#great valley the delta

I recently had a trip to the central valley and was fortunate to finally visit the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno. It’s an area of the Great Valley & the Delta that I don’t travel to often but is worth a visit. These historic gardens were mostly built underground as a response to the heat in Fresno. They are between one and two stories below ground level and are filled with citrus trees and are a great place to explore and cool off in the heat.

Morning hikes in winter are my favorite. January in California brings the start of the grass turning green which are the first signs that spring is coming soon. Last weekend I hiked in Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield. There were so many trails here with gorgeous views of the surrounding valleys and was delightful in these cooler winter months. While there isn’t necessarily many places in the Great Valley & The Delta for long hikes this place has them and they do not disappoint. 

When searching for trails a bit out of my normal hiking area, I came upon the Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary in Sutter County. I didn’t necessarily have high hopes for anything gorgeous, but thought it would be good to go see a different part of California. So after a short 50 minute drive and with our sandwiches packed we found ourselves along the Feather River. This is by far the prettiest Audubon Sanctuary/Preserve I’ve ever been to and I think it was especially beautiful because all the trees were at peak for fall color. The trails went through grasslands along the river with more species of trees and plants than I could count. Invasive blackberries and grapes lined the trails and grape vines soared up into the trees. What a magical place this is just outside of Sacramento with over 5 miles of trails and plenty of spots to picnic and enjoy the chirping of birds.

Here’s a post just about leaves in the Cosumnes River Preserve. I had heard about this area for a few years and finally decided to visit for myself. I found myself looking up into the tree canopy, taking in all the different types of trees and leaves that covered the trails. I’ve noticed while hiking and exploring this year that I need to look up more when I’m beneath the trees. It’s a whole other world just a few feet above me. These leaves were just some of my favorites that I enjoyed gazing at. 

I’ve lived so close to the Great Valley & the Delta all my life and I so rarely actually venture to explore the nature in this area. We took a quick trip to the Blue Heron Trail located in the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge so we could explore some of the local plants. And while the heat of summer may not have been the most beautiful time of year to visit, we still loved seeing and learning about the many different native plants and animals that live in this special area. There was so much to see when you change your eye level and look above and below. 

Clear skies and golden grass is what summer looks like in the great valley & the delta. We got up early a few weeks ago to go on a nature walk in Vacaville on the Pena Adobe Trail. It’s a beautiful (mostly uphill as the trail started down by the lake) trail scattered with oak trees and a view of the valley. Up at the top we could see the fog rolling over the hills in the distance. For years we had drive by the sign for this trail but we never stopped until this year.