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.

China Camp -> N. San Pedro Rd., Mar. 28, 2010

Walking Distance: .5 mile
Walking Time: 10 minutes (6:04 - 6:15 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Side of the road (N. San Pedro), north of China Camp State Park, near utility pole, San Rafael, CA

This segment was a quick bolt up the road, an effort to add a little extra distance to the day's earlier walk through China Camp State Park.

Heading north on N. San Pedro Road, after leaving China Camp, there were a few bends in the road and some uphill curves, and not much room at the side of the road for walking. I wanted to cover this part in daylight hours, where I could still be seen by cars and bikes. I stopped and turned around when I came to the sign for Buck's (pictured) boat launch and storage.


Wildlife Sightings:
None; although I did smell some wonderful flower smells beyond a thicket of Scotch broom (also in bloom) by side of road.

China Camp State Park - N. San Pedro Rd. - Mar. 28, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.5 miles
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 54 min. (3:05 - 5:59 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parked on side of (N. San Pedro) Road, just past China Camp State Park (North) entrance sign, San Rafael, CA

I was treated to another wild turkey sighting today (and the sounds of other turkeys gobbling in the vicinty), within a few seconds of locking up my car and starting to walk. It must be mating season.

It was a little overcast, but still nice spring weather overall. Birds, animals and insects were out, as were lots of wildflowers. For those sensitive to poison oak, be careful when you walk on the Shoreline and other park trails (shown in solid red and purple lines on map) above the road (shown as double yellow lines). The trail system is very nice, but there is quite a bit of poison oak close to the trail edge.

Wildlife Sightings:

1 wild turkey; 12 turkey vultures; 3 crows; 4 deer; 1 black and yellow bumblebee struggling on the ground; 4 little brown jobs (LBJs); 3 mosquitos - 1 bit me; 1 great egret; 1 rusty screw; 1 horse (on private land/farmhouse) and 1 cormorant, 1 duck, and 1 great blue heron (in farmhouse pond). Wildflowers included: blue-eyed grass; California poppies; yellow "buttercups"; little yellow flowers (unidentified); scotch broom (yellow flowers); purple irises; unidentified pink/purple vetches

China Camp State Park, March 24, 2010

Walking Distance: 6 miles
Walking Time: 3 hrs., 29 minutes (1:00 - 4:29 p.m.)
Start and End Point: $5.00 Vehicle Day Use spot, Bullhead Flat parking lot, China Camp State Park, CA

The stretch I covered today was as far south as McNear's beach, and as far north as the Miwok Meadows area in the park (NW of Buckeye Point). I walked along San Pedro Road (double yellow lines on map), the beaches, and the Shoreline Trail (solid red line), to see as much as possible. I also made a stop at the China Camp Village historic site, where there is a visitor center and some interesting information about the remnants of this old fishing village and shrimping area.

China Camp was a great park that I'd never visited. Great views; lots of wildlife; and, this time of year, some nice wildflowers as well. I met several mountain bicyclists on the Shoreline trail. And, there was some poison oak sprouting up alongside the trail, so I stepped aside to let the cyclists pass -- very carefully.

Wildlife Sightings:
49 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 25 ducks; 10 sea gulls; 2 hummingbirds; 2 willets; 2 ladybugs; 1 Western grebe; 5 snowy egrets; 2 Canada geese; 1 deer; 5 turkey vultures; 1 lizard; 1 reg. (tree) squirrel; 3 orange and brown butterflies/moths; lots of beautiful wildflowers (wild purple iris, blue-eyed grass; yellow scotch broom, etc.); 1 wild turkey; 1 blue jay; 2 great egrets; 3 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 big fat black and yellow bumblebee; and 1 dragonfly.

Pt. San Pedro Rd., cont. #2 - March 19, 2010

Walking Distance: 1.6 miles
Walking Time: 36 min. (7:15 - 7:51 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Street parking along Knight Drive, San Rafael, CA

As it was getting dark, I enjoyed watching the reflection of the lights on the water (from street lights and the Richmond - San Rafael Bridge in the distance), and a large ship sliding bay on the far side of the bay.

Wildlife Sightings:
8 Canada geese; 46 ducks in bay area; 2 Western grebes; 2 Willets flying (were making some noise, white on wings and a little on tails); and 1 brown pelican flying fairly high up was the last bird I saw before it got too dark.