Tilden Regional Park

     Running along the Berkeley Hills, Tilden Regional Park is a Bay Area gem that spans parts of Berkeley, Oakland, and unincorporated Contra Costa County. The park offers visitors not only an escape from the city but any and every summer activity they could hope for. So many activities, in fact, that you can't do them all in a day or even two days.

     Our visit started at Little Farm, located on the west end of the park not far from Jewel Lake. Free parking is available a short walk from the farm, or you can take AC Transit #67 from Berkeley BART on the weekends. Little Farm is open every day of the year, 8:30 to 4, and is free. You can bring celery and lettuce to feed to the Shorthorn cows, French Alpine goats, Black Welsh mountain sheep, pig, and ducks and chickens (who prefer lettuce). You can also visit but not feed Dutch rabbits. Turkeys roam the farm as well, though we didn't see any this time. We took one bag of celery, which was soon gone, and the animals' attention quickly turned to new arrivals, hands full of fresh produce.

     After Little Farm, we decided to take advantage of Tilden Nature Area's 10+ miles of hiking trails. We chose the Jewel Lake Nature Trail to Jewel Lake, traveling much of the way on a magical boardwalk. Trees and brush enclosed us, forming a green roof over our heads. When we arrived at the lake, a tree that had fallen into the water was covered with turtles sunning themselves. As we were walking away from the turtles, my sister noticed a crawfish in the brush at the side of the trail. This remains the coolest creature I've seen in the wild in California. If you enjoy hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding, there are nearly 40 miles of trails in Tilden Park proper. Nimitz Way is wheelchair accessible and paved.

     Our next stop was the Botanic Garden, open year round, 8:30 to 5:30 during the summer. The garden is 10 acres and is divided into 10 geographic regions, and the paths wind down into Wildcat Canyon. It felt like wandering into a secret world, and as the gate disappeared from site, my sister and I joked that we might possibly get lost, which didn't bother either of us much. According to the East Bay Park's website, the garden "contains the world's most complete collection of California native plants," including a large collection of manzanitas. We walked along a creek, and as my sister crossed a bridge, I noticed a tiny creature zip under her. It stopped on the side of one of the bridge's boards, and I noticed it was a lizard. We blinked at each other as I leaned close for a better look. As we made our way through the garden, we could hear other creatures zipping off among the plants, and I assume they were more gorgeous lizards.

     We called it a day after the Botanic Garden, but there is so much more to explore. At Lake Anza, you can swim for a small fee, and there are lifeguards on duty during the summer. There's also a carousel (small fee), steam trains (small fee), camping, horse camping, picnicking areas with barbecues, and even a golf course.

     Tilden Regional Park is hands down one of the most enjoyable, affordable places in the Bay Area. Perfect for families, for individuals wanting to get away from the crowd, for birdwatchers, plant enthusiasts, animal lovers, photographers...there's something for everyone. This park is definitely at the top of my Bay Area Miss-Me-Nots.

 

 

 

Jewel Lake Natural Trail

The Crawfish 

 

Dollar Day at Golden Gate Fields

     American Pharoah reignited public interest in horse racing last year when he became the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978 and the first ever to win America's "Grand Slam." Right now excitement is high as the last leg (Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby, and Exaggerator won the Preakness) of the current Triple Crown draws near.

     Located on the Albany/Berkeley border, Golden Gate Fields is a beautiful place for beginning and experienced race enthusiasts to get into the action, and with GGF's Dollar Day Sundays during the winter and spring, it's one of the most affordable weekend activities in the Bay Area (depending on your bet). With its coveted spot next to the San Francisco Bay, GGF is truly golden with its excellent views, proximity to the Berkeley Marina, and somewhat easy access from I-80. There's also plenty of parking, and on Dollar Day, it only costs--you guessed it--$1. Admission and programs are only $1 as well, as are hot dogs, soda, and beer. I mean, really, can a Sunday get better?

     The regular gate opens at 10 a.m., and you're instructed to use the Buchanan Street entrance for Dollar Day. Normal posting time is 1:45, but GGF's website will list special post times. If you're following the current Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes (the final leg) takes place on Saturday (in New York, so televised), June 11, and the post time is 11:45 a.m. Mind you, admission on Saturday is $6.

     The last time I went to Dollar Day was with my dad and sister. We won $5 betting on Hunted Guy to win, and we pretty much swaggered out of the joint with our big winnings. Hey, on Dollar Day, $5 is BIG. The hot dogs and beer were delicious, the live and televised races were exciting, and the track was a beauty.

     We arrived early to check out the program and horses and beat the crowd, but even closer to post time, the crowds weren't bad, and there was plenty of parking left. This is definitely a lower stress Bay Area event, though things can heat up around big races. If you want to test your luck, June 5th and 12th are the last two Dollar Days of the spring, so don't dawdle. Driving is the easiest way to get to the track, though you can also bike there from University in Berkeley on the Frontage Road bike path.

     For the sports lover, the horse lover, and any Bay Area bucket-list checker, GGF's Dollar Day is an affordable Bay Area Miss-Me-Not.

 Through the gates of Golden Gate Fields

 Don't forget your tokens for $1 food and drinks...

Bring on those hot dogs!

And the bets!

 View of the track...

 View from inside...

 

 

Bay Area Fairy Doors

     A touch of magic has sprinkled the Bay Area with tiny fairy doors. In and on trees, on the sides of homes, on cement curbs--the locations of the fairy doors are as numerous and creative as the doors themselves, and more are popping up every day. People are even getting together to have fairy door creation parties. There's not just one group responsible for the doors; in many cases it's individuals driving the phenomenon. Stumbling upon a fairy door can awaken the kid inside, and seeing someone else discover one warms the soul. Of all the Bay Area activities I've enjoyed over the years, hunting for fairy doors has been my favorite and really, most rewarding, activity. And guess what? It's free!
     So how does one go about finding these precious portals? There are fairy doors tucked away in Berkeley and San Francisco, but so far I haven't found a comprehensive map of them. One must simply take long walks with sharp eyes, though news stories about famous doors can guide you to the most popular. But Alameda is probably the best place to start. Not only are there several fairy doors on an island that's easier to navigate, but there's a Facebook group, Alameda Island Fairy Doors, devoted to the doors that provides a map (which is printable) of their locations. Every time a new fairy door is discovered, the map is updated to show its location. And really, Alameda is one of the loveliest places to take a stroll.
     My sister and I chose to hunt for doors in the Park Street area. There's a park one block over from Park Street that provides free parking, and here is where we began our journey. We walked down San Jose Avenue toward Park and turned left on Oak toward Alameda South Shore Center. The star on our map told us we should see a fairy door somewhere nearby, and my sister was the first to spot it, a door about four inches tall attached to the foundation of a fence. Upon closer inspection, we noticed a black cat was painted on the door, and from a nearby porch, a black cat watched us with curiosity. Finding the door gave me the same thrill I felt hunting Easter eggs as a child, and we hurried on to the next star on our map. Each new door was unique, each had wonderful little details to admire, and each one provided a tiny adrenaline rush. Trees and power poles were the most popular places for the fairy doors we found, but occasionally one was attached on a house or on a wall. All in all, we found ten fairy doors, leaving plenty for our next hunting trip, including two we couldn't locate but hope to find next time.
     If you want to see a lot of doors with not as much walking, the Park Street clusters are the best choice, and there are plenty of places to take a break. But if you want a more challenging hunt, the West End is a better choice. The fairy doors are spaced out, and the area is more bike friendly. One of the great things about fairy door hunting is that one is never done with it. New doors are being added all the time, so there will always be something to discover in the future. If you've resolved to be more active this year, but hate the tedium of a gym workout, fairy door hunting might just be your thing. It's play in disguise, and it's definitely the most magical Bay Area Miss-Me-Not.