are also small hand-held Zen gardens that feature a small sand box with assorted polished stones and a mini wooden rake.
Zen gardens are calm, serene places that are meant for relaxing the mind and soul, and meditation. In Japanese culture, garden-making is considered a high art, similar to calligraphy and ink painting. This type of garden appeared in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) and its most prominent example is Ryōan-ji in Kyoto, Japan. The garden is 30 meters long and 10 meters wide. It features 15 rocks of varying sizes, sitting in a bed or white sand that is raked every day. Although there are 15 rocks, only 14 of them are visible, no matter what angle you are looking at the garden from. Legend says that only once one has attained spiritual enlightenment through deep Zen meditation will they be able to see the 15th rock.
You can buy your own mini zen garden, available on www.amazon.com. Many kits will come with rocks, sand, the wooden box, mini tools and a meditation book.
The garden consists of an enclosed shallow sandpit with sand gravel rocks and other natural elements. This is traditional karesansui style, representing the words dry, mountain and water.
The sand is representative of the sea and the way the sand is raked shows the movement of rippling water. The rocks that are placed within the sand strokes are usually associated with mountains. Although there are generally accepted symbols of a Japanese rock garden, there are many other theories as well. Some say the rocks represent the islands of Japan or China while others say that they represent a mother tiger with her cubs. There are even mathematical breakdowns to the garden’s structure.
There are many lifesize zen gardens worldwide such as the one that sits in the Japanese tea garden in San Francisco. There are also small hand-held Zen gardens that feature a small sand box with assorted polished stones and a mini wooden rake.
Zen gardens are calm, serene places that are meant for relaxing the mind and soul, and meditation. In Japanese culture, garden-making is considered a high art, similar to calligraphy and ink painting. This type of garden appeared in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) and its most prominent example is Ryōan-ji in Kyoto, Japan. The garden is 30 meters long and 10 meters wide. It features 15 rocks of varying sizes, sitting in a bed or white sand that is raked every day. Although there are 15 rocks, only 14 of them are visible, no matter what angle you are looking at the garden from. Legend says that only once one has attained spiritual enlightenment through deep Zen meditation will they be able to see the 15th rock.
You can buy your own mini zen garden, available on www.amazon.com. Many kits will come with rocks, sand, the wooden box, mini tools and a meditation book.
Trailing San Luis Obispo
Health and Spa Feature
Health and Spa Feature
With a Central Coast location, amazing weather, and spectacular nature, San Luis Obispo County is the perfect place to get out and take a deep breath of fresh air. Whether you are walking along the soft sands at Pismo Beach or hiking to the top of Bishops Peak, there are plenty of areas where you can lace up your tennis shoes and appreciate the beautiful outdoors.
Recently my friend and I took a late afternoon to explore the Irish Hills Natural Reserve off of Madonna and Los Osos Valley Roads. Nestled back in the newly-built neighborhoods, a hidden entrance to the trails hides off the main road. Directly from the street is a simple metal gate that blocks off cars and welcomes runners, hikers, walkers, bikers and more. A wide dirt pathway leads to the main sign and gives visitors a choice between the King Trail to the left and another to the right. We decided to try the left side, which opened up on the side of the hill and seemed like it would give us a good view of the city.
With rains hitting the coast hard just a week before, the trails were a little damp but didn’t give us much trouble. Our trail wrapped around the side of the hill and after a few minutes of hiking, we had already broken a sweat and opened ourselves up to a gorgeous view of the city. The trail wasn’t too steep but was inclined enough to wake up my legs.
Our trail began to head towards the overlapping of the hills and soon we found ourselves enveloped in the “Irish Hills.” We passed over two quaint little bridges that looked like they had come straight from a children’s storybook. Cobblestone pathways weaved in and out of our path until we emerged from the wilderness out onto an open trail again with another amazing view of San Luis Obispo. The luscious green hills lined up perfectly across the horizon as the sun began to retire.
We had been hiking for about 25 minutes and the wind picked up the higher we climbed. The path became more rocky and soon we ended up at a plateau with a small wooden bench that was marked with a little white plaque: “Tool Station/Resting Bench: Provided by Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers with funding from San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club.”
At this point we took a break to enjoy the view and debate how much longer we wanted to go. The pathway continued up the hill and as much as curiosity tempted us, the sun was beginning to go down and we didn’t want to get stuck at the top of a dark hill. So we began our ascent as the colors of the sunset highlighted the surrounding hills.
After about 50 minutes of hiking, we reached the bottom and I felt content to have escaped the four-walled jail of a gym, as well as exploring a new part of San Luis Obispo. Plus I had burned about 380 calories! And the more I looked into my simple little hike, I knew that a 50-minute workout had more benefits than the average person would imagine.
The American Hiking Society posts pages and pages of information on their Web site about the benefits of a simple brisk walk or beach bike ride. Need proof? They list the following: losing excess pounds, preventing heart disease, decreasing high blood pressure, improving and maintaining mental health, slowing the aging process, preventing osteoporosis, improving the quality of the air we breathe, preventing and controlling diabetes, improving arthritis, and relieving back pain. And the most important reason to get out and enjoy the outdoors? Life itself.
“Another powerful reason to hike doesn’t involve a specific disease or a single facet of life. Rather it is life. Each time you go outside and walk, as long as you stay within your capabilities, you will come home feeling better than you did when you left. Your body will feel better. Your head will feel clearer, and your stress level will have decreased” (www.americanhiking.org).
So whether you’ve had a long day at work or you’ve just been cooped up in the house for too long, spend a half-hour enjoying life and take a hike!
Irish Hills Natural Reserve Facts
Length: 1.6 miles to the ridge top, total of 4.5 miles throughout the reserve
Area: 722-acres
Highlights: Abandoned open mine, two perennial streams – Prefumo Creek and Froom Creek
Access: Madonna Road or Prefumo Canyon Road
Wildlife and Plant life: Endangered southern steelhead trout, Chorro Creek bog thistle (endangered), over 200 species of birds
*Photos also credited to Amanda Retzer
Recently my friend and I took a late afternoon to explore the Irish Hills Natural Reserve off of Madonna and Los Osos Valley Roads. Nestled back in the newly-built neighborhoods, a hidden entrance to the trails hides off the main road. Directly from the street is a simple metal gate that blocks off cars and welcomes runners, hikers, walkers, bikers and more. A wide dirt pathway leads to the main sign and gives visitors a choice between the King Trail to the left and another to the right. We decided to try the left side, which opened up on the side of the hill and seemed like it would give us a good view of the city.
With rains hitting the coast hard just a week before, the trails were a little damp but didn’t give us much trouble. Our trail wrapped around the side of the hill and after a few minutes of hiking, we had already broken a sweat and opened ourselves up to a gorgeous view of the city. The trail wasn’t too steep but was inclined enough to wake up my legs.
Our trail began to head towards the overlapping of the hills and soon we found ourselves enveloped in the “Irish Hills.” We passed over two quaint little bridges that looked like they had come straight from a children’s storybook. Cobblestone pathways weaved in and out of our path until we emerged from the wilderness out onto an open trail again with another amazing view of San Luis Obispo. The luscious green hills lined up perfectly across the horizon as the sun began to retire.
We had been hiking for about 25 minutes and the wind picked up the higher we climbed. The path became more rocky and soon we ended up at a plateau with a small wooden bench that was marked with a little white plaque: “Tool Station/Resting Bench: Provided by Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers with funding from San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club.”
At this point we took a break to enjoy the view and debate how much longer we wanted to go. The pathway continued up the hill and as much as curiosity tempted us, the sun was beginning to go down and we didn’t want to get stuck at the top of a dark hill. So we began our ascent as the colors of the sunset highlighted the surrounding hills.
After about 50 minutes of hiking, we reached the bottom and I felt content to have escaped the four-walled jail of a gym, as well as exploring a new part of San Luis Obispo. Plus I had burned about 380 calories! And the more I looked into my simple little hike, I knew that a 50-minute workout had more benefits than the average person would imagine.
The American Hiking Society posts pages and pages of information on their Web site about the benefits of a simple brisk walk or beach bike ride. Need proof? They list the following: losing excess pounds, preventing heart disease, decreasing high blood pressure, improving and maintaining mental health, slowing the aging process, preventing osteoporosis, improving the quality of the air we breathe, preventing and controlling diabetes, improving arthritis, and relieving back pain. And the most important reason to get out and enjoy the outdoors? Life itself.
“Another powerful reason to hike doesn’t involve a specific disease or a single facet of life. Rather it is life. Each time you go outside and walk, as long as you stay within your capabilities, you will come home feeling better than you did when you left. Your body will feel better. Your head will feel clearer, and your stress level will have decreased” (www.americanhiking.org).
So whether you’ve had a long day at work or you’ve just been cooped up in the house for too long, spend a half-hour enjoying life and take a hike!
Irish Hills Natural Reserve Facts
Length: 1.6 miles to the ridge top, total of 4.5 miles throughout the reserve
Area: 722-acres
Highlights: Abandoned open mine, two perennial streams – Prefumo Creek and Froom Creek
Access: Madonna Road or Prefumo Canyon Road
Wildlife and Plant life: Endangered southern steelhead trout, Chorro Creek bog thistle (endangered), over 200 species of birds
*Photos also credited to Amanda Retzer
