China Camp to Marin - July 18, 2013

Walking Distance: 7 mi.
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 1 min. (3:27 - 5:28 p.m.)
Start and End Point: street parking near intersection of Birch Way and N. San Pedro Rd., San Rafael, CA

Today I returned to walk the last part (northern end) of China Camp State Park, from Santa Venetia/San Rafael. I walked back (south) along N. San Pedro Road toward China Camp, on mostly paved (sidewalks, asphalt walkway). Initially, the partly shaded walkways were very pleasant on a warm day. Flowers (wisteria, trumpet flowers, passion flowers) spilled over and through a wood fence on my left side.

Gradually, however, the sidewalk disappeared, and the setbacks on N. San Pedro became quite narrow on the last stretch into China Camp. This stretch deserved its broken green line status on the Bay Trail map.

I passed the entrance road to Buck's Boat Storage (and where there also appeared to be a place to buy cold drinks). I was tempted to walk down Buck's driveway to buy a bottle of water, but thought the better of it, since it wasn't clear whether the small store was open.

Once inside China Camp, I continued to walk along the side of N. San Pedro. I was passed by a light stream of traffic - mostly bicyclists and cars. I walked past the Back Ranch Meadows /Campground sign, and kept going until I reached the Miwok Meadows sign, where I turned around to walk back. On the return walk, I took a short detour to climb up a hill (on the Bay side of the road) for views of the water.

I continued walking back on N. San Pedro Rd., the same way that I'd come. The one exception: I walked down Vendola Drive, and decided to return to this spot in the near future -- I remembered remembered walking some interesting trails (Santa Venetia Marsh Preserve and Santa Margarita Island Preserve) by the water, during my first walk round the bay.

I continued, passing where my car was parked on Birch Way, to walk as far as a restaurant. Le Chalet Basque restaurant and bar was tucked away into this residential neighborhood and I remember enjoying a stop there for dinner on my previous walk around the bay. I turned around here and returned to my car.

Wildlife Sightings:
3 turkey vultures; 2 great egrets; 10 crows/ravens; 1 golf ball; 3 horses; 3 dragonflies; 2 deer; 1 swallow; 6 little brown jobs (LBJs)

N. San Pedro Road - Marin Civic Center, April 3, 2010

Walking Distance: 4.2 miles (3 segments combined)
Walking Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes of walking time (+ breaks for dinner, re-parking) (between 5:25 - 8:21 p.m.)
Start and End Point: three different spots along N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael, CA

Today, I continued walking West along N. San Pedro Road, an area that appears as double yellow lines (in upper right corner of the Bay Trail map insert shown above). I started at Buck's boat launching and storage turn-off/sign, where I'd left off last week. By the end of the night's walk, I reached the intersection of Civic Center Drive and N. San Pedro Road, near the Marin County Civic Center.

After walking along some pleasant stretches of water, lined with reeds and grasses, where a duck was playing camera-shy, I had a very nice dinner break at (Le) Chalet Basque Restaurant (at right), in the Santa Venetia neighborhood of San Rafael, at 405 N. San Pedro Road. Having covered a few miles at that point, I felt justified in having a full meal, including a nice chocolate dessert and small glass of port.

After dinner I continued walking, said hello to a deer (right), looked unsuccessfully for wild turkeys, and then marched on toward Highway 101, until it became too dark to see anything.

I tried to take a picture of the architecturally striking Marin County Civic Center; however, this hazy silhouette (below, right) doesn't do it justice.


Wildlife Sightings:
5 red-winged blackbirds; 6 turkey vultures; 11 crows; 1 basketball, 1 whiffleball, 1 small ball; 1 pill/sow bug moving across sidewalk; 1 deer; 3 little brown jobs (LBJs); and pretty wild and domestic flowers. I heard lots of turkeys gobbling close-by, but no sightings.