#nor cal

i am going to see him 3 times this summer and i am super exited :) <3

are you guys going to see them this summer? if so where? :)

adrianskyyy:

Little bit of rain won’t hurt

I miss SF.

Golden Gate Bridge

A dreamy day at Bodega Head made better by afternoon fog. Summer at Bodega Head is my favorite as the weather is cool compared to the warmer weather in central California. After being away from Sonoma County and the north coast for many months, I was so excited to return back for a short visit. The sea air was a delightful smell that welcomed me back to the area.

This is what mid winter in Gold Country looks like. Trees are starting to get their leaves back, berries are red, and the views are still gorgeous. These photos were taken on my last hike of 2020 on the Monro Ridge Trail in Coloma. It’s a lovely trail that takes you up to the top of a ridge and gives you a view of the South Fork of the American River, roughly the exact spot that gold was first found in California. There’s so much history on these trails that it feels special to get to hike them and see the same views that so many miners once saw too.

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.

It’s mid winter here in Gold Country and the trails are starting to get green again. After a big storm two weeks ago and then lots of sun, spring is just knocking on the door ready to come. It has been so lovely to try out some new and familiar trails the past two months, especially some that are very close to where I live. This trail is in Cronan Ranch Region Park in Pilot Hill just down the road from Coloma. The South Fork of the American River winds through the hills and valleys here creating a gorgeous view.

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. 

Autumn in gold country is full of gorgeous gold color in the trees. The end of the season was coming so I headed out in Placer County to Auburn State Recreation Area for a long afternoon hike on the Robbie Point Firebreak Trail. This trail goes along the North Fork of the American River which I have only recently started exploring more. And while it looks fairly similar to the South Fork, the elevation is higher so we got to see more pine trees along the trail.  

In other news, today is the six year anniversary of the start of this blog. So thank you to all the followers both new and old for exploring California with me. 

The middle of autumn in gold country is not necessarily very colorful in appearance. At Folsom Lake the water is low, the trees are barley green, and the grass is light brown. I went on a new hike this week from Red Bank to Brown’s Ravine which went along the southwestern part of the lake. Early in the morning, the sun was peaking through the oak and pine trees along this trail. The deer, squirrels, and birds were busy with the morning work. Winter is starting to approach at the lake and I am excited to continue exploring new parts in gold country in the upcoming months. 

I think I may have found my new favorite trail. It’s not too long, only five miles round trip, but it’s filled with so much variety. There’s forests, meadows, granite boulders, creeks, ponds, and more. The first time we hiked it we even got to experience an afternoon thunderstorm and a beautiful light rain. I’ve found this trail to be such a wonderful step out of the busy world and into the world of chipmunks, leaves, and rocks. It’s so simple and beautiful. A perfect step away from the stress and loudness of our world. I know that we’ll have lots of photos from this trail over the next few years, and I’m excited to explore it throughout the seasons. 

A quiet afternoon hike at the edge of the El Dorado National Forest in the sierra nevadas means being around lots of tall trees. And the Fleming Meadows trail right outside of Sly Park is the perfect moderate hike to enjoy the trees. And while there is never a final destination to stop and look at the view, I still fell in love with this trail. The best part would also come when you stopped and looked up and saw the tops of the trees overhead. 

Gold country in the summer is not always the most picturesque with its golden grass and lack of greenery. But there’s still something special about it. Another hike we recently did was at Folsom Lake on the Darrington Trail. While it is typically a mountain bike trail, if you go in the middle of the week in the evening it is extremely peaceful. The lake is gorgeous at sunset and dusk and we even saw a small heard of cows grazing along the trail. And while we still have many months of summer left here before the rains come and bring back the greenery, we simply get more time for evening hikes. 

I love when communities make a commitment to having nature walks and trails. It makes such a difference to be able to walk in nature and see what beautiful land is in your community. A few weeks ago we went on the Deer Creek Trail in Cameron Park in gold country. And while its a short walk it is lush with greenery and has a quaint creek flowing next to the trail. It’s simple and has the perfect view for a quick neighborhood stroll with plenty to explore. It’s so nice to get outside and see a new view even when the work day is busy.

Summer is here in Northern California and it’s a beautiful time to go hiking. We’ve made a big hiking list for the summer to see more of the stunning land that surrounds us. My first hike was in gold country on the Olmstead Loop Trail in Cool. And while we might have gone on a day that was way too hot to hike, the views were still mesmerizing. The trails were lined with oak trees and pine trees, vast open prairies, and the beautiful North Fork of the American River. It feels so nice to be back out in nature taking new photos and exploring new places.