This December, we were fortunate to escape away for two weeks on Hawaii’s Big Island. We’ve done a fare bit of the popular (e.g., Manta Ray night snorkel) and less popular (e.g., Hiking out to the lava fields) over the course of many years. The plan for this trip was to take things slow with a mix of snorkeling, hiking, and enjoying the tropical Polynesian environment.

Contents

• Helpful Tips
• Lodgings
• Beaches
• Hikes and Walks
• Places to Visit
• Restaurants and Food Stops

Helpful Tips

Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the US States, but Costco can help ease the pain. A stop at the Costco in Kona can save you hundreds of dollars for purchasing things like Hawaiian bread, meat for BBQ, snacks, beer/alcohol, gifts, and beach supplies. This location also has a gas station and given its proximity to the airport, it’s worthwhile to plan to do a final top off here before returning a rental car.

If renting out a unit, check to see if beach accessories are included. Tommy Bahama chairs, umbrellas, and a wagon to carry all of it can make a huge difference when visiting beaches that aren’t at your doorstep.

Also if renting a unit, try to book directly with property management companies or owners. Many have existed long before the rise of short term stay apps and their direct rates can save you substantial sums depending on your length of stay.

Identifying Flora and Fauna

Use our own iOS app – CrossPrism Nature – to help identify the various new animal and plant species you’ll encounter!

Lodgings

The Kohala Coast, north west of Kona is popular for its dry weather and its proximity to Kona. For this trip, we rented a condo in the Waikoloa Beach Resort, close to the Queens Marketplace and Kings Shops. This location is convenient for its restaurants, shops, and groceries. Hilo is about 1.5 hours away via the Saddle road, and Kona is approximately 30 mins south. The main downside is that it’s the furthest away you can get from the Volcanoes National Park at ~2hrs distance.

The Royal Kona Resort, situated in the middle of Kailua-Kona is an older hotel on the south end of the main Kona strip that can provide bargain prices for oceanfront rooms. From this location, you’ll enjoy sunsets over Ōneo bay, the sound of crashing waves, and easy access to the many tourist shops and restaurants along Ali’i Dr. Tip: They charge $25/day for parking but free parking is often available along Kahakai Road towards the south side (heading away from Ali’i Dr).

Beaches

Anaehoʻomalu Beach/Waikōloa Beach

Situated next to the Marriott, this popular beach is a good choice for its many amenities including boat tours, equipment and cabana rentals. The calm waters make this beach good for sun bathing and swimming, but it’s not the best for snorkeling.

If you’re not staying within walking distance, there are public parking lots available next to the Marriott and next to Lava Lava Beach Club that necessitate a short walk along mostly paved paths to the beach.

49 Black Sand Beach

A quiet beach with few public amenities (bathroom, shower), we spent most of our snorkeling time here. Ensuring that it never gets too crowded, it’s situated in a private development that has 18 spaces allotted to the public. The entry/exit is controlled by a gate attendant making it best to arrive early.

The beach can be a little rocky and the surf slightly rough making entry/exit a little tricky at times. But the snorkeling here is good with plenty of coral and fish.

Hikes and Walks

Ōhi’a/Pu’u wa’awa’a Cone Trail (Kohala)

The Ōhi’a Trail is relatively new and offers an alternate, slightly longer, path to the Pu’u wa’awa’a Cone through former cattle ranch lands inhabited by ōhi’a trees. They share the same starting point, but the Ōhi’a trail forks off to the right, whereas the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail proceeds straight along a paved path. The trail eventually returns to the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail but the turns are not well marked (use GPS!).

The rest of the way, along the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cone trail ascends an old volcanic cinder cone and offers all-around views of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and the Kohala Coast. My GPS recorded 1800ft in elevation gain for this intermediate hike with one very steep sections climbing the crater.

Makāula ‘o’oma Trail (Kona)

With this hike you’ll experience the lush rain forest environment of the Honua’ula Forest Reserve. It’s a loop trail approximately 3.8 miles long with an elevation gain of almost 700ft. The Makahi St trailhead is at the end of a sparsely populated residential street.

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park (Kona)

An easy 1.5 mile flat walk from the nondescript visitor center to Honokōhau Beach and back, you can experience ancient Hawaiian structures, petroglyphs, ponds, and turtles.

Places to Visit

Mauna Kea Visitors Information Station (Saddle Road)

Famous for its astronomy observatories, Mauna Kea is a perfect stop when traveling along Saddle road between Hilo and Kona. See the sunrise in the early morning, the sunset at dusk, or join other stargazers at night. The visitor station is only partway up the volcano and is easily accessible. The summit, on the other hand, requires a 4WD vehicle.

Tip: Bring cold weather gear, as the temperatures in the morning and evening here can be close to freezing.

Hilo Farmers Market

Offers various tropical fruits, vegetables, home made sweets, and crafts.

Big Island Candies (Hilo)

A favorite stop while in Hilo, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome (free chocolate and Kona coffee samples) and great cookies/candies/sweets.

University of Hawaii at Hilo Imiloa Astronomy Center

This off the beaten track stop has exhibits highlighting Mauna Kea’s telescopes, Polynesian navigation methods, and a planetarium with a regular schedule of educational shorts. Admission is $19 for adults, $12 for children, and $17 for seniors.

Original Hawaiian Chocolate (Kona)

Chocolate enthusiasts should make an effort to visit this small chocolate producer. Featuring locally grown chocolate, they specialize in the forester and criollo varieties. They offer free tastings, educational videos in their lobby, and tours around their property.

Restaurants and Food Stops

Lava Lava Beach Club (Waikōloa)

This favorite sadly no longer has happy hours, but the beachside location (right next to Waikōloa Beach) and good food is still hard to beat. They’ve also added a dedicated lot, making parking here a breeze.

Broke Da Mouth Grindz (Kona)

We tried the “Pork Belly Fat” Adobo plate, the Bi Bim Bap with Kalua Pork, and the Ube Ice Cream Mud Pie. All were excellent with the Ube Ice cream being a standout if you like gargantuan ice cream desserts.

Tip: Because there’s no dining space, try bringing your food to the Old Kona Airport Recreation Area. The park has picnic tables and walking paths and provides the perfect atmosphere along the ocean.

Island Java Java (Kona)

Another old favorite, they serve wholesome breakfast and Kona coffee with a view of Ōneo bay. They’ve moved locations by a few feet since we’d last been there with a new upstairs area and greatly expanded seating. The Luau Omelette, Island Eggs Benedict, and Lava Java Breakfast (w/waffles) didn’t disappoint!

Basik Açai (Kona)

This small breakfast shop is located upstairs of Snorkel Bob’s Tours, next door to the Royal Kona Resort. It’s remained surprisingly similar to our last visit in 2018. The “bowls” are pricey, but the portions are generous and tasty.

Rainbow Cafe (Kona)

If you’re doing a Costco run, try this place for lunch Instead of the Costco food court. The Rainbow cafe is a restaurant offering an extremely large menu of Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, and breakfast items.

Kanoa Grill (Kona)

Located in a strip mall, the popular “Rodzilla” with lobster crab cake fulfilled my seafood cravings! Food is cooked to order, so expect to wait ~10mins.

El Mercadito Rincon Mexicano (Kona)

Getting Mexican in Hawaii seems like a bad idea, but it’s not! Located in an international food court, there’s plenty of alternative neighbors (Tenkatori directly across from them had me wavering) for mixed tastes. Their standard burrito with carnitas turned out to be perfect with a Longboard Lager.

Reuben’s Mexican Food (Hilo)

We were saddened by the closure of our usual favorite in Hilo, Lucy’s Taqueria, back in 2021 (even though as of this writing, their website is still running!) Because we were at the farmer’s market, we decided to give Reuben’s a try and it appears to be a worthy successor. The pork tamale with chicken enchilada plate was as good as any I’ve had in California.

Markets

Aside from the restaurants, Hawaiian markets can be a great source for portable lunch and snacks.

• Poke is particularly good with some delis carrying multiple varieties (e.g., Salmon, soy sauce, mayo, etc).
• Spam Musubi. Seaweed, rice, and SPAM.
• Bento. Japanese style lunch combinations usually carrying a protein, rice, and pickles or veggies.
• Baked Goods. Malsadas. Doughnuts.

KTA is a common local supermarket chain and can be cheaper than tourism oriented markets.

Until Next Time…

After writing all the above, it feels like we did a lot, but we really spent most of our time lounging on the lanai, beach, or balcony. The main attraction of the Hawaii’s Big Island is that it’s, well, BIG. There’s always something interesting to do and in the meantime, the constant 70 degree weather (during December) makes it very easy to simply do nothing.

Have you been to Hawaii’s Big Island before? Any recommendations we should try for our next visit?

Other Travel Destinations Outside of the East Bay

• Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

The post Hawaii Big Island Trip Report appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

The Martinez Regional Shoreline offers a historic stroll along a waterfront. Relax afterwards at a restaurant nestled in the nearby downtown.

Side note: The photos presented here were taken on Sept 26, 2020.

Essential Info

• Hours: 8am-Varies (check website)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 1hr
• Distance: 1.5mi in and out
• Dogs: OK
• Map: ebrp map
• Website: https://www.ebparks.org/parks/radke-martinez
• Address: Ferry Street, Martinez, CA

Getting There

Martinez is located on the south side approach to the Benicia-Martinez Bridge.

Using 680N, exit at Marina Vista Ave and head west to downtown Martinez.

The Hike

The Duck Pond

Beginning from the bocce ball parking lot, travel north towards the water and turn left at the duck pond trail. A well named feature, the pond attracts various water fowl that stop to take a rest.

The Arch Bridge

Veering left to the Kildeer and then Pickleweed trail, climb the Arch Bridge which crosses the Alhambra Creek, once the water source for the Alhambra Bottled Water Company.

Marsh

Just beyond the bridge, a marsh fed by a mix of salty bay and fresh water creek, provides a thriving ecosystem for animals to live.

The Schooner

Only a hull of it’s former self, it’s hard to imagine the 250ft schooner once sailed across the Pacific, delivering lumber to places like China, India and Australia. In its last days, it was used as a tidal break during the construction of the Carquinez Bridge (just off of Crockett), and then beached on the mudflats where it now sits. A fire burned it into its final shape, preserving only those pieces that were submerged in the water.

The Carquinez Strait

A stretch of the SF Bay delta that connects Suisun Bay with San Pablo Bay, it supports various wildlife as well as water activities.

Related and Nearby

• Carquinez Regional Shoreline
  • Literally next door to the Martinez Regional Shoreline, its a much larger park compared to the Martinez Regional Shoreline.
• Crockett Hills Regional Park
  • An alternate view of the Carquinez Strait, overlooking the Carquinez Bridge
• Waterbird Regional Preserve
  • A small park good for viewing birds.

The post Martinez Regional Shoreline appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

In a naturally, socially distanced experience, paddle up the Elkhorn Slough with a kayak at your own pace. For land lovers, surrounding trails provide access to the beach and the slough entrance. For a more laid back experience, boat tours provide the most relaxed journey.

Elkhorn Slough Background

Located 20 miles north of Monterey, the Elkhorn Slough is the 2nd largest Californian estuary and sits at the center edge of Monterey Bay. Located at the site of a primordial river drainage basin, the current slough was only recently reconnected to the ocean in 1946.

Getting to Moss Landing

Take 880S to San Jose through the 101 interchange where it will turn into 17S to Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, follow the signs to highway 1S. Moss Landing is directly off of highway 1.

Alternatively, you can take 101S. Exit to 156W before Prunedale, and then exit 1N to Moss Landing.

Most of the activities are at north harbor, off of Jetty Rd. The power plant is an unmistakable landmark that is located to the south of Jetty Rd.

Accommodations, restaurants and most boat tours are in the south harbor, further south on 1, off of Moss Landing Rd.

Moss Landing Activities

Hiking

Jetty Road leads into Moss Landing State Beach. From here, you can view wildlife across the north harbor.

The Moss Landing State Wildlife Area across highway 1 from the north harbor is frequented by fishermen along the shores of the estuary. Check their website for the latest information.

Kayaking

Kayaking outfitters from the north harbor (Jetty Rd), offer rentals and quick training courses to set you on your way. The water in the slough is extremely calm, however paddling in/out can be a workout depending on the flow of the tide (see tip below). I’ve tried Monterey Bay Kayaks at Elkhorn Slough and always had a good experience.

An alternate to kayaking are “hydrobikes”. The main advantage the bikes have over kayaks is that they’re higher up over the water and extremely stable. This means bringing large gear (like a large DSLR w/zoom lens) is a lot safer than on a kayak. The downside is that they have a propeller that requires a minimum depth and can get tangled in sea grass or fishing line. Try calling Monterey Bay Hydrobikes to check pricing as they sometimes offer day-of discounts depending on their schedule.

Tip: Check the tide tables for the high tide time. Ideally begin your journey before high tide to let the tide push you into the slough. Start returning to the harbor after high tide, and kick back as the ebbing tide pulls you back in.

Boating Tours

Typically located at the south harbor, boating tour operators offer a leisurely experience into the slough. The advantage is that you have a guide and boat do all the work for you. The disadvantage is that you have less control over your view and ability to explore according to your own interests.

Otter Pictures

Taken from a hydrobike (see above under Kayaking).

Related

• Point Lobos State Reserve
  • Just south of Monterey, plenty of hiking along craggy shore where you’ll spot seals and otters in the water.
• Año Nuevo State Park
  • A regular breeding ground for elephant seals.
• Geologic history of Elkhorn Slough

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Why October? In additional to fall colors, October is the time of the elk rut when bulls bugle to attract mates and ward off competitors. Bears are also active this time of year foraging in order to fatten up for winter hibernation. A major reason is simply to avoid the massive crowds which heavily detracts from the experience with nature.

Highlights

• 3000 total miles. 7 days, starting from Bay Area, California to Jackson, WY (for Grand Teton), to Gardiner, MT (for Yellowstone), and returning from there.
• Costs: ~$60 night in Jackson, WY at the Super 8, $20/night at Mammoth camp ground, ~$90/night at Gardiner Super 8
• Grand Teton wildlife spotted: moose, bison, pronghorn, muskrat, elk.
• Yellowstone wildlife spotted: wolves (Junction Butte and Phantom packs), grizzly bears, coyote, elk, golden and bald eagles.

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park was spectacular for its scenic vistas of the Tetons with various foreground settings depending where you are at in the park: Barns on Mormon row, the Snake River on Oxbow bend, or Jackson lake at Coulter bay.

Grand Teton Wildlife

Moose were plentiful around the southern end of the park, near the Craig Thomas Visitor center. During this time I found them around Moose-Wilson road, Gros Ventre river, and the Black tail ponds.

Bison and pronghorn were also plentiful in the ranges between the Antelope flats and Gros Ventre road. I didn’t spend too much time lingering around them as they are plentiful in Yellowstone.

On top of being a famous photography spot, Oxbow bend is also a great place to spot water birds and mammals like beavers and muskrats.

Grand Teton Useful Info

• Check Best of the Tetons daily journals which are constantly updated.
• National Parks Grand Teton website.
• Grand Teton Park Map

Yellowstone National Park

My original intent was to stay 3 nights in Jackson, and then 4 in Yellowstone. Due to road closures which prevented me from reaching Mammoth on my first try, I only ended up staying 3 nights in Yellowstone.

Mammoth Campground

Of the 3 nights, 2 were in Mammoth campground and 1 was at the Super 8 in Gardiner. Mammoth campground is open all year round and is a bargain at $20/night. It had plentiful availability during this time and saves about 15 minutes compared to driving in from Gardiner.

Mammoth campground supports both tents and RVs. Tent camps (which I used) can be identified by a sandbox area where tents can setup. RV spots, by contrast, only have a pull through driveway.

The main downside of the campground is that it’s situated by the roadside, nestled in the hairpin right before the Mammoth Hot Springs center. You might think you can escape the road in the latter campsites (a one way road loops through all the sites), but you can’t. I camped in spot #64 but if I had to do it again, I would have just chosen something closer to the bathroom like #55 or #21.

Yellowstone Wildlife

Having recently read American Wolf, by Nate Blakeslee, my main objective in Yellowstone was to see wolves. If you haven’t read it already, it provides a background on the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone as well as the history of some of the most famous wolves and packs.

The book also provides an introduction to the wolf watchers Rick Mcintyre (a retired Yellowstone ranger), Doug McLaughlin, Laurie Lyman and the Yellowstone wolf project lead, Doug Smith. I had the opportunity to meet all of them and chances are good you can run into some of them in the Lamar Valley during the morning (see tips below).

Yellowstone and Wolf Watching Tips

Ordered from lesser to greater experience level.

• Check the Yellowstone road status page.
  • Construction, weather, and seasonal schedules affect road status. Make sure the roads you want to take are open!
• Use Google Maps on your smartphone and download offline maps for Yellowstone
  • Unlike Grand Teton, cellular coverage in Yellowstone is very poor.
  • Google Maps expire after 30 days, so make sure you download them before you get to the park. They are large (100s of mb) so you should preferably use WiFi.
• Download the official Yellowstone app
  • It also supports offline operation for finding points of interest
• Subscribe to Facebook groups
  • Yellowstone Up Close
  • Yellowstone and Grand Teton Wildlife Sightings
• Bring binoculars.
  • Considering these are useful for general wildlife viewing, investing in a high quality pair is worthwhile.
  • I have a pair of Canon 10×30 IS binoculars which are compact and provide image stabilization for a clearer view.
• Wolf watching etiquette:
  • Avoid standing in front of an already situated viewer
  • During low activity, most wolf watcher are happy to answer questions or let you look through their spotting scopes. Avoid asking when wolves are moving or when viewers appear concentrated on their scopes.
  • Keep voices and cars sound levels low. The wolves often howl and other wildlife sounds give clues to their movements.
  • Avoid stopping in the middle of the road to take photos and pull fully off the road (past the white line) when parking.
    • A distracted driver may rear end you if you are unexpectedly stopped.
    • Rangers will cite illegally parked vehicles.
• Get a radio scanner
  • The park service and wolf watchers regularly communicate over the radio and broadcast useful information such as wildlife locations and road traffic updates.
  • The Baofeng BF-F8HP is cheap, compact, and provides great battery life. Just make sure to read the manual and figure out how to program frequencies ahead of time; the user interface is throwback to the pre-smartphone cel phone.
  • Radio frequencies I found useful during my trip:
    • Wolf watching: 464.500
    • Park Service: 165.5875
    • For more frequencies, see the yellowstone.net forums.
  • The wolf watchers are pretty much active every day of the year, so if you are in the Lamar Valley and tune in during the morning hours (approx 7-9am), you are likely to be able to find them.
    • Use the map here to help decipher some of the names of locations
• Invest in a spotting scope.
  • Wolves tend to be very far away and spotting scopes (which are essentially small telescopes) offer the optimal viewing experience most of the time.
  • You’ll need a tripod and pan/tilt head in addition to the scope, so this is a major step up in cost and baggage you will need to move around.
  • The Celestron 52250 is a good introductory scope that is < $200. On the higher side, Vortex Razor HD is well reviewed. Swarovski is the gold standard.
• Subscribe to https://www.yellowstonereports.com for $20/yr
  • Daily reports by the wolf watchers will give you a good feel for where to find wolves and information on the wolf packs.

Driving Routes

One of the additional motivations from driving vs flying for me was the discovery that it’s possible to do the trip in a single day. There’s also a one hour time difference so depending on the direction, you’ll lose or gain an hour.

During October, I encountered some heavy snow falls and snow covered roads. 4WD and snow tires are pretty much required if you go during times when snow is likely; one reason the summer season is so crowded.

Getting to Jackson, WY

This route was ~910 miles, and took 14 hours including stops for gas.

Getting to Yellowstone from Jackson

Unfortunately, due to snow storms and road closures throughout Yellowstone, I had to go all the way around through Bozeman adding 2x the distance and time.

Returning to SF Bay Area from Gardiner

By the time I was scheduled to leave, the road down through Madison and West Yellowstone had opened, allowing me to save some time and distance.

The route took about 16 hours and ~990mi.

Further Thoughts

While the time spent in Grand Teton felt about right, my time in Yellowstone felt too short. Perhaps this was due to the my feeling that Yellowstone offered more in the way of wildlife, whereas Grand Teton mainly offered scenic vistas. The snow in Yellowstone also slowed things down and cut my stay there by a day.

I’m hoping to return in the early spring, before Memorial Day (which kicks off the busy season). Hopefully, the weather will be less snowy with an abundance of pups, cubs, and calves bounding about!

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USS Hornet Essential Info

• Address: 707 W Hornet Ave, Pier 3, Alameda CA 94501
• Phone: (510) 521-8448
• Open: 10am – 5pm daily
• Cost: $20 Adults, $15 Seniors and Military, $15 Students, $10 Youth, Free 6-under
• Website: https://www.uss-hornet.org

Background

Starting life as a WW II aircraft carrier, it spent nearly 30 years in active Navy service. After a storied record throughout the Pacific, the ship ended its final years aiding NASA as the primary recovery vessel for the famous Apollo 11 and 12 moon landing missions.

The Ship

The ship is formed by several accessible decks. The wide open flight deck is almost like a steel floored soccer field. The 2nd deck below is a maze with narrow hallways, low ceilings, and sealable doors every 20 or so feet. All kinds of nooks and crannies ( with special exhibits ) lie waiting to be discovered.

Hangar Deck

The entrance ramp leads into the hangar deck where planes were stored and maintained. It now houses various historical aircraft, NASA Apollo and Gemini space program exhibits, the gift shop, and a virtual simulator ride.

2nd Deck

Below the hangar deck are the main living spaces. With so many people on extended missions, these ships formed miniature cities complete with post office, chapel, and hospital facilities all crammed into a large metal hull.

Flight Deck

Catch the breeze and gaze on the San Francisco bay from the flight deck.

The Island

Situated on the flight deck, the Island houses the captain’s quarters, bridge and command center for the ship. Access is allowed only through free tours that are conducted throughout the day.

Additional Info

• Wikipedia history of USS Hornet CV-12
• NBC Virtual Tour

The post USS Hornet – Fleet Week Preflight appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

It’s not a large garden and the grounds can be covered in about 30 minutes depending on what sort of contemplative mood you’re in. Still, it’s free and open from 8:30am – 4:00pm every day except Christmas.

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This past Thursday, the center opened its doors, just in time to kick off the holiday season.

Kicking it off

While they’re stilling putting in the finishing touches, the center has opened with an inaugural set of shops including:

• Athleta
• Starbucks
• Pottery Barn
• Alys Grace
• Boba Guys
• Candle Delirium
• Fieldwork Brewing
• M by Maggie Rizer
• Neeko
• On the Edge
• Trader
• West Elm
• Williams Sonoma
•  the piece. store

On November 15th, “The Lot” movie theatre, restaurant, and bar will open as one of the anchor stores. In December, Equinox, an upscale gym and yoga fitness center, will open its doors. The Slanted Door, the renown Vietnamese fine dining restaurant out of San Francisco, will open next door shortly after.

Reshaping San Ramon

In the age of Amazon, the mall and retail space is transforming. What once was anchored by department stores like Sears, Macys and Nordstrom is now anchored by activity destinations like movie theaters and fitness gyms.  It’s no wonder that Equinox and The Lot are helping to launch San Ramon’s cultural hub.  Supporting them, over half of the initial tenants are restaurant or bars.

Just blocks away from San Ramon’s new City Hall, Community Center,  and renovated library off of Bollinger Canyon Road, the City Center adds modern facilities for suburban residents keen on sensory delights.

Nearby Bishop Ranch office buildings and the Iron Horse trail should provide an ample proximity to peripheral foot traffic. As part of the opening, Bollinger Canyon Road has been widened, but fear remains among residents that the area will become crazily congested during weekday commutes. In the meantime, construction vehicles are moving onto the adjacent lot for phase 2 of the city center which will feature a hotel and apartments.

The next few months will be exciting to watch as the rest of the shops come online. Like other large development projects such as the Livermore Premium outlets, the City Center has the opportunity to bring envious new experiences and the crowds that flock towards them. I for one can’t wait to try out The Slanted Door, Fieldwork Brewing, and later next year, Hiroshi Ramen!

Related

• San Ramon City Center website
• THE LOT Cinema/Restaurant/Bar/Cafe
• Equinox San Ramon
• Diablo Magazine, How San Ramon is Making a Metropolis
• CNBC article on Credit Card Perks spotlighting the Whole Foods in San Ramon

The post San Ramon City Center opens! appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Shadow Cliffs sits in the the “Chain of Lakes” area of Pleasanton, created by gravel mining operations run by the Kaiser Sand and Gravel Company started in 1938. Donated by Kaiser Industries in 1971, the Shadow Cliffs regional recreation area provides swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking activities as part of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Shadow Cliffs Levee-Arroyo Trail Essential Info

Length: 3mi
Time: 1.5 hr
Difficulty: Easy
Alltrails link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/shadow-cliffs-levee-and-north-arroyo

Fees: $6 per vehicle, $2 per dog
Trail Map: https://www.ebparks.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24403
Hours:

Nov – Feb
7am – 5pm
Mar – Apr
6am – 7pm
May – Labor Day (Sep)
6am – 9pm
After Labor Day (Sep) – Oct
6am – 7

Getting There

Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area lies situated in Pleasanton near the border with Livermore.

To get there, Take 580E towards Tracy and exit Santa Rita Road, going South. Turn left at Valley and then make another left at Stanley. The park entrance will be on your right hand side.

The Trail

Checkpoint: Parking Lot

Relative to most of the EBRPD parks, Shadow Cliffs has a huge parking lot. For this guide, we start out in the parking lot furthest away from the entrance located in the boat launch area. All of the parking lots have easy access to the Levee trail. The 2nd parking lot features solar panels providing shady spots and are probably the most ideal choice.

Checkpoint: Levee Trail Start

Depending on the parking lot, look for signs directing you towards the Levee trail. The Levee trail runs along the back side (the direction opposite of the main lake) of all three parking lots. There will be a short climb up to the top of the levee where it then flattens out.

Make a left when you reach the top of the levee. The main recreational lake and parking lots should be on your left hand side and the Arroyo Del Valle on the right hand side.

This long flat trail is popular with trail runners and provides decent views of Mt Diablo over the main lake (our featured picture at the top of this page). On the right hand side runs the Arroyo Del Valle which sources from the hills of Santa Clara County, through Del Valle Lake, and eventually flows out to the San Francisco Bay via Alameda Creek.

Continue along the Levee Trail until you dead end at the park boundary.

Checkpoint:  Boundary

From the boundary, turn back towards the direction you came while looking out for the North Arroyo Trail turn off on the left hand side.

Checkpoint: Arroyo Trail

When you find the turn off, descend down the levee onto the North Arroyo Trail. It should take you close to the bottom edge of Island Pond then turn away to follow the Arroyo Del Valle which runs parallel to the Levee Trail.

Follow the Arroyo Trail where you can get close to the water’s edge. Fishermen kick back from the shoreline or float on un-powered inner tubes in Boris Lake to catch the catfish, trout, largemouth bass, and bluegills that are regularly stocked.

Checkpoint: Lake View

Boris Lake, along the Arroyo Del Valle, is a popular place for fishermen and dog walkers during the summer where their furry friends can take a quick dip in the shallow lake waters.

Checkpoint: Crossroads

Proceeding down the Arroyo Trail you’ll come to a crossroads in sight of the entry kiosk and the first parking lot. Here you can choose to continue on the Levee Trail to circle around the Rimillard Marsh (as shown in this guide), cross the Arroyo Del Valle to the South Arroyo trail (note this is not a loop), or head towards the parking lot and finish your hike.

If you choose to circle around the Rimillard Marsh, continue on the Levee trail and then be on the lookout for the signs to  return back to the parking lot. The trail otherwise continues towards a BMX bike park at the outskirts of Shadow Cliffs.

Shadowcliffs Alternates

• Del Valle Lake
  • Livermore, Fishing, Hiking, and other water activities.
• Los Vaqueros Reservoir
  • Livermore, Fishing and Hiking
• Sunol Regional Wilderness
  • Sunol, Hiking, Little Yosemite

The post Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area – Levee and North Arroyo Trails appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Ardenwood Historic Farm Essential Info

Address

34600 Ardenwood Blvd, Fremont, CA 94555
Phone: (510) 544-2797

Hours

Tu-Sun: 10:00am-4:00pm

Website

East Bay Regional Parks

Fees and Rules

Tu, Wed, Sat: $3 adults, $3 seniors (62+), $2 children
Thurs, Fri, Sun: $6 adults, $5 seniors (62+), $4 children
Special events cost extra, check their website or call.

No dogs, bikes, field sports, or BBQs permitted.

About

Developed by the gold rush prospector turned farmer George Washington Patterson, the Ardenwood Historic Farm continues to supply the Bay Area residents with fresh farmed produce.

Train

A short, horse drawn, train ride available from the Arden station to Deer Park Station (a couple hundred feet apart), offer a historic view into the times when railroad was the common mode of transport.

Animals

Animals vary throughout the year with chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, cows and peacocks (!) being amongst those available on the premises.

Patterson House

The Patterson House, built in 1857 is a great example of Victorian architecture with an additional Queens Anne addition constructed in 1889. Supporting structures like the milk and cook houses also exist nearby.

Farm

Ardenwood is still a working farm selling fresh produce at the Newpark Mall or Pleasanton Farmer’s market. Sadly, the produce stand at the entrance has been closed for 2017.

Ardenwood Historic Farm Events

The farm supports a variety of group events throughout the year: from naturalist guided tours to sheep shearing and good ‘ol music and games. Check the East Bay Regional Parks site for the most recent calendar.

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