Latest News

10 Ways to Eat Farm-to-Fork for $10 in Sacramento

jessica — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:44:34 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Sacramento. Housed in a downtown historic mansion, the hostel's within easy walking distance of farmers' markets and local-focused restaurants galore.

Sacramento and agriculture are inextricably linked: each year, the region churns out a huge percentage of the produce consumed in California and the rest of the country. Its dedication to – and skill at – feeding the country has even earned Sacramento the nickname "America's Farm-to-Fork Capital."

In fact, eating local has become such a big deal in Sacramento that indulgence in the city's foodie scene is just as important a visitor experience for as a tour of the Capitol or a stroll around Sutter's Fort.

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Food + Drink

101 Ways to Recreate in the Marin Headlands - Part III

jessica — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 19:03:58 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Marin Headlands, located in a set of historic military buildings amid the rolling hills of a seaside national park.

The year 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service (NPS), and though we're still a couple years away from the centennial our friends at the NPS are already excited! As a lead-up to the organization's big birthday, our friends from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) have put together a list of 101 Ways to Recreate in the Golden Gate. And we liked their list so much, we decided to put together our own!

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Outdoor, Hiking, national parks

Learn Like a Local in San Francisco

jessica — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:53:11 +0000

If You Go

Stay at one of our three San Francisco hostels.

Every traveler's got a favorite go-to souvenir: postcards from each city they visit. Cheesy, "wish you were here" T-shirts. But what if, instead of buying a physical reminder of each trip, you could take home a new experience, a new skill, and new memories to last a lifetime?

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Arts, Museums

Where to Get a Shot of Coffee Culture in Northern California

jessica — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 21:29:30 +0000

If You Go

Stay at one of our eight Northern California hostels.

A caffeine fix, a break from the go-go-go lifestyle of backpacking, a ringside look at the local culture – there are so many reasons we love stopping into neighborhood cafés wherever our travels take us. And here in Northern California, there are endless ways to make a run-of-the-mill refueling stop into a one-of-a-kind experience: from no-frills cups of Joe at corner mainstays, to sweet concoctions in exotic neighborhoods, to artful pours of espresso at high-class hideaways, here a few of our favorites spots for coffee and culture.

Near Sacramento, it's Autumn on Apple Hill

jessica — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:40:15 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Sacramento, a beautifully restored Victorian mansion in the heart of California's state capital. Sacramento is an easy drive from the start of the Apple Hill route, making it a popular jumping-off point for autumn-happy locals and visitors alike.

It's mid-October, but it still feels like summer in Sacramento. This shouldn't, perhaps, be too much of a surprise: about 80% of days around California's state capital are sunny, often in defiance of the season. But I've come here today to do something specifically, traditionally, quintessentially autumnal, and so it's taking me a while to wrap my head around the heat: who dresses for a day of apple-picking, pie-tasting, cider sipping, and pumpkin patching wearing shorts and a T-shirt and SPF 50?

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Food + Drink, Outdoor, autumn, daytrips

Artists in Residence: Chris Bauman at HI-Point Montara

jessica — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 22:10:24 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Point Montara

From National Park land to downtown streetscapes, hillside perches to coastal lighthouses, HI USA hostels are located in some of the most beautiful settings Northern California has to offer. So perhaps it's not surprising that so many staff members across our hostel network are talented (and prolific) artists: they've got a lot of inspiration to work with!

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Arts, photography, Artists in Residence, autumn

101 Ways to Recreate in the Marin Headlands - Part II

jessica — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 21:41:52 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Marin Headlands, located in a set of historic military buildings amid the rolling hills of a seaside national park.

The year 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service (NPS), and though we're still a couple years away from the centennial, the folks at the NPS are already excited! As a lead-up to the organization's big birthday, our friends from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) have put together a list of 101 Ways to Recreate in the Golden Gate.

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Hiking, Outdoor, Beaches, fitness, national parks

Get Your Second Chance at Summer in San Francisco

jessica — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 17:53:00 +0000

If You Go

Stay at one of our three San Francisco hostels.

Halloween costumes in store windows, pumpkin-spice lattes on café menus, and Sunday football on TV at every sports bar in town… must be summer in San Francisco!

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Outdoor, Music, Food + Drink, Beaches, summer

NorCal's Greatest Hits: a Musical Itinerary

jessica — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:37:06 +0000

Every great trip needs an awesome soundtrack. But sometimes, the perfect soundtrack can actually be the jumping-off point for a great trip. So today, we're composing a "playlist as itinerary" for travelers in Northern California. From enduring classics, to forgotten favorites, to modern musical postcards, cue up these songs on your iPod and let the music take you away.

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Outdoor, Music, Itineraries

101 Ways to Recreate in the Marin Headlands - Part I

jessica — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 18:56:59 +0000

If You Go

Stay at HI-Marin Headlands. Housed in historic buildings set in a gorgeous coastal park, the Headlands is just a quick trip across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

The year 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service (NPS), and though we're still a couple years away from the centennial, the folks at the NPS are already excited!

Tagged in

Outdoor, fitness, Beaches, Hiking