The Escape Artist

Since chucking his sales job to start Weekend Sherpa, Brad Day no longer needs to wait until Saturday to get outside.

Even though Brad Day lives in Pacific Heights, “it’s not Pac Heights glamour in my apartment,” says the 28-year-old. “There are surfboards, skis and bikes all over the place.” Day has always been an outdoors type. In his last job, as a magazine sales rep, Day lived for weekends; but since chucking it all to start Weekend Sherpa, he no longer needs to wait until Saturday to get outside. “When I looked at the marketplace, there wasn’t anything out there giving good ideas for what to do on the weekend.” So he did what any San Franciscan would—he invented it.

“Catch the ferry to Angel Island and rent a bike. The five-mile perimeter trail has views of the entire bay. From the picnic tables on the south end of the island, you can see downtown SF and both bridges.”

“Hike or bike in to Kirby Cove in the Marin Headlands. The one-mile trek down to the beach keeps it from getting crowded. Make a reservation ahead of time, and you can camp or use the picnic area too.” (877-444-6777)

“Spend the night in a cozy yurt high above Big Sur at Treebones Resort. The yurts have hardwood floors and private decks, and there’s even a hot tub overlooking the ocean.”

“Hike up the Coast Trail to Alamere Falls in Pt. Reyes. Your reward at the end: the 50-foot falls crashing down to the sea. Use caution on the hike, and bring long sleeves and pants to avoid poison oak.”

“The best part of a day trip to the family-run Ahlgren Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains is sampling wines in the cellar of the Ahlgrens’ home, surrounded by towering redwood trees.”

email page | print page