Eugene O'Neill National Park

Today I visited #2 of the 10 national parks before fall goal... Eugene O'Neill National Park. Normally, you have to make reservations to visit this location, but this summer, they are doing no reservation Saturdays, so You can just show up to Danville and get on a bus at some specific times of the day to go up there.

Basically this is the home of Eugene O'Neill American playwright who is the only American to win the Pulitzer prize, which is why the home is a national park.

Lower Salmon Lake

Went hiking with some friends near Sierra City, CA. What was supposed to be a short hike turned into a complete trailblazing adventure. When the trail ended about 1/4 of the way around the small lake, We blazed our way around the rest of it and through a section where we had to pick our way across fallen logs over a swamp. Fun Hike!

Ruth Bancroft Gardens

Ruth Bancroft Gardens is in Walnut creek, on Bancroft rd. It's pretty big, and is mostly succulents. there are some other ca-native and drought tolerant plants from around the world. Below is a photo of a unique Manzanita.

Martinez Regional Shoreline

Part of the East Bay Regional Parks district, the Martinez Regional Shoreline is a pretty large park with a boat dock, a pier you can fish off of, and duck ponds where you can feed the ducks.

John Muir National Historic Site

In Martinez, CA, right smack dab in the middle of the town, is the John Muir House and orchards (well what's left of them anyway). The house itself is pretty impressive, you can explore all the floors on your own or there are tours you can take of the first floor.

There are lots of fruit trees, pears, apricots, etc...I found one on the groun that had just fallen, and it was tasty. Also, part of the property is the oldest structure in Martinez - a two story adobe home.

This is #1 of 10 NPS locations I'm hoping to visit before October

National Parks

Every national park has a little brochure for the park, I've picked on of these up every visit I've made to a national park and keep them in a map holder. Today I was reviewing these brochures and marking on a NPS map all of the parks I've visited... as I finished this task, I realized that I have not been to many of the National Parks that are right in my own state, and in fact, many of those were right here in my backyard. I've decided to try to visit 10 National Parks Service Locations before the end of October.

Shell Ridge, Walnut Creek

I went for a hike with my dog at the Shell Ridge open space preserve in Walnut Creek, CA. It's a nice place but be sure to bring plenty of water with you especially in those hot summer months. There Are beautiful views of the valley, and many miles of trails for exploration.

There were a ton of squirrels, and red-tailed hawks out on the day I went, and I saw some blooming campunela flowers in the valleys. There were even a couple of red-winged blackbirds.