100 Classic Hikes in Northern California by John R. Soares and Marc J. Soares

Well folks, things are winding down around here. Monday is my birthday, and it also marks the one year anniversary of Renee’s Book of the Day. When I began this blog, I told myself that I would stick with it for a year and see what happened. I had no idea what to expect out of either the blog or myself.

I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised along the way by my own thoughts (every once in a while), the online community I discovered, and the serendipitous crossing of paths precipitated by posts on my blog. I met new friends, reconnected with old ones, and even had some authors pop in to say hello. It’s been a great journey.

At the same time, however, I never felt the love of blogging that others have written about. Many have said that they miss it when they’re away, or that it is a soothing and/or invigorating part of their daily rituals. To me, it was hard work. The payoff was great, but it still felt like a daily chore.

So June 4th will be the last official day of my blogging year. I have no idea what I’m going to do next. I may migrate my blog to another domain (I promise to keep you updated). I may try a broader approach to my blogging topics. I may stop blogging entirely. Who knows?

Though I’m sad to see Renee’s Book of the Day come to an end, I’m exciting at the possibilities for What to Do Next. Instead of blogging for a few hours each day, I might take a writing class. I may do some more music writing or volunteer somewhere. Maybe I’ll read more.

One thing is for sure, I’ll be hiking more over the next few months. We’re still training for Mt. Whitney in August, so we have hiking plans almost every weekend. We used 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California by John R. Soares and Marc J. Soares as a reference last weekend and found the most amazing area on the way to Lake Tahoe, where there are campgrounds, lakes, and trails up the alpine hillside. We live smack in the middle of the area this book covers, and every hike looks amazing. I can’t wait to try more.

100 Classic Hikes in Northern California by John R. Soares and Marc J. Soares