This is one park where our State Park pass really came in handy. You have to be careful as it is easy to miss this park as you drive by on Skyline at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The only indication that there is a park here is this random bunch of cars parked in what looks like a makeshift parking lot. There are lots of cars parked alongside the road outside the park as well, but the signs are small, so its hard to tell that the park is even there. Anyway, if you are lucky enough to get a spot in the parking lot, grab it! It is only a short hike up the hill before you get to the top where there are these amazing rock formations that are awesome for climbing! The kids and my husband had a wonderful time climbing and running through the formations. Throughout this area, you will find various groups actually rock climbing which is really cool to watch. Somewhere too there is supposed to be a waterfall, but we've never actually found it. We visited this park a few times and really loved it. Its great in both the summer and winter, but definitely bring warm stuff in the winter as it can get cold. And as always, the reason for us going hiking is as follows:
Sunol is one of our favorite places to visit in the East Bay! What we like most is that it has a great wading creek winding through it. We mostly visit in the summer when it is hot out and the creek is nice and cool, but this time we went in the spring and we still had a lot of fun. In the summer, we camp out right under the bridge at the farthest end of the parking lot. We bring water toys (mostly buckets), towels, a lunch and our swimsuits and the kids spend hours just playing in the shallow water. They like catching insects and whatever else they find in the creek. There are also rocks they like to move around to create small dams and a ton of discovery they do along the creek bank. There is great shade along the bank so I just like to sit back and watch the kids play and discover. At the end of the day, the kids are pooped so we are able to take them home and have a nice quiet evening!
If you are into hiking a ways and it isn't too hot, you can hike to Little Yosemite which has some great rock areas for the kids to play in. On your way there, there are various places you can stop to play by the creek. No toys needed as there are plenty of rocks and sticks to play with. Various other hiking paths are strewn about through the park. I have heard that the wildflowers here in the spring are incredible although we haven't made it out there for that yet. Can't wait, though; thats next on the list!
This started out as a fun day and turned into a loooong hike! I had been wanting to go to Hidden Villa for a while; it seemed like a unique place. Finally, one Saturday we went and it was another gorgeous California day! It was kinda weird figuring our way around once we got there....there really weren't any signs and no real good guidance in terms of where to go for hiking. It was obvious that there were other events happening day, so we didn't want to disturb anything that was going on either. So we quietly walked around, trying to find our way. On our left, it looked like a cabin where there was some sort of gathering like a birthday party. It was actually a really cute setting for something like that. Further up ahead on our right, there was a wedding about to take place. Again, a beautiful setting in a more modern building than the cabin we had passed earlier. As we walked on, there were some garage like structures that seemed to house old farming equipment and such. Kind of weird with a fancy wedding just across the way, but we continued on and ended up hiking for almost 3 hours! wow! It got kinda long toward the end, but when you don't know the area all that well, you just kinda have to keep going. I do remember the views being pretty amazing from the top. Los Altos is just a beautiful area....the houses are gorgeous and its such a beautiful area nestled there in the hills. Would definitely recommend this area to go hiking in. There's a ton to explore!
This place is a lot of fun and we definitely recommend it!!! I took the kids on a rainy day during the week and although it was a school day, didn't really encounter too much school group traffic. This hall of science is located on the UC Berekely campus and its kinda crazy getting there, but definitely worth fighting through Berkeley to get to. The hall is at the top of the hills in Berkeley and you get the most amazing views from the top, fog or no fog. I also remember getting a glimpse of the Bears stadium as we drove by which was REALLY cool! Anyway, be sure to pay for your parking on the way from the parking lot to the actual hall. Its not much, but you do have to pay. There is also an admission fee, but definitely worth it. There is a ton for the kids to experiment and just play with here! Lots to build with and discover. Its just a nice place to follow the kids around to whatever fits their fancy. There was a small science show that the kids really enjoyed and we had a great day! There is a cafe on the lower level, but I had brought a lunch which I think is a better idea as there is also an outdoor area off the main floor from where you can see the amazing views. This area also has an amazing water and sand feature that will entertain the kids for a loooong time! They can create dams and hop from stream to stream. This trip can also be combined with any of the trips in Tilden Park, but it might be a bit much as the park is so spread out. The whale out in front of the museum is really cool too; a great picture opportunity! Enjoy!
This is one park where our State Park pass really came in handy. You have to be careful as it is easy to miss this park as you drive by on Skyline at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The only indication that there is a park here is this random bunch of cars parked in what looks like a makeshift parking lot. There are lots of cars parked alongside the road outside the park as well, but the signs are small, so its hard to tell that the park is even there. Anyway, if you are lucky enough to get a spot in the parking lot, grab it! It is only a short hike up the hill before you get to the top where there are these amazing rock formations that are awesome for climbing! The kids and my husband had a wonderful time climbing and running through the formations. Throughout this area, you will find various groups actually rock climbing which is really cool to watch. Somewhere too there is supposed to be a waterfall, but we've never actually found it. We visited this park a few times and really loved it. Its great in both the summer and winter, but definitely bring warm stuff in the winter as it can get cold. And as always, the reason for us going hiking is as follows:
