Yeah I totally get what you mean about trying to find the right balance. We ended up going with the earlier departure because the forecast looked better that morning anyway. Honestly the whole drive was smooth once we got past the usual bottleneck near the bridge. I think we stopped twice once for coffee and once just to stretch our legs at that little rest area with the wildflowers. The dog was completely worn out by the time we arrived and honestly so was I. But it was worth it because we got to see that view right at golden hour and there was hardly anyone else around. My friend brought her camera and she kept saying how the light was perfect for landscape shots. I just sat on the blanket and took it all in. There was a cool breeze coming off the water and you could smell pine and damp earth. We stayed until it started getting dark and then packed up in a hurry because none of us had remembered to bring flashlights. On the way back we grabbed dinner at that diner you recommended near the highway exit and it was exactly what we needed. Nothing fancy just good comfort food after a long day outside.

I finally started that documentary series everyone has been talking about and honestly I was skeptical at first because the runtime on each episode is pretty long. But after the first twenty minutes I was completely hooked. The cinematography is stunning and the narration has this calm measured pace that makes it surprisingly relaxing to watch even when the subject matter gets intense. I watched three episodes back to back last night which I definitely did not plan to do. The soundtrack is incredible too. I looked it up afterward and it turns out the composer worked on a few indie films I love. I keep noticing these little details on a second watch that I missed the first time around. One of the experts they interviewed has this really dry sense of humor that sneaks up on you and I found myself laughing out loud a few times. My neighbor recommended it to me weeks ago and I kept putting it off because I thought it would feel like homework. But it is the opposite. It feels like sitting down with someone who is passionate about the subject and knows exactly how to tell a compelling story. I might rewatch the whole thing once I finish just to catch everything I missed.