Did you know there’s a volcano right here in the San Francisco East Bay? Yep, Round Top, a volcano so long extinct that it’s now lying on its side, is located in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in the Berkeley Hills. On Sunday, I enjoyed a fun Mother’s Day hike around the Round Top Loop Trail … Continue reading »
Yesterday, I hiked this section of the Bollinger Creek Loop Trail in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness with some friends. It’s is one of the few trails in Las Trampas that is shade-covered. It’s also relatively short, with the section along the creek and through the trees being only 0.69 miles (one-way). This is a fun … Continue reading »
Photos taken January 27th, 2013 Redwood Regional Park, Oakland Interested in going? The ladybugs cluster at Redwood Regional Park between November and February. You’ll find them at the intersection of the Stream and Prince Trails. Look on, around, and behind the bench, as well as across the trail, near (and on) the sign. You can … Continue reading »
This lovely one-mile loop trail is one of my favorite hikes in the San Francisco East Bay to do with little kids. My son and I hiked this regularly when he was three. On Saturday, I walked the trail alone… a rare treat. I enjoyed walking at my own pace, taking the time to stop … Continue reading »
When our son was a baby, my husband and I walked a lot at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley. Each side of the lake has a 1.5 mile paved trail (the West Shore and East Shore trails), perfect for walking with a stroller. When we would walk the East Shore Trail, almost every time, our … Continue reading »
Within Natural Bridges State Beach, in Santa Cruz, you’ll find the Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve, a grove of eucalyptus trees where thousands of Monarch Butterflies spend the winter each year. The butterflies may be viewed by taking a short 0.75 mile Monarch Trail loop through the Preserve, or by simply taking the short, wheel-chair accessible … Continue reading »
The Jewel Lake Trail in Tilden Regional Park is a great hike to do with little kids. The loop is about a mile, is mostly flat, and has a fun variety of things to see and do. I like to take my son on this walk whenever we’re in the Tilden Nature Area, usually to … Continue reading »
Photos from a hike I took this morning with my son at Don Edwards S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newark, California . We walked the the short 0.7 mile walk around the LaRiviere Marsh Trail, beginning at the Visitor Center. Continue reading »
One of my favorite places to walk with my son… the Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley. He leads. I follow. Interested in what we saw on this visit to the gardens? Check out these posts… Flowers (October) Garden (Fence) The Newts are Back Weekly Photo Challenge: Big Continue reading »
Photos from a hike in Mount Diablo State Park earlier this week with my Nature Time playgroup. We hiked a section of the Trail Through Time, from the Rock City parking lot to (and up) Sentinel Rock, allowing the kids to climb and play on and in the limestone rock structures and caves as much … Continue reading »
My article about getting outside for a hiking adventure with the kids has been featured on The Roundup at Circle of Moms! To read the article and pick up some tips about how to have a fun family hike, click on over to Circle of Moms here… 6 Tips for Outdoor Adventures with Kids. Happy … Continue reading »
One of our goals this summer was to take our son to see a lighthouse. There are a few in the Bay Area, but my favorite has always been the Point Reyes Lighthouse (see my post from yesterday: “Point Reyes Lighthouse“). My husband and I wanted to slip in a short hike during the … Continue reading »
Yesterday, I wrote about our visit to the Randall Museum (see post here… “The Randall Museum, San Francisco”). Whenever I visit a museum, I also like to schedule some outdoor play or exploration. The Randall Museum is an excellent spot for indoor and outdoor nature fun, but we enhanced the experience by taking an Urbia … Continue reading »
Another great Outdoor Discoveries outing! Today, the naturalist took the kids up the Ringtail Cat Trail into Las Trampas Regional Park for a “beanstalk lunch hike” to learn about vines. This is another of my favorite trails in the area, especially on a hot summer day, as the trail winds above a creek through a … Continue reading »
On Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely 3-mile walk with friends on the Inspiration Trail in the Berkeley Hills. This is a trail that has grown with us through the years. My husband and I liked to hike here because of the gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay, the Marin Headlands, and the Golden … Continue reading »
If you read my post yesterday, you know we attended the Nectar Garden Fun Day at Coyote Hills Regional Park on Monday. I invited friends from my Nature Time! playgroup to attend with us, and the kids had a great time running around and playing after they were done with the butterfly activities. A favorite … Continue reading »
We kicked off our Memorial Day weekend with a great hike with friends from our Nature Time! playgroup. The kids had fun on the trail, playing in the tall grass, and stopping to check out insects (mostly stink bugs). The weather was breezy and cool, but the children didn’t seem to notice. It makes me … Continue reading »
Since the week my son turned three, we’ve been attending the East Bay Regional Parks Outdoor Discoveries program, a naturalist-led class designed specifically for three-five year-old children. Each outing includes a hike and plenty of time for observation, exploration, and play. To make the classes even more fun, I always invite friends from my Nature … Continue reading »
I thought we’d head to a museum today, but my son asked if we could go hiking instead. Great! When I asked him where he wanted to go hiking, he said, “Dublin Hills!” I liked that answer, as the official trail head (Donlon Point Staging Area) is only a few miles from our home. Easy! … Continue reading »
One of our favorite parks for play is Roberts Regional Park in the Oakland Hills. This park, nestled in the redwoods, has something for everyone. First, if you have a child, the play structure here is among the best in the Bay Area (and it’s barrier free / wheelchair accessible). But other than that, the … Continue reading »
After several days stuck home due to sickness, my husband, son, and I headed out today for a short hike through the Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve in the Oakland Hills. The 1.7 mile Huckleberry Path seemed about the right distance, and I’ve heard from many sources that it’s a great hike to do with a … Continue reading »
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (or plan to visit) and you have kids and enjoy hiking, you should have Laure Latham‘s (aka Frog Mom) book, Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area, in your personal library. When this book first came out last year, I checked it out from the … Continue reading »
The wildflowers are starting to bloom, new leaves are growing on the tips of branches, gardens are beginning to sprout… this is the time to take the kids out for a walk to look for the signs of spring. This can be a quick walk around the neighborhood or the park, an exploration of your … Continue reading »
My favorite spot in the San Francisco East Bay to take kids for a nature walk is Redwood Regional Park, but, for a variety of reasons, we haven’t visited the park for a few months. We had a break in the rain late this week, so we headed to the park for a walk … Continue reading »
This afternoon we attended a family nature walk, a free naturalist-led event held in the Tilden Nature Area in the Berkeley hills. I couldn’t resist the event description… “Natural beauty, strange creatures and curious plants reveal themselves to those who seek such wonders.” We walked for two hours, slowly ambling along, observing the little things … Continue reading »
As someone who leads a lot of hiking outings with little kids, today I’m going to address a question I’m frequently asked by parents…. “How do I get my child to enjoy hiking?” Listed here are what I believe to be the five most important tips: Keep it short: The first thing you must do … Continue reading »
