Redwood Shores - Sept. 28, 2009

Walking Distance: 2.47 miles
Walking Time: ~ 90 minutes (3:45 - 5:15 p.m.)
Start & End Point: End of Spar Drive, Redwood Shores, Redwood City, CA

My friend Toni and I crossed (briefly) through San Carlos to get to Redwood Shores, but, my understanding is that this peninsula (formerly occupied by Marine World/Africa U.S.A. park) is part of Redwood City. We first walked down as close to the San Carlos airport as we could get, and then turned back around and walked out toward the Bay and the end of the Redwood Shores peninsula. Today was about 30 degrees (Farenheit) cooler than yesterday, and a cool wind whipped up on our walk back to the car, almost threatening to tip the scales from Blissful Stroll to Death March. (The Death March Index is a 1-10 scale I created to measure difficulty. Blissful Stroll = 1; and Horribly Un-fun Death March = 10.)

There were large numbers of birds around us, but they were too far away to identify. We enjoyed watching a few large flocks of (mystery) birds swooping around in the sky, changing shape and color as they turned in different directions.

Wildlife Sightings: Ah, the problem with not having binoculars. The following list is infested with question marks: 12 black-neck stilts?, 2 lizards, ~200 brownish birds (sandpipers?, godwits?, others? out a bit too far for me to see); 3 LBJs; 4 egrets + 1 large white egret?; 1 little yellow LBJ; 1 "skipper" butterfly/moth.

Pete's Harbor/Bair Island - Sept. 27, 2009

Walking Distance: 5.25 miles total (3.6 +1.65 miles)
Walking Time: 2 hours, 13 minutes (100 + 33 min.)
Start and End Points:
1.) Bair Island Visitor Parking Lot, Redwood City, CA
2.) Public Parking Lot, end of Skyway Rd., San Carlos, CA

As I'm getting further from home, I'm running into more (mostly pleasant) surprises and discoveries that come with unknown territory. Today, I parked in the Bair Island Visitor Parking Lot, and walked on Bair Island Road (shown as two goldish parallel lines on map) toward Highway 101 and back. Then I walked toward the Bair Island trail, only to see a big closed sign. So, I strolled over to Pete's Harbor for a late breakfast (and iced water for the hot day) at the Waterfront Restaurant. Very nice.

After my break, I walked back to the Bair Island sign and discovered there was a dirt trail (solid gold line on map, indicating an undeveloped trail) along the bay, which led to a bikepath/trail (a bypass trail closer to Highway 101 than shown by red line on map for Bair Lower Island). I headed toward San Carlos, alongside Highway 101, and turned around a mile or two before the Holly Street exit, and walked back to my car.

Deciding I might be able to trudge a bit further, I drove up to Holly St., and parked at a public parking lot at the end of Skyway Road, crossing over into the city of San Carlos in the process. And, if I'd been more patient, I could have taken a fun photo of a small plane over my car, coming in for a landing at nearby San Carlos airport.

But, it was hot (Death March Index score: 8 out of 10), and I finished today's walking by hiking back to the point where I'd stopped earlier, a short distance from a billboard (for Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products) that stated: "Always trust your nose"...an odd statement to make at low tide on the mud flats. I've gotten used to the occasional Bay smell, but it has dampened the enthusiasm of walking buddies who have joined me (and decided once was enough).

Hot and thirsty after walking, I found the Milkshake Werks in Redwood Shores, and had my lunch in the form of a root beer smoothie and a cup of homemade ice cream. Until the sugar rush hit me, it was a little slice of heaven.

Wildlife Sightings:
5 ground squirrels; 1 white marble; 2 rusty screws; 3 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 cormorants; 6 butterflies/moths: 4 "skippers", 1 cabbage white?, 3 more smallish ones, one darker than others; 1 ladybug crawling across dirt path; 3 dragonflies; ~ 26 pigeons sitting on a wire overhead; 11 black necked stilts; 1 small gray grasshopper; 2 egrets; 1 lizard; 2 crows; 1 old-looking great blue heron. (Heard, but not seen: 1 killdeer)

Blomquist St. - Bair Island Aquatic Center - Sept. 25, 2009

Walking Distance: 1.59 miles
Walking Time: 35 minutes (7:00 - 7:35 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Malibu parking lot, Blomquist St., Redwood City, CA

This evening I walked the length of Blomquist St. (shown as two goldish parallel lines on the map to indicate an unimproved area, on a street), and part of Maple St. This fairly short street is home to Lyngso, Graniterock and other operations that (I'm guessing) make use of the deep water port in Redwood City; and to Malibu Grand Prix Raceway and Malibu Castle and Games.

Starting half-way down Blomquist, I first walked southeast, passing the turnoff for Malibu Raceway, and continuing until Seaport Blvd. Then I turned around and walked back down Blomquist Street, passing the Malibu attractions once more, to get to the northwest end of Blomquist. Turning down Maple St., I walked as far as the Bair Island Aquatic Center, just outside Docktown Marina. At this point, I stood on my tip toes and had my only glance of the Bay in the dark. It was late enough that most pictures I took didn't turn out. Drivers that passed me must have been puzzled to see what looked like an odd homeless woman taking pictures of dirt, and/or flashes of light (from the camera).

Pictured is a partial shot of the Malibu Castle, home to electronic games, miniature golf, and batting cages, not to mention a mini racing track a few doors down. (Only $3.50 for a game of miniature golf if you get there early and play the first hour the place is open.)

Wildlife Sightings: None. Most non-human wildlife, that might have been nearby this business street, had turned in the for the evening.

Marine Science Institute - Sept. 24, 2009

Walking distance: .24 mile
Walking time: ~20 minutes (2:00 - 2:20 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Parking Lot, Marine Science Institute, Redwood City, CA

You get to go out on the bay in a big boat. How great is that. I imagined some parents saying this to their kids as they were dropping them off for summer camp sessions at the Marine Science Institute (MSI - a non-profit organization founded in 1970). And, if I thought I could get away it, I would probably sign myself up for this camp. MSI had a small aquarium, a fairly large research vessel, and several small outdoor areas set-up for instruction, puppet shows, and other activities. There was even a small strip of beach, with a view of the Port of Redwood City (one of four deep water ports in the San Francisco Bay).

Wildlife Sightings: 1 godwit; 4 LBJs (little brown jobs)

Seaport #4, Redwood City - Sept. 23, 2009

In two segments...

1.) Path behind Pacific Shores Center, along the Bay
Walking Distance: ~1.75 miles
Walking Time: 44 minutes (4:08 - 4:52 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Public parking lot, near Pacific Shores Center, Redwood City, CA

This very nice walkway had benches, landscaping, nice bay views, and a wildlife identification sculptural display. This dog-friendly trail also had dog waste stations.

Wildlife Sightings: 5 lizards along the paved pathway; and 2 friendly Burmese Mountain Dogs, Piper and Taiko.


2.) Seaport Court
Walking Distance: 15 minutes (6:10 - 6:25 p.m.)
Walking Time: .7 mile
Start & End Point: Parking lot, Bella By the Bay Restaurant

I enjoyed a blackened snapper dinner at Bella. I was seated by the window with a great view of boats going to and fro outside on the Bay. After dinner, I walked as far up and down as I could along this stretch of Bay, past a public fishing pier, and marina.

Wildlife Sightings: 48 pigeons, 17 crows, 5 LBJs, 5 ducks, 1 coot, 1 godwit
Note: The pigeons and crows were munching on birdseed in a back parking lot, near a sign that said: "Do Not Feed Birds."