There are plenty of things to say about Sunol as a great Bay Area hike with kids, but let me sum it up with this: go in the spring. Spring, of course, has the lush green hills and wildflowers gone crazy. In fact, usually in April there is a Wildflower Event. (Check the East Bay …
I’m pleased to welcome Mandi Lee Han, MA, to the blog to give some fantastic Montessori outdoor activity ideas to do using your family walks. Mandi is a Montessorian and behavior therapist dedicated to teaching others how to make independent learning activities to meet children’s needs by re-purposing and reusing toys and common household items using …
Oh, my goodness. This walk is sublime in every way. First, let it be known that I have lived in the Pinole-Hercules-El Cerrito corridor area for almost 25 years, and I never knew this gem was there! I’ve driven Highway 4 many times between east 80 and 680, and always admired the hills and open …
Did you know that springtime means that the oil in poison oak and ivy is more potent than usual? That means that it’s going to be much stronger if you get it in spring. And walking with kids means poison oak awareness! How Not to Get Poison Oak The bad news: there really isn’t a …
Inspiration Point is a gorgeous, paved path at the top of the ridge separating San Pablo and Richmond from Orinda and Berkeley, and one of my long-time favorites. There is a wonderful sense of open space on this path, and it goes for as long as you could want it to, which is to say …
China Camp State Park is sorely underrated, which is a shame. It’s accessible, versatile, and really beautiful. Located just to the north of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, this state park was nearly shut down a few years ago during the state budget crisis, were it not for the intervention of Friends of China Camp, a …