 Like Don Castro and Cull Canyon, Contra Loma is an EBRPD park that focuses on a swimming lagoon. Unlike the other two, the water of the swimming lagoon is clearly chlorinated and filtered, so it seems more like a pool and less like a secondary reservoir. This made for an interesting swimming experience! The pool has actual sand in its 0-depth area, but no sand in its deeper sections. My toddler loved this feature! We first hiked the perimeter of the reservoir and then we swam in the pool to cool off afterwards.
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 Bayou Boeuf in Lecompte, Louisiana Although I was not able to get any photos of the beautiful woods of Kisatchie National Forest around Kinkaid Lake on our recent trip home to the Gulf Coast, I was able to get some nice shots of the cypresses and pines in the small towns of Lecompte and Forest Hill, where my husband spent most of his childhood. Click "read more"' to see more shots of beautiful Bayou Boeuf.
 I am kicking myself that I never discovered Baylands Nature Preserve back when we lived in Palo Alto (map here). This park used to be so close to where we lived, but we never noticed it because it is not labeled as a green space on Google Maps. Alas!
 Today, I treated myself to the featured trail at Brushy Peak Regional Park recommended by the EBRPD for their 2019 Trails Challenge. I have been wanting to do this hike since January, when I visited the park but could not complete the trail due to the mud. It was lovely to visit the park when it was dryer and warmer, and when the wildflowers were blooming!
 A return visit to Shadow Cliffs Regional Park to hike along the Arroyo del Valle with my cute toddler.
 Shadow Cliffs Regional Park is off of one of the main roads between Livermore and Pleasanton, and until today I thought that you could see the whole park from that main road. This afternoon, however, I discovered that there is much more to this park! I enjoyed a 3-mile hike through Remillard Marsh and around the Arroyo del Valle.
 Photo credit: Christel Dawkins This guest post will have a new voice, that of Claire’s mom, a 71 year-old, lifelong hiker from Louisiana. I am also a painter and have a special fondness for camping and the out of doors. Bad knees have slowed me down, but the love of adventure keeps me going. Click "read more" to read about my four hikes.
 This was an encore trip to Brannan Island State Recreation Area for me. I went this time in the Fall, and although the air was relatively clear precisely where we were, the smoke from a nearby wildfire was creeping in to the east of us. This made for both a particularly golden light and an extremely empty park. I mostly just explored along the slough and enjoyed the quiet!
 Big Break Regional Park is a fantastic place to bring kids, especially young ones like my daughter. It is definitely a great introduction to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
 Brannan Island State Recreation Area is primarily for boaters, swimmers, campers, and people using the picnic area. The Brannan Island Loop is a paved, handicap-accessible 3.1 mile loop. It was perfect for me and my daughter (in her stroller) while we enjoyed both the eucalyptus grove and the delta breezes on a warm September afternoon.
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