Hiking Panoramic Hill in Berkeley + Lunch at Nature’s Express
I’m a little late with my weekend recap but better late than never, right? One of our friends from Texas was in town for work and came to spend the night with us on Sunday so there wasn’t much time for blogging.
Like I said on Friday, I really wanted to get outside and do some hiking, so as soon as our guest said he was up for it, that’s what was officially on the agenda.
I read about a hike in Berkeley that has awesome views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate so we decided to check that one out. But first we had to stop and get some vegan fuel at little café named Nature’s Express in downtown Berkeley.
Their menu was huge and I had a really hard time deciding but in the end, I went for the Tuna Melt {made from garbanzo beans} and an Apple Kale Cooler {juice of an apple, kale, cucumber and lime}. It was so good; my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
After that we made the short drive to Panoramic Hill to start our hike. It was a little tricky navigating the narrow, winding roads but the views at the top were definitely worth it.
Can you spot the Golden Gate Bridge?
The hike I had originally planned for us starts on Panoramic Hill which has some pretty steep hills to get your heart pumping.
At one point, you can take a small side trail up to a spot known by locals as The Spiral Knob which is another nice lookout spot. I have no idea what the significance of the spiraled rocks are but I’m guessing it probably has something to do with the name.
As the trail continues, there are more steep climbs with frighteningly loose gravel. If you ever plan to hike this trail, make sure you wear a good pair of hiking shoes!
That picture is actually from our hike in South Lake Tahoe, about three months ago when I decided to finally buy a pair of designated hiking shoes. They’re made by Columbia and have turned out to be great.
After about an hour of hiking, we stopped at an open field to watch as the sun started to set. It was right about then that we realized we weren’t going to be able to finish the 6.7 mile loop before it got dark so we decided to turn back around.
The sunset on the way back was perfect and made me glad that we turned back when we did.
As we walked to the car, we passed a house up on the hill with some aloe vera plants and these other crazy looking (succulent?) plants that reminded me of an octopus.
The house is actually in a pretty nice spot with the driveway wrapping around the front of Panoramic Hill.
I mean really, can you imagine having this view outside your window every evening?
I would never leave. Just kidding…kind of.
For dinner, we decided to try a restaurant in Berkeley called Gather. They are big on supporting local farmers and had a small menu with some meat, pizzas, and a few vegan items. We split the ‘vegan charcuterie’ and a chanterelle pizza with poblano peppers, lemon and thyme.
The food was really flavorful but I’m not sure the price or the wait {over an hour} was quite worth it. That’s just me though.
We got in pretty late last night and all I wanted to do was get in bed to prepare for another Monday morning sitting in traffic. For some reason, it is the worst on Monday mornings. I keep trying to convince my job to let me work four 10 hour shifts {Tuesday through Friday} but it hasn’t worked out yet. I’ve still got my fingers crossed!
As much as I hate Mondays, I am looking forward to Body Attack tonight. A good sweat always makes me feel better, mentally and physically.
I hope everybody’s Monday has gone well so far and I’ll talk to you soon!
Where’s your favorite spot to watch the sunset?
Oh wow! These are some beautiful photos. Sounds like an awesome hike and you planned it just right to catch the sunset!
I wish I could work four 10 hour days too! Maybe someday :) Your pictures are beautiful and you got me craving some hiking now!
You two hike in the most beautiful spots! Gorgeous pictures as always and that sunset is just beautiful!
Such great pictures! I wish I could’ve gone hiking this weekend, it’s so peaceful and such a stress relief for me
Those pics are so gorgeous!! I would never leave if I lived there, either. That apple kale cooler also sounds delicious! Best sunsets I’ve seen are in Aruba. They are basically perfect every night!
Absolutely gorgeous pictures! My favorite place to watch the sunset (and rise!) is definitely over the ocean. I love the way it reminds me how small me and my own problem are in the grand scheme of things! :)
Those are some gorgeous photos! Makes me wish that it was still hiking weather around here.
What a beautiful hike and day girl! I’ve totally been to Natures Express and it’s SO good! I had some sort of kale and bean wrap when I was there and I LOVED it! I totally want to replicate that juice you had, it looks and sounds delish! I’m not a fan of overpriced and crowded restaurants either, no fun! xoxo, Jackie
You always find the hikes with the best views! I’m only slightly jealous ;) Mondays are hard and I’m so glad this one is over! Oh and my favorite spot to watch the sunset would most definitely be on a beach – it’s just so romantic.
Ooooo I love BodyAttack! That hike looks amazing and makes me want to jump right back on a plane and head to Cali! Totally agree about the hiking shoes. I made the mistake of wearing sneakers on our last hike and I was slipping on the leaves and the rocks really hurt my feet for a couple of days after. I was just being lazy and didn’t want to put on my boots. Ahhh well. Your food always looks so yum!
That hike looks SO awesome! I have to do it soon! It’s not officially on my list. Thanks for sharing it.
Luckily, I always like Monday’s, because i like the new start. Plus, I’m usually really busy on Monday’s so my day flies by. How long is your commute? Hopefully it wasn’t too bad this morning!
You’re welcome! It’s definitely worth checking out.
You’re so positive about Mondays. I need it to rub off on me. My commute is just shy of an hour each way so after 1.5-2 hrs in a car everyday, I’m kind of a grump!
Stunning pictures! It looks like a fabulous weekend, with great weather and food! I love hiking on the mountains near our city,and always think it would be awesome to live up there, stepping into my backyard with a view for miles.
WOW, these photos are absolutely gorgeous!! I want to do this hike sometime so I can see this beauty in person.
Speaking of you having a hard time choosing something to eat at the vegan cafe, I always have such a hard time picking out a menu item at a vegetarian/vegan place… I think I freak out a little thinking OMG this is awesome, I can eat everything on this menu!! Haha.
Beautiful pictures Sarah! I wish I’d known about this place during my time in Oakland but the view from the Oakland Hills is also great. I miss this. It felt really special just to drive around a little and have those spectacular views.
As always, thanks for bringing memorys back.
Are you doing ok? Hope you’re not stressed to much.
You are so sweet to ask, Anne. Yes, I am doing fine. Of course, I would love to rearrange a few things in the daily schedule but it is what it is right now. Spending time outdoors always helps though. I hope you are doing well also! :)
I haven’t been on a hike in far far too long – and your pictures are making me want to go asap! Such pretty views – especially that sunset.
I used to sit in horrendous traffic when we lived in DC – one of the reasons I’m thankful we moved! Taking over an hour to go about 8 miles to work is so not cool! Ugh, especially when you combine that with rude drivers!
Oh wow, those are some awesome views! I wish Pittsburgh had views like that (sorry Pittsburgh, love ya). Favorite spot to watch the sunset hmmmm probably over any body of water. No one place in particular but I love sitting on the beach or on a lake..so pretty!
Those pictures are gorgeous!! My mom worked at Cal and the views from up there are stunning. Oh how I miss Cali!! Keep the pictures coming :)
Such gorgeous views! We don’t have any hiking in flat Davis, but I really need to motivate myself to find some good hiking spots in the area. I’ve been dying to hike Lake Berryessa since I haven’t been in forever, but then the thought of having to drive the 3-hour round trip changes my mind.
Um, wow. These are stunning images. I can’t even imagine seeing that in real life, frankly, because beauty like that does NOT exist where I live right now. At all. There are some pretty spots here and there, but that is just breathtaking.
And the person who lives there must be filthy rich to have a house there with those views. I would die.
Um, that Vegan tuna sounds and looks amazing.. I’d love to try that! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Vegan restaurant and I bet I’d love it. :) That picture of you two is adorable! I can’t wait for your wedding!
Gorgeous!!!! Can’t wait to move there and go for hikes like this all the time. My bf’s sister went hiking an hour out of SF last weekend and made me even more jealous with her pictures. You two both need to stop torturing me!
Stunning pictures!! I love a good sunset shot. And both of those meals look delicious! But that sucks about the service and the prices. Don’t you hate it when that happens? There is this amazing place here in Toronto that I adore.. but their awful service stops me from going all the time!
Wow! Those views are amazing, what a great way to spend the day. Most of the hiking trails around lexington are all really wooded so you never really get views like that. That vegan restaurant sounds like good pre hike fuel!
Such beautiful photos and the view! Wow. Really great sight :) I haven’t been hiking in quite a while and miss it. Hopefully after the marathon I can get back to hiking :) Hiking shoes a must on a trail. I wear one that help support the ankle too. Those were savers because hiking the Upper Yosemite Falls trail, I would have sprained it pretty bad on that crazy terrain. Though I saw hikers/runner pass us in flip flops!! Seriously. o_O;
I’m a sucker for sunsets over the ocean. Living so close to Santa Cruz and living in San Diego for several years. . . . something about watching the sun dip beyond the ‘edge’ of the world is mesmerizing. Also, I like searching for the green flash.
I love hiking and that trail looks amazing! And so does the “tuna” melt, my mouth is watering now as well haha.
I’m happy to see you had a lovely weekend, it sounds so fun! x
Sounds like you had such a fun time hiking and such beautiful photos!! That tuna melt sounds like it was delicious. Shame about the dinner place.
I haven’t been to body attack for a couple of years but I have friends who love it.
Favourite place to watch a sunset is definitely the beach. One of my best memories is watching the sunset on the beach in Hawaii with Nick.
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Hi,
I’m a little late to the game (a couple years), but I’ve been trying to find a map of the Panoramic Hill Hike, and I can’t seem to find one! Where does the trail start?
Thanks!!
Hi Alexandra! If you type Panoramic Hill into Google Maps, it will give you directions on how to get there. We just parked on the side of the road as we drove up. There were several cars parked there as well.
We didn’t do the full hike but here is a map for one of the trails: http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/panoramic-hill-chaparral-peak-strawberry-canyon-loop
I hope that helps!