Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, CA

I'm lucky to live so close to Las Trampas Regional Wilderness and its 4,636 acres of open space. Once you are there, you really feel like you are far removed from the urban hustle and bustle just a few miles away. There are several entrances to the park, but my favorite is at the end of Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon. And my favorite hike is along the stunningly scenic Las Trampas Ridge. 

Luckily for me, the older Z gets, the more he likes to hike, and since I don't hike by myself anymore, he makes a great companion - although he does tend to hike at a much brisker pace than I do; hey, I do have to keep an eye out for photo ops and stop frequently to take advantage of them, right? That slows me down a bit! Now put on your hiking boots and let's go. This one only takes 1.5 hours...

If you go here, be sure to take the Mahogany Trail off of the Las Trampas Ridge Trail. It goes through particularly pretty terrain.

Deception Pass State Park, WA

A visit to Fidalgo Island isn't complete without a visit to Deceptions Pass State Park, one of Washington's favorite spots to hike, kayak, camp, and view wildlife. Bowman Bay is on the Fidalgo side of the park. Here are some shots from this stunning spot...

Deception Pass Bridge connects Fidalgo Island with Whidbey Island. You can walk across the bridge and get panoramic views of Deception Pass and the Olympic Peninsula beyond. Just don't look down toward the water if you're afraid of heights!

Click HERE to see further vistas of this lovely park on New Year's Day.

Briones Regional Park, CA

Last week I went hiking in Briones Regional Park along with some family members. We were all in desperate need of some post-Thanksgiving Day exercise. The weather was a bit crisp but as we made our way up the trail to the crest of the hills, the fog started to give way to warm sunshine. The trees were still decorated with their pretty autumn leaves. Briones is a wonderful park; it's so close to home, and even though it's surrounded by cities and housing developments, in just a short time, you feel as if you're lost in quiet nature.

Here's what the East Bay Regional Park Website has to say about this special place:

With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Briones is a secret wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County. Although the park is close to Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, and Martinez, there are peaks within it from which you can see only park and watershed lands for miles in every direction.

From Briones Peak, the highest point in the park, there are panoramic views of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley to the east, the Sacramento River and Delta to the north, the East Bay hills and Mt. Tamalpais to the west, and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness to the south.

So, want to see what we saw?

Off we go...

Fog...

Our trail...

Mt. Diablo in the distance...

Autumn colors...

California blue skies...

A grove of young oaks...

That's Mt. Diablo off in the distance again...

I can't wait to go back and explore some of the other trails. For more information on this park, click HERE.

Pleasanton Ridge

Are you looking for an enjoyable and interesting place to go hiking where you won't see hoards of other people, but you'll be able to enjoy sweeping vistas of the Livermore and Pleasanton valleys?

The Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is just the the perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon taking in nature and getting a little bit of exercise. There are a variety of trails you can follow - on foot, by bike, or on horseback. Some of the trails wind through the majestic oak trees and grassy fields, and some lead you all the way up to the top of the ridge.

On Saturday, Z and I decided to take a short hike along the Sycamore Grove trail. It doesn't go all the way up to the ridge, but it does provide some shade and offers picturesque views of the valleys and hills below. Check it out...

That's the parking lot below.

It was probably empty because it was so HOT!

What did they say?

"Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun."

We were mad alright!

Some energetic bikers quickly passed us by...

That's Interstate 680 down below...

An old oak strikes a graceful pose

against the blue skies...

Here's one of those typical Californian vistas

we've all grown to love...

Autumn is coming...

That's Mt. Diablo off in the distance...

There are ticks in the grass,

so you'd better stay on the trail...

Looking toward Sunol...

Fallen oak leaves...

Oak trees soaking in the sunshine...

The poison oak is turning red. Don't touch...

An oak tree provides some much needed shade...

The thistle plants are drying up...

Even the sycamore trees are starting to drop their leaves...

The colorful bark of a sycamore tree...

Oak trees dotting the hillside...

I hope to come back once the weather cools down a bit and hike all the way up and along the top of the ridge line. Anyone want to join me? Maybe we can even hit up one of the local wineries afterwards!

Click HERE to find out more about his lovely East Bay park.