Lafayette Reservoir

Despite the fact that we are departing soon, perhaps in a mere X (my stomach will flip-flop if I fill in the actual number of) days, I manage to remember (most of the time) that I still need to get out and see more of the area.  My walking group/outdoor kids playgroup had a meet-up last week at the Lafayette Reservoir in (wait, wait, you will never guess..) yep, Lafayette.

Why, oh, why have we never been there before?  Why have we driven past so many times, and thought, "We should go there!" only to never make good on that promise until now?  I know it is a bit off the beaten path, and may not have the glitz or glamor of a walk down Crissy Field (with the Golden Gate perched ever so in the background), but on a sunny, albeit cool, day it is the perfect place to take a stroll.  One can follow it up with a rest  or stretching for a few minutes at the playground (thoughtfully split in two to accommodate both the preschool set and their elementary school-aged friends).

Nicholas and I can't always join on Wednesdays due to swimming,  but since class was canceled last week, we had quite a bit of extra time.  He missed his walking group buddy (whose mom runs the group), so we opted for the hike and the post-exercise playground bit.  The walk was great exercise for me (including those little hills every so often), but Nicholas needs his running around time, too.

Now before you think us exercise champions of the world (well, go ahead, if you must), we did not take the super-long dirt trail loop.  We opted for the paved road which runs about 2.7 miles if my information is correct.  We started off at the edge of the parking lot, and hit the hills running.  The bumps that existed on that trail were not that arduous (not like the unpaved trail), but allowed gave an extra edge to the walk and added the "whee" factor for Nicholas on the way back down.  The water-go of the day (the reservoir and many, many puddles) added interest for him and the hour passed by extremely quickly.  I started off with a coat on, but shed it by the time we arrived at the playground.  The sun was quite strong and even though the air was cool, the combination of the exercise and sun beating down had us sweltering by the end of the trek.

I should mention we had no intention of doing anything other than a walk on Wednesday, but would definitely think about going back for longer stretches with the whole family.  It's not a huge area, but could easily provide a fun afternoon (maybe even a full day) of walking, hiking, boating, fishing, and, of course, the obligatory picnic.  Even at this time of year (technically still the rainy season), you are bound to find a day with weather requiring nothing more than a light jacket. Just don't forget parking money, and if you are feeling generous, ante up the full $6.00 for parking in the main lot.  The other lot is metered parking (quarters only) and the two hour allowance goes quickly.  Who wants to waste a gorgeous day running back and forth to the parking lot? 

Note:  As you can see from the photos, Nicholas still has a deep fascination with all things transportation-related (and food-related). Trucks and trains are close to the only topics of conversation these days.  On the other hand, Hot Wheels are extremely easy to store in the pocket, purse or diaper bag (which will hopefully not be around much longer) and it is amazing how long they can interest him. Oh, and is it me, or does he seem not quite as….little… anymore?