California, here I come!
In just 1 more sleep, I will be leaving for a week’s vacation back in my home state of California. After driving 2 lane roads where haybales and diesel trucks rule, I anticipate a sort of culture shock getting onto the 10 lane highways of my youth.
As I schedule lunch dates and long scenic walks with good friends I got to thinking about some of my favorite hiking spots in Marin and Sonoma and want to share them with you. Some are off the beaten track and are well worth a look.
1. Phoenix Lake located in Ross, Ca is a wonderful locale with easy access. Plenty of people and bikes on weekends though you will find it quite quiet early morning or in the off season. There is an easy trail all the way around the lake or you can climb up to Mt. Tam if you are really ambitious. Typical wildlife include heron, duck and turtle. Sadly the native turtle population is at risk due to people dumping their pet (and non-native species) turtles into the waters which kills of the natives. I have to say that I dearly miss walking amongst the native California Oaks, madrone and buckeye trees.
2. Helen Putnam Regional Park was a morning staple for me when I lived in Petaluma. Named after Helen Putnam who was both mayor and county supervisor, this beautiful setting is a great place to walk your dog or take your house out. While there trails are just 5.87 miles, the park consists of 216 acres. Several years ago I met a woman who would later become a dear friend of mine on this trail, Freddie. I had seen her riding her horse on several occasions before I went up to her after a ride and asked about her horses. She said she’d teach me all about them if I could show her how to use her new iPod.
3. For more sweeping coastal views and miles of hiking with dramatic elevation changes, the Marin Headlands on a clear day is your best bet. That said, I highly that you bring a map of some sort as the signs are confusing. I plan on hiking this starting in the early morning on a clear day so I can enjoy exploring the many trails and the stunning views. My last hike here was a few years ago and we made several unprecedented mistakes, at least for us, to leave our water, map, raingear and munchies in the car and proceeded to get lost, in the rain and wind, with no water, bad cell service and no visibility to help us navigate our way back to the car. It was scary and we finally came upon 2 men that when I asked where they were headed they stated their car in the parking lot. My male companion let me call our next move given we were about to follow 2 strangers deeper into the fog. We arrived back at our car parked in the lot and put on dry clothes to warm up. Obviously it pays to prepare, lesson learned. Sadly no pictures from that hike.
4. Abbott’s Lagoon in Inverness is a short but very pretty and green 2.26 mile hike with minimal elevation change. Their is a bridge that cross the lagoon, pictured above, where you cross before going out onto the beach. My friend Lin introduced me to this hike as it is one of her regular spots. Abbott’s lagoon tends to be less populated than other surrounding areas which is appealing to many. Depending on what time of the year you go, there is an abundance of wildflowers, lupines, buttercups and poison hemlock.
I’ll be certain to take water and appropriate weather gear and bring my camera for those photos opps!
Smiles and sunshine from theblissingypsy xo