First Day of Summer

I could have called this post "Last Day of School". Considering that school got out at 11:15 on the last day, it kind of made it the first day of summer as well. We didn't have any plans, so I somehow talked the kids into going back to Sunol Regional Wilderness with me to see what its "Little Yosemite" area is all about. It sounded like there would be water and I used that as a lure since saying "hiking" doesn't really get the kids excited these days.

I tried to choose a short loop for a hike, but I didn't know just how uphill it went. I also didn't realize that I'd left the water bottle...at home. So, not a well-prepared Mommy on this trip. The kids did O.K. They were pretty game. They enjoyed looking at the scenery and the flowers. Mam was particularly enamored with the many blooming butterfly mariposa lillies.

I've always thought these were cool too.

We spotted a golden eagle, saw some fluffy little baby turkeys and got dusty and hot before getting to our destination, but I think the kids found the whole thing worthwhile as soon as their feet hit the water.

I don't know that Little Yosemite is aptly named, exactly. We've been to Yosmite, after all, it didn't exactly measure up, despite its quaint little waterfalls.

But the kids didn't couldn't have cared less. I let them play in the water as long as I thought I could get away with it. After all, there is dinner and bedtime, even during the summer!

Sunny Sunol

I don't always carry my camera on hikes, but it was a lovely day to head out to the East Bay and if I'm going to carry it, I'm darned well going to take some pictures. I've wanted to head over to this park for a while now, but with baseball and softball and everything else going on, it's hard to find the time. It gets pretty hot over there in the summer. I think I might've found one of the last best weekends to go.

Sunol Regional Wilderness has a lot going for it...lovely wooded areas along the creek, vast meadows of oaks, craggy outcroppings, cave-like rock formations to scramble around on and steep climbs to sweeping vista of the entire Bay Area from San Jose to Mt. Diablo.

I was so taken with it that I forgot about the areas I initially wanted to explore and headed for the hilltops instead. Gives me an excuse to go back.

And I didn't quite end up where I wanted to go there either. Despite having a map and trying to make it to the furthest reaches of the park, I ended up at Cave Rocks, which was also pretty cool...literally and figuratively.

I didn't stick around for too long though. I had other adventures to attend to!