Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.1.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Writing by Ely Hibdon ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://elynhibdon.net/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Five Good Ways to Save Energy in Your Home in 2024](https://elynhibdon.net/five-good-ways-to-save-energy-in-2024/) - Wouldn't it be good to reach net-zero this year? While there is no bad time to improve the energy efficiency of your home, 2024 has never been better. The cost of utilities has never been higher—but the cost of energy improvements has never been lower. For starters, you can get thousands of dollars in federal - [Hike of the Week: Beautiful Lake Anza to Inspiration Point](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-curran-trail-to-inspiration-point-loop/) - Tilden Regional Park has miles of great hiking trails and several attractions ... Plus, it is transit accessible. - [Hike of the Week: Crissy Field to Baker Beach](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-of-the-week-crissy-field-to-baker-beach/) - For views of the Golden Gate Bridge and a lot of people, go here! Features piers and views of the Bay. - [Easy to Make Vegan Breakfast Favorite: Tofu Scramble](https://elynhibdon.net/easy-breakfast-tofu-scramble/) - If you are unfamiliar with tofu, or simply need inspiration for good ways to cook it, I have recipe for an easy tofu breakfast. This dish uses tofu as a substitute for eggs in an omelet, and it resembles scrambled eggs. Tofu is a very good absorber of flavors. It tastes good with almost anything, - [Hike of the Week: San Bruno Summit Loop Trail](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-of-the-week-san-bruno-summit-loop-trail/) - San Bruno Park, in the Peninsula, offers views of the city and preserved native species. Go here for a long hike any day of the week. - [Hike of the Week: Slacker Hill and the Marin Headlands](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-of-the-week-slacker-hill/) - The ideal time to see the Golden Gate Bridge is in April or early May, when the visibility is not obstructed by the winter rains or the summer fog. Slacker Hill is right outside of San Francisco, and is a relaxing short hike without all the crowds. As a bonus, you might see the super - [Hike of the Week: National AIDS Memorial Grove](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-national-aids-memorial-grove/) - National AIDS Memorial Grove The rainy season is almost over, and I am getting back into the swing of things with my Hike of the Week posts. I am glad the drought is over, and am looking forward to a great hiking season! But for now, it is still hard to get out and, coupled - [Hike of the Week: Montclair Railroad Trail](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-of-the-week-montclair-railroad-trail/) - Montclair is a small commercial district in the Oakland hills, a few miles away from Chabot Science Center and uphill from Piedmont. It flourished in the first tech boom of the early 1990s, and is a good place for a transit accessible hike. Originally, it was part of the railroad going into Oakland. There continue - [Please Participate in my Fundraiser. Details Here.](https://elynhibdon.net/please-participate-in-my-fundraising-campaign-details-here/) - I started a GoFundMe Campaign Hi Everyone, This Giving Tuesday, please consider donating to my fundraising campaign. I am grateful for all the page views, likes and comments I have received so far. Now as I enter the next stage of life as a digital creator, I humbly put out a request for funding. My - [Hike of the Week: Albany Bulb to Berkeley Marina](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-albany-bulb-mclaughlin-eastshore-state-seashore/) - This week, there was only enough time for a short hike. I chose McLaughlin Eastshore State Seashore, since it is easily transit accessible and easy to turn around. This park was created from landfill in the 1960s, and consists of a narrow strip of shoreline between Emeryville and Richmond. It is narrow in some places, - [Valuable Business Software: WordPress / Bluehost Integration](https://elynhibdon.net/valuable-business-software-wordpress-bluehost-integration/) - Overview Freelancers and small businesses prefer WordPress for a good reason. I learned more about website design in three months using WordPress than in the entire seven years at my last job. It is valuable business software in that it encourages proactive marketing. It does not leave all the work to the user, making it - [All Hikes Need to be Transit Accessible](https://elynhibdon.net/all-hikes-need-to-be-transit-accessible/) - I would like to briefly explain my rationale for starting this blog. First, I think hiking is fun, a good way to spend an afternoon, and a way to tell a story. But also, I think our protected outdoor areas should be accessible to everybody. And sometimes, when I would go to hike, there would - [Hike of the Week: Redwood Peak (Weekend Transit Access)](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-redwood-peak/) - Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is just south of the one featured on the previous hike in Joaquin Miller Park. The redwoods are equally good, and the size is much greater (1,833 acres). This week's hike features a trip to one of the highest points in the area and 150 foot trees. - [Hike of the Week: Joaquin Miller Big Tree Loop Trail](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-joaquin-miller-big-tree-loop-trail/) - Joaquin Miller Park Located in Oakland, Joaquin Miller Park is a small, 500-acre hiking area and dog park known for its redwoods. It is named after a local poet Joaquin Miller. The upper trails provide solitude and immerse you in trees. It is immensely popular for trail runners, dogs, and bikes, with the busiest times - [Hike of the Week: North Berkeley Paths](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-north-berkeley-paths/) - During the pandemic, the bus line that normally runs from Downtown Berkeley to Tilden Park was defunct. Now that it has returned it is of course much easier to get to the park; however, since the line only runs on weekdays, I feel the need to show you a good route to Tilden Park that - [Hike of the Week: Tilden Golf Course to Picnic View](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-tilden-park-golf-course-to-siesta-valley/) - One of the main attractions of Tilden Park is the proximity to other parks. This hike is useful as a jumping-off point into Siesta Valley Recreation Area and some of the lands owned by the University of California. It will go through low hills with heavy trees and native flowers and takes you through highlands - [Hike of the Week: Eden Landing Ecological Reserve](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-of-the-week-eden-landing-ecological-reserve/) - Eden Landing Ecological Reserve is in Hayward just north of Coyote Hills and is a good place to hike if you are interested in birdwatching, good views, and wide open spaces. It was reclaimed from an old salt manufacturing facility, and still has some of the ruined human structures throughout - however, it is kept - [Hike of the Week: Coyote Hills Bayview Trail](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-coyote-hills-bayview-trail/) - Hike of the Week: Coyote Hills Bayview Trail Coyote Hills Regional Park is a popular destination in Union City with hiking trails, marshes and is a good birding destination due to its proximity to Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Eden Landing Ecological Preserve. It has a freshwater marshland in the city - [Hike of the Week: Wildcat Peak Via Jewel Lake](https://elynhibdon.net/hike-wildcat-peak-via-jewel-lake/) - Hike of the Week: Wildcat Peak via Jewel Lake North of Lake Anza is the Tilden Nature Area. Its main attractions are Tilden Little Farm, Indian Camp and Environmental Education Center which form a significant part of Tilden’s resources for young people. The hiking trails behind it cannot be missed, so this hike of the - [How to be Safe When You Encounter Poison Oak](https://elynhibdon.net/poison-oak-safety/) - Poison Oak (Toxicodendron Diversilobum) One plant you may have noticed at Tilden Park is the one below. Some people can be very allergic to this plant, while others will completely ignore it. Since there is a possible risk, I have chosen to include this blog post about it. Known commonly as Pacific Poison Oak, it ## Pages - [Contact Me](https://elynhibdon.net/contact-me/) - For comments on my site, use the form below. If you'd like to book a zoom meeting, please use my Calendly. - [About Me](https://elynhibdon.net/about-me/) - Climate | Sustainability | Travel Writing | Marketing Copy About Me I have hot-button topics. My goal is a sustainable future with equal outdoors access. I have a goal to preserve open spaces for all-- and this means transit routes should serve open spaces like the East Bay parks. So I started a hiking blog. - [Marketing Writer for Climate and Social Justice](https://elynhibdon.net/home/) - [Email and Social Media Writing Portfolio](https://elynhibdon.net/portfolio/) - Here are selected samples of my email marketing and social media writing. I may have other samples as well. Please contact me for more information. Email Copy for Fundraising This is an email series to raise money for a new building. At the request of the client, special attention was given to Women's History Month. - [My Hiking and Travel Blog](https://elynhibdon.net/blog/) - Welcome to my hiking and travel blog about the Bay Area. Come here for anything about hiking, local travel and sustainability issues. Also, stay tuned for new projects. Please follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and 500px. Also, see my Home and About pages for more about me. Have fun, and remember to comment below! ## Categories - [Business to Business (B2B)](https://elynhibdon.net/category/business-to-business-b2b/) - These are posts about business to business (B2B) marketing. They include product reviews, sales pitches, and how-to manuals. This category establishes me as a B2B writer by providing examples of related content. Office spaces, payroll and accounting, and technology are all good subcategories for this. Also, I will talk about driving engagement. These are the topics businesses talk about. In addition to topicality, B2B posts should require another business as a target audience. This makes these posts difficult to market, since my family and friends have been my target audience in the past. I hope to grow my following slowly by marketing more to businesses, and pitching them directly. - [Gonzo Journalism](https://elynhibdon.net/category/gonzo-journalism/) - Gonzo Journalists include their personal experiences and leave out any claims of objectivity. Unlike conventional journalists, they include themselves in the story as a participant as much as possible. It is the Gonzo journalist’s belief that there is no such thing as objectivity, and no such thing as not participating. In these posts, I tell stories which I think have significance to others. I cover significant events in history that also affected me, and hope to contribute to the understanding of events, society and civilization. But they are generally personal stories, because I understand that I, too, have a story to tell. - [Hike of the Week](https://elynhibdon.net/category/hike-of-the-week/) - Hike of the Week – a weekly post about a particular hiking route in the Bay Area. Introduces you to hiking around the Bay with information about good routes and views. Provides route information and how to get to the parks and trails. Because I want to see everybody enjoying the outdoors, transit accessible hikes are preferred, and the directions will include transit directions as well as driving directions. Hikes can be in the East Bay, South Bay, San Francisco, and Marin County. They can include some of the following topics: astounding vistas, birding, good botanical tours, and local scenery. Anything outside that is worth hiking to is considered for a hike of the week post. Notable plants may receive attention in these posts, as well as birds and views. The posts will include photos of things to see along the way. Stay safe outdoors. Some hikes will have safety advisories, but this is not to discourage you from going on the hike. Enjoy the outdoors! - [Opinion Pieces](https://elynhibdon.net/category/opinion-pieces/) - [Outdoor Safety](https://elynhibdon.net/category/outdoor-safety/) - Safety is key to enjoying the outdoors. Everybody wants to have an enjoyable time, but if we do not account for outdoor safety issues then a fun hike or camping trip could end in disaster. What if I get poison ivy, or someone has an allergic reaction to something in the forest? What if we all get heatstroke? These are all risks that I am aware of and want to help you protect yourself from. These posts will give good advice on how to stay safe. It could include: Advisories on current risks and how to address them Product reviews on safety-related outdoor products Ideas for what to bring on every hike to be safe General safety advice for the new user. As always, enjoy your trip! - [Poison Oak](https://elynhibdon.net/category/outdoor-safety/poison-oak/) - Poison Oak is one of the known risks of any outdoor trip. This category is to advise people who have a strong reaction to poison oak if it becomes particularly prolific in a given area, and to include safety advice for anyone traveling near the plants. - [Sustainability](https://elynhibdon.net/category/sustainability/) - [Uncategorized](https://elynhibdon.net/category/uncategorized/) ## Tags - [birdwatching](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/birdwatching/) - Posts with this tag direct the reader to hiking areas with good wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly in the field of birdwatching. Wildlife viewing is only one of the good reasons to hike, others include exercise and good views. Some people like to hike entirely to see the birds and other wildlife, others do not. The best places to watch wildlife or birdwatch are usually at wildlife refuges, since those places are designed to maintain wildlife. However, some other areas are equally good for this type of recreation. I report on the places that have the best opportunities. Most of the areas are also photography friendly. Some allow hunting. Check with the park itself for that information. - [Botany](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/botany/) - Every outdoor activity includes plants, and some botany enthusiasts like to identify them as they hike. Understanding this, I create posts with botanical information about the various plants I see on the trails. The plants featured in these posts are usually native to the San Francisco Bay Area and have ecological importance here. But there are also non-native species that are considered weeds. These posts help you understand what is different about them. Each post will include photos of the plants and give you a brief overview of how to identify the plant, and what it is good for, and why it is important to the Bay Area ecology. - [clean energy](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/clean-energy/) - [climate](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/climate/) - [energy](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/energy/) - [food](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/food/) - [good hikes](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/good-hikes/) - These are hikes around the San Francisco Bay Area that I select weekly for inclusion in my blog. They are always transit accessible. Most are in a large regional or national park with plenty of wide-open space. Some additional hikes will appear in quiet urban areas. They normally run three to eight miles, and name the elevation gain and degree of difficulty. I try to restrict myself to easy day hikes. I include transit accessibility information, and sometimes driving directions to the trail. Good views and the plant and wildlife viewing opportunities that exist in the park are highlighted, and I always include photos, and less often maps. - [home improvement](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/home-improvement/) - [HOTW](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/hotw/) - [housing](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/housing/) - [outdoors](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/outdoors/) - [Product Reviews](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/product-reviews/) - [recipes](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/recipes/) - [recreation](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/recreation/) - [safety](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/safety/) - [San Francisco Bay Area](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/san-francisco-bay-area/) - My years living in the San Francisco Bay Area give me an opportunity talk about the recreational opportunities there. I will describe the area in these posts. These posts lead to good places to go in this area, with special attention to the outdoors. All the hikes in this blog are in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are interested in hiking, please see the “Hike of the Week” category. The hikes are of course featured here, as well. Good parks, restaurants, and neighborhoods are also featured in these posts. In the future I will publish posts about transit accessible attractions in the area for travelers and tourists. - [save money](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/save-money/) - [solar energy](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/solar-energy/) - [South Bay](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/south-bay/) - [Tilden Park](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/tilden-park/) - [trails](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/trails/) - [Transit Accessibility](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/transit-accessibility/) - Public transit can provide equal access to many things, including outdoor activities and cultural events, while also mitigating climate change. But sometimes transit directions are hard to find, with reviewers assuming everybody can drive and owns a car. Or they are incorrect. I have found incorrect transit directions at least twice. This can take an entire day of walking and makes it difficult to work up the initiative to have adventures. These posts will show at least one of: How to get to a place on public transit. How public transit can be improved. How public transit can improve the lives of its users. The intent here is to improve transit accessibility of the entire San Francisco Bay Area, and in this way ensure equitable access to the outdoors, goods, and services that the Bay Area has to offer. - [urban hikes](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/urban-hikes/) - [vegan](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/vegan/) - [Vista Point](https://elynhibdon.net/tag/vista-point/)