Loch Leven Trail

Off Hiway 80 near Soda Springs, there is a 5-mile roundtrip trail to the Lower Loch Leven Lake. This trail is pretty much all uphill to the lake, and down hill on the way back. You cross a stream over a wooden bridge, train tracks (at your own risk) and lots of boulders. The trails is very rocky in some places, very dry and powdery in others (maybe just at this time of year). The lower lake is very pretty - totally worth the hike...




There is an optional extension to the higher Loch Leven Lake that is a 7 mile round trip hike.

Fair Oaks Horticultural Center

I visited the Fair Oaks Horticultural Center today for the open day. The Center is interesting, there is a community garden for residents, and demonstration gardens. They had a demonstration on blueberries while I was there.

Pony Express Trail

A group of friends and I and our dogs hiked a bit of the pony express trail today. We started off of Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, off highway 50 in California. Part of it goes through a popular snowsporting area (called Sierra-at-Tahoe), it was funny to see the building and runs in the summer.

This is #4 of 10 NPS locations I'm hoping to visit before October

Hidden Falls Trails

I went hiking at Hidden Falls Trails with two friends, we did the long loop at about 5 miles, a lot of the trail is in shade but on super-hot days there are long stretches of exposed trail in some places.


The Placer Legacy Program has done an excellent job on these trails, they are nicely marked, there are great stone stairways and a perfectly beautiful overlook to the falls.


The areas near the creek have many wildflower examples including the one above.

UC Davis Arboretum

Today I went for a walk with some friends through the UC Davis Arboretum - There are many themed gardens mostly California natives, a southern CA native area, and northern CA area, a Mediterranean garden.

Rosie the Riveter Park in Richmond, CA.

I went to #3 of 10 National Parks Service sites today - This must be a newly acquired National Park, because it is not listed on my 2000 version of the NPS Map, but it is listed on the 2006 version.

I sure hope it is new, because this location does not live up to the standard of the NPS, it looks more like a city park. also, I was unable to find the red oak victory ship which also houses the NPS passport stamp that I was looking for. The signage at this park is terrible.

Map of places I've been

I got a free map of the U.S. in the mail from Sierra Club, and decided to mount it onto some foamcore board that I was going to throw out and stick pins in all the places I've been. I think It came out pretty good (there are some wrinkles in the mount, but who really cares). Looking at it makes me feel like I've accomplished something - but also makes me want to go on a road trip.