Urban Hiker SF

When I was little, I had Barbie dolls - lots of them. There were the standard Barbie dolls like Malibu Barbie, and then there were the ones my dad would get on his business travels like Indian Barbie and Chinese Barbie (who was then called the cringe-worthy “Oriental Barbie”). I loved dressing up my dolls, doing their hair, and inventing make-believe lives for them. While arguably not the best role model for little girls, Barbie had one clear benefit - she gave me the ability to exercise my imagination and creativity. Now as a 34 year old woman, the dolls (and my childhood) are both long gone. But somewhere up in Upper Market, the spirit of Barbie is still alive. Yes people, I have found Market Street Barbie.   I run urban hiking tours with my company Urban Hiker SF . On my Urban Jungles (Castro/Upper Market/Twin Peaks) hiking route, I pass by the intersection of Market and Glendale Streets numerous times a week. It is here where I have found Market Street Barbie. ...

I recently received an invite to the Google Glass Explorers program. What this means is that I am one of approximately 10,000 people who were chosen by Google to try out Glass and see what comes of it. If you're not already familiar with Google Glass, the new wearable technology device helps you take photos, videos, and run Google searches all from voice commands.  I got my Glass on June 5 and think it could have some fun applications for urban hiking. Many people don't know what I mean when I say that I run urban hiking tours, so I'll be able to show them what it's like to climb on a hiking trail to Twin Peaks (see below), walk through a eucalyptus forest in the city  (video), or slide down the Seward Street Slides  (video)!  Weekend hikers heading up to Twin Peaks. Photo taken #throughglass. If I had a constant Internet connection, which I could get from a wireless hotspot on my phone, I could share the photos and videos I take with my hikers - instant...