Healing through Nature!

  Shiloh Ranch Regional Park is a beautiful slice of land in the hills in Northeast Santa Rosa.  I have been there many times when my life brings me to that corner of the county, and I have always enjoyed the experience.   It is part of the Sonoma County Regional Parks, so parking is $7 unless you have an annual pass.  There is plenty of parking on the street that is free and many take advantage of that.   It appears that all trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers and horses.   I got one daughter to go with me in conjunction with an appointment nearby, but we had limited time, so we took the easiest trail:  The Creekside Trail.  This trail ran alongside a creekbed that was mostly empty (MORE RAIN PLEASE!) and was a lovely undulating trail through mossy oak woodlands.  It is 1 1/4 miles, and we went out and back for a 2 1/2 mile hike.  There are other, much more strenuous and longer hikes that take you up to the top of...

Today, I decided to explore Fort Ross State Historic Park .   Fort Ross is well known by most in the local area because it is a historic Russian-era fort compound that is part of school curriculums and a tourist attraction for this who love history.   It is also on 3,400 acres of incredible coast land.   I primarily went to explore the land through walking the trails along the coastline, but I am also a history lover. On many of these journey's I am listening (via audiobook) to the biography of George Washington by Ron Chernow.  It is highly compelling and astonishing at how so many issues of that time are still playing out today.  I recommend it (it is 33+ hours long, and I have about 5 hours left). Jason and the girls have had intimate experiences here because, when in 4th grade, their classes each had an overnight immersive experience in what it would have been like to live in the Fort in the early 1800's.   Jason went as a chaperone ...

 Today, I went on a solo hike again.  I've been enjoying both hiking with others AND hiking solo.   I knew there were some great trails in Novato, so after a little research, I decided to hike the "Big Trees Trail" at Indian Tree Open Space Preserve .   I was attracted to the redwood groves and the uphill yielding to great views.   I was ready for a 1,100 foot increase in elevation.  I've been getting stronger, and I'm gradually challenging myself to do more. Before setting out, I decided that I wanted to resurface my trekking poles that I haven't used in about 15 years!   They were in excellent condition, and I was feeling like my 52-year-old joints could use the support on this type of a hike.  I was right!  I wasn't disappointed by the views -- here is my favorite photo of the day: The trailhead is about 3 1/2 miles off the San Marin exit of Highway 101.  I used Google maps to get there, and the trailhead is on the...

Today, I took a solo hike on the Kortum Trail from Wright's Beach to Shell Beach.  It was exactly the medicine I needed to breathe and take my mind off the insurrection that happened at the Capitol the previous day.  I have been glued to the news, so I needed to break away.  Naturally, I decided that the coast would be the best place for me to breathe... breathe the sweet smells of the fresh, ocean air, feel the sun on my skin, move my body, and feast my eyes on the dramatic beauty of the Sonoma Coast State Park. As I drove out to the beach, I listened to the news on NPR while taking in the stunning views in West Sonoma County.  I feel so blessed that I live in this place, where I can escape to nature easily as a relief to what things that are out of my control.  This was the view from my parking spot at Wright's Beach.  .....Exhale... As I arrived at Wright's Beach Campground, I quickly realized that there is a parking lot immediately off to the right of ...

Today, I went for a walk on the West County Trail  ,  which is part of Sonoma County Regional Parks.  It is a multi-use trail that links Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville. I walked with a co-worker and friend, and we were so busy talking and catching up that I forgot to take photos, except for this one at the end of the walk: We started at O'Reilly Media, and walked to the Sebastopol Community Center and back.  It was about an hour walk.   There were a lot of people on the trail at the time that we were walking in late afternoon, so we had to wear masks most of the time. I typically ride bicycle on this trail, as it goes right to my daughters' school, to my office at work, and it's a beautiful ride between Graton and Forestville!  I highly recommend it for bike riding, if you are looking for a safe place to ride with kids (and no cars).  The only part I don't like (if you have young kids) is there is a bit of street riding along Occidental Road t...

Today was a biking kinda day.  We are in the rainy season here, and we are in between two rainstorms, so I feel kind of urgent to get outside when its not raining.   My daughters are split on their desires to participate with me.  One likes to hike, and the other likes to bike.   Since it had been over a week since we biked, I decided to look for a biking opportunity.  It couldn't be too far or too hard because she didn't really want to get out today, this was a mother forcing the daughter situation.  Therefore, I decided that the the Santa Rosa Creek Greenway Trail  (part of Sonoma County Regional Parks) was the way to go because it is relatively flat, and it held the promise of getting a hot drink at Aroma Roasters  in Railroad Square, Santa Rosa.  I knew that would be a good incentive for her, so that was our destination.   We parked along Willowside Road, and hopped on our bikes to start to the trail.  It was 5 1/...

Salt Point is one of our favorite local parks.   Its an hour+ drive, but its totally worth it!  Its on the Northwest Coast of Sonoma County, and and it includes coastal areas of rocky beaches and several campgrounds and hiking trails.   We've camped here many times, and we love to drive up to spend the day hiking and tidepooling. We decided to go here on New Year's Eve because there was a surf advisory and the waves were going to be particularly strong and big.  Salt Point, with its craggy coasts can put on a really great show with crashing waves!   We also wanted to witness the final sunset of 2020 over the ocean that has provided us with so much mental support throughout the year. Salt Point is not only incredibly beautiful, but there is so much wildlife to see!   The harbor seals are always resting on the rocks just outside of human reach.  There are plenty of birds, deer and many sea creatures in the tide pools.  Its a plac...