bayareahikingwithkids

National Geographic says one major travel trend that has emerged in this pandemic is people's appetite for the outdoors. I couldn't agree more. I personally have started paying so much attention to all things outdoors since last year. Last year we hiked about 65 miles and this year my goal is to double it and blog about every single one of them. Have you ever wondered how is life in a forest? When we were driving to get there my mind kept racing trying to find an answer. The drive was beautiful as we passed through Capitola and the town of Aptos with a quaint downtown. Cell phone signal gets choppy as you leave downtown as you are very close to the forest. The last call I received was from A at quarter past 10 that they were at the park entrance and there were a few more parking spots left. We were about 10 minutes away so assumed we will make it. By the time we reached, the park ranger had already started turning cars around since parking was full.  Park Map We drove a mile an...

How did you spend your Valentine's Day? Keep reading to know about the amazing day I had with my near and dear ones in a picturesque canyon.  Trail Map With the recent rains, the canyons were the perfect place to go with brimming waterfalls and lush greenery. The 60s weather made it a great hiking day. Too good..right? There is a small gotcha though - you cannot make an impromptu plan and go there as you have to reserve parking ahead of time. With COVID restrictions this is a good idea but requires planning. We reserved our spot about a week before the hike.  The drive to the canyon gets picturesque with farms as far as the eye can see once you exit the freeway.  Once we got there the ranger greeted us warmly, checked us in, and gave us maps plus tips. There are 3 parking lots split into day use and overnight camping lots. As soon as we got out of the car - we saw a huge open area spread out with benches, an amphitheater setup, and restrooms. The kids immediately started ...

What do you do when you are cooped up indoors due to bad weather, rainfall with a possibility of an atmospheric river? You start dreaming and planning.... Sunshine, Fresh air, Great Outdoors... Hmmm Sounds wonderful. It was also Ms birthday in the past week so even more reason to get out and meet and celebrate.  We quickly decided to goto the South San Jose - Los Alamitos Creek Trail near the  Almaden Expressway . This paved trail is located in a semi-rural setting with embedded parks and entrance points all along.  The parking lot is small with a max capacity of around 15-20 cars but there is ample parking along the many cross-streets.  Trail Map As soon as we parked we saw a bridge nestled around the creek with trees. There were a lot of people biking and walking through the trail. Imagine crossing a bridge into this wonderland with beautiful sounds of the creek flowing downstream. We started around noon and took the fitness route. The fitness route has s...