Travelogue: San Rafael, California
A photo journal of my recent weekend getaway
My husband and I recently took a weekend getaway up to San Rafael and Santa Rosa. Here are some snapshots from the first part of the trip.
When we travel we have a few things we love to do. One is to get out and explore the local trails and neighborhoods. I also love birdwatching and like to check out the local recommendations for close-up sightings. We took an afternoon stroll at the Loch Lomond Marina, a gorgeous out-and-back jetty trail that extends out into the San Rafael Bay and provides sweeping views of the San Pablo Bay and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in the distance. It was a cloudy, almost raining day and the clouds and water were a lovely combination. We saw a bunch of American coots and some really fancy yachts but the best sighting was a flock of sandpipers nestled just along the trail in a rocky intertidal zone. Since the trail cuts so close to the water, these birds are acclimated to people and did not fly off at our approach. I only had my camera phone for this trip, so no great photos of these little guys turned out.
Our next stop was the McInnis skatepark so hubby could take a few runs. I hiked to the top of some nearby trails to gain a sweeping view of the Marin foothills and wetlands beyond. Marin is extremely picturesque: colorful homes climb rolling green hills and peaceful grazing cattle dot the landscape.
I paused for a selfie at the top of the hill and enjoyed the contrast of color and texture between the lush hills, crumbling concrete trail, snug homes, and cloudy sky.
As I watched my husband skate on the concrete hills below, a train passed by. It was short and fast, and some googling revealed that this is part of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) system. So it is a commuter train. The buildings are likely part of the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, which actually has some interesting birding and nature viewing opportunities as well. When we were up this way a few years ago we saw river otters and wild swans at the trail system that winds through the wetlands to the east.
Stay tuned for travelogue part two: Novato and Petaluma.
