Big Basin State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains

So we are in the Santa Cruz mountains again....but there is so much to do here! This is another redwood park that is really gorgeous. It was a sunny day which was fabulous, but in the shade it was really pretty chilly. Before heading out on our hike, we had a nice picnic in a shaded area that was again, kinda cold. Be sure to bundle up! The kids enjoyed running around the picnic area taking bites of their lunch here and there. The hike we did was kinda long, but no one seemed to mind and we enjoyed going up part of the mountain and coming back down. There were signs for a waterfall and after talking to a few people who were returning from it, we learned that it was quite far and required most of the day to get there and back. We decided that it would be left best for when the kids get older, although it sounded amazing! The best part of the hike was taking pictures in the huge redwood trees. I really do feel small every time I step foot in one and realize how tiny and insignificant I really am, but how amazing and awesome God is for His majestic creation. It is wonderful that He loves even me!

Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains

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 Regional Wilderness~ a gem of the East Bay!

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!

Hidden Villa, Los Altos, CA

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!

Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA

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!

Shoreline Park, Mountain View, CA

This was another favorite park of mine when we lived in San Jose. Not too far away was Shoreline Park, home to the Shoreline Ampitheater. The park is right on the bay and has a lake, so it can get pretty chilly but on this day, the sun was out and we were comfortable. There are miles and miles of mostly flat biking paths, so I would highly recommend bringing a bike to this park. Its a great place to spend an afternoon biking and making stops along the way to observe the wildlife and as you loop back to the parking lot, making a stop at the ship play structure, which is so unique and fun for the kids to play on. I think what I loved so much about this park was the fact that they play structure was so different than all the other playgrounds we had been to. Its fun for the kids to pretend they are out at sea. Be sure to bring your sand toys as the ship is anchored in sand. There are lots of geese at this park, so you kinda have to watch for the poop, but the kids will enjoy seeing them. There is also a small cafe that serves mostly lunch and snacky type stuff. There are large grassy areas to run around in and small hills to explore. Whats also really neat about this park is that it really isn't very busy, no matter when you go. Most of the people there are walking and there are a few families that stop to play, but it doesn't seem like too many people know about it, so its a nice quiet, calm, serene park to go to. There also seem to be quite a few lake activities, like paddle boating, fishing, etc. although we've never tried any of those out. But this is definitely a hidden gem!

Alum Rock, Inspiration Point, San Jose

This hike would have been perfect except for one tiny detail. Although I knew we would be out hiking in the afternoon, first thing in the morning I decided I'd work out for an hour and then spend the morning putting together packages to be mailed in time for Christmas. All fine and good except that this hike was on a significant enough of an incline that it pretty much rendered me useless for the rest of the day: i.e. not able to make dinner. Or maybe it was the fact that despite my already worked over body, I decided to play tag and hide and go seek with the kids as we climbed to Inspiration Point. Either way, keep in mind that this hike itself is enough of a workout and you probably don't need to do much else for the day. Anyway, on to my story.

My parents were visiting for the weekend and it was Friday. My husband was tied up at work for the afternoon so knowing that my kids needed to get out and run around, I suggested we head to Alum Rock which I knew would give my kids the opportunity stretch their legs. Along with my parents and brother, we decided to head to Inspiration Point, which I would totally recommend. It was another glorious afternoon complete with sunny skies! The hike was just long enough to fill the afternoon and give us a great view of the surrounding hills. Once at the top, we were able to sit and recoop for a while, which was really fun. There was a big rock in the middle of the staging area at the top and Caleb quickly proceeded to set up a taco stand and sell tacos to each of us! I must tell you they were delicious and would highly recommend purchasing one if you are ever so lucky to make it to the top!

I remember thinking on the way down how fatigued my legs were, but didn't realize how badly fatigued till we arrived home and I collapsed on the couch. Once collapsed, there was no getting up! I couldn't get my legs to move. It would have been helpful had I had an inkling about what to make for dinner, but I didn't so I just continued to sit too overwhelmed by my physical state and lack of dinner planning to get up. Thankfully, Macaroni Grill provides take out and we were fed. I felt badly having guests and no dinner plan, but its the way it goes sometimes and thankfully my family didn't seem to care. We had had another great afternoon!