 I have been to the Little Yosemite area of Sunol Regional Wilderness before, but that was in the fall; this was my first time to visit this scenic gorge in the spring. I really recommend it in the spring. Although it was gorgeous in the fall too, it was even more beautiful in the spring. I went with my whole family, and it was a tremendous success!
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 It is hard to describe just how amazing Pinnacles National Park is. Talking about talus caves, or bats, or condors, or wildflowers doesn't really convey how cool it is to hike near, over, and through the massive rocks that formed the pinnacles and the talus caves. I am so glad that I got to bring my parents here, and that my dad was a warrior to go on the trail through Bear Gulch and then back around on the Rim Trail.
 I visited Vargas Plateau earlier this month for the first time ever, and it's amazing how much of a difference a couple of weeks can make. It really felt like late winter then, but only a short while later and spring had definitely sprung. There was a gorgeous profusion of poppies blooming all up and down the hillside near the entrance gate. It is not quite like the super bloom happening now in southern California, but it is pretty spectacular nonetheless!
 Del Valle Regional Park is a gorgeous park near my current home, Livermore CA. It has quickly become one of my favorite parks. I did a variation of a hike that I did back in October. At the time, I noted that there were quite a few unmarked single-track trails that people had made by hiking and biking along the creeks, and I wanted to explore one of them. I ended up turning around about halfway up the mountain because I could tell that rain was coming in and I was pressed for time anyway. I loved this variation of the hike! I saw all kinds of wildflowers: Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), shooting stars (Primula clevelandii), and Indian paintbrush (Castilleja affinis). It was so interesting to see the dramatic difference in the landscape between October and March!
 Photo credit: Will Dawkins I am featuring a guest photographer for this blog post: my brother, Will, who joined me on my hike at Almaden Quicksilver County Park in Santa Clara County south of downtown San Jose. Click "read more" to see his photos!
 I made a trip back to Mount Diablo State Park with my family over Spring Break, and it did not disappoint! I did basically the same trip as I did last June; however, the feel of the park was totally different with the hills lush and green.
 This 8-mile hike at Round Valley Regional Preserve is an amazing hike to do in the spring when the hills are emerald green, the wildflowers are starting to pop out, and the heat of the summer has not really gotten into full swing. I loved this hike, and would totally do it again, or a variation of it. Spending the day in the green hills was a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
 The 3.75-mile "lollipop" trail that I took this afternoon at Vargas Plateau Regional Park offered gorgeous views of both San Francisco Bay and Niles Canyon. I think that spring might be a better time to go than late winter--although the hills were a stunning emerald green, I can tell that this park will be even prettier when the wildflowers really get going, and it will definitely be easier to walk when the mud dries out a little. I was very glad to have worn my impermeable rain boots!
 Holdener Park in Livermore is a small but lovely park run by the Livermore Area Recreation and Parks Department (LARPD). Late winter and early spring is an excellent time to visit because the hills are bright green and the wildflowers are popping out everywhere. On my hike I saw Blue Dicks, mustard, buttercups, and shooting stars.
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