The first two weeks in December were extremely wet, and this welcome return to the rainy season turned all of the golden hills around Livermore green almost immediately. As soon as we had a relatively dry day, our whole family jumped at the chance to soak in some sunshine and greenery at Sycamore Grove Park.
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This 4-mile loop was a longer extension of the easy 2.8-mile loop that I did last September at Morgan Territory. The trail is really peaceful and beautiful, and it was so nice to extend that route into something a little longer!
Not this weekend, but last, I went on a really interesting 6.5-mile loop (with 1,200 ft of elevation gain!) through Las Trampas Regional Park in San Ramon. This hike offered stunning views of the entire Bay Area, wind caves, and a "box canyon" called Devil's Hole. I was surprised to see that golden poppies and sky lupine were still blooming late into October. I am glad to have done it while the skies were still clear. We are experiencing a historic wind event that is spreading wildfire in Santa Rosa and bringing smoke down to the Bay Area.
I don't know why exactly, but I was expecting this park to be lame. I guessed from looking on the map at how close it is to both interstates 580 and 680 that it was going to be nothing but exposed ridgetop hikes with deafening traffic noise. While there was some hiking along the exposed Calaveras Ridge, the hike I took descended into a canyon and I could neither hear nor see the busy freeways nearby. It was unexpectedly tranquil!
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in San Ramon is a sprawling wilderness area. Today, I only dipped my toe into the park in this very easy introductory hike of only 1.5 miles and minimal elevation gain. I was by myself today, but this would be a great hike to do with my little one in the toddler backpack carrier.
On this trip to Pleasanton Ridge, I brought my family on a shortened version of the hike I did last December from the Foothill Staging Area. It was fascinating to see how different the colors are on this hike between September and December.
May Nissen Swim Center in Livermore is a really nice alternative to the more modern--but also more expensive--Robert Livermore Aquatics Center.
Last winter, I made a couple of lovely trips to Shadow Cliffs Regional Park to walk through the quiet arroyo area of the park. This morning, my daughter and I went swimming in the beach area and walked along the marina.
Lizzie Fountain Park is a tiny little park at the intersection of First Street and S. Livermore Ave. in Livermore. It is a little splash park where people bring their kids to play in the fountain near the lovely historic downtown. This was a big hit with my little toddler!
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