American Canyon Rd. West - Aug 18, 2010

Walking Distance: .7 mile (.3 mi. x 2 + .1 mi. - Chaucer Ln. pkg spot)
Walking Time: 12 min. (8:40 - 8:52 p.m.)

Before driving home this evening, I couldn't resist taking this very short stroll down American Canyon Road West, located in a suburban area. It was dark, but there were street lights; and I walked (on a sidewalk) West on American Canyon Rd. from Elliott Drive to Hummingbird Way. This Road leads out to Wetlands Edge, and a new segment of the Napa River and Bay Trail, that I plan to walk tomorrow.

Note: It was too dark for pictures.

Wildlife Sightings:
1 (domestic) cat running into some bushes; and a dog out for a walk with its owners. It was too dark to see anything else.

N. Kelly Road, Napa - Aug. 18, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.0 miles
Walking Time: Time: 34 min. (7:49 - 8:23 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Unpaved shoulder/pull-out area, at the intersection of Highway 12 and N. Kelly Rd., Napa, CA

I took a detour from the more heavily trafficked Highway 29, to walk up North Kelly Road (shown as a white line "Kelly" on map, and which runs parallel to Highway 29 -- shown as the double yellow lines on map). I left Highway 29 at Jameson Canyon (Highway 12) and walked North on N. Kelly until it rejoined Highway 29.

The West side of N. Kelly Road was populated by light industrial and commercial buildings, belonging to Sutter Home and other wine-related businesses; and the East side of the road was more open land, that might have been a mix of pasture and vineyards. I finished this stretch of road after the sun had set, so there weren't many opportunities for pictures; however, it was a pleasant walk.

Wildlife Sightings:
20 blurs in the grass/bushes (there was more movement and more blurs as it got darker, so I'm assuming these were field mice); 8 swallows; 1 mockingbird; and then it became too dark to see much more.

Highway 29 - N. Kelly Rd. - Aug. 18, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.8 miles
Walking Time: 57 min. (4:35 - 5:32 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Ristorante La Strada restaurant parking lot; 6240 Highway 29; American Canyon, CA

This afternoon, I stopped at Ristorante La Strada (shown), on the Bay Trail, on Highway 29. The Highway is shown as double yellow lines on left side of map). After a late lunch, I headed North, walking along Highway 29, until I reached the intersection with Jameson Canyon/Highway 12.

Even though this stretch of Highway 29 had a shoulder that was wider than some, setbacks along highways are not my favorite type of trail; and there were three sections of Highway 29 with guardrails (narrowing the walking area further) from the restaurant to Jameson Canyon (Highway 12).

There was no easy pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Highways 29 and 12, and so instead of continuing to walk along Highway 29, I decided to head East on Jameson Canyon/Highway 12, to North Kelly Road (shown only as a white line on map above Jameson Canyon). Later this evening I would return to walk N. Kelly Road -- a road that parallels and then joins Highway 29 further North.

The only other human I encountered on my walk up the Highway was a man in a car who asked if I needed help or a ride. I appreciated his concern, but assured him I was out walking by choice.

On the animal and bird front, I walked by a cow pasture. I've found that cows are pretty wary of pedestrians. They're not used to seeing humans walking along highways, and they usually have kept an eye on me until I pass by. (See cow pictured at right.) I also was able to see two kites (birds), and was able to photograph one perched on top of a utility pole (see image at right).  My apologies to the crickets I bothered, when I walked too close to the dry grass on the side of the road, causing them to leap by me toward the highway (not the smartest move they could have made).

Wildlife Sightings:
15 cows; 10 little brown jobs (LBJs); 2 crickets; 2 crows; 3 screws; 2 white butterflies; 1 snowy egret flying overhead; 2 kites (engaging each other briefly in mid-air); 2 blurs in the grass/bushes (probably field mice).

di Rosa Art Preserve - Aug. 18, 2010

Walking Distance: .2 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: N/A - 1 hr. stop
Start and End Point: di Rosa Art parking lot, off Highway 121, Napa, CA

Before I left Napa area, I decided to drive back to Highway 121 to visit the di Rosa Art and Nature preserve, which had been closed when I passed by there previously. The entrance is modest, and it was a surprise to discover an impressive collection of artwork from local/California artists, located a few paces from the Bay Trail (across the highway from the intersection of Duhig Road and Highway 121/Highway12 -- close to the point where the double yellow lines meet the white line on map).

If you are interested in visiting the di Rosa Preserve (an area that contains the former home of Rene and Veronica di Rosa, a Gatehouse Gallery, lake, as well as art -- sculptures, paintings, an art car), I recommend making reservations ahead of time for a tour, so that you can see some of the roughly 200 landscaped acres.

The last tour had already departed for the day when I arrived this afternoon. However, it was possible to see the art in the di Rosa Gatehouse Gallery, where the check-in desk and gift shop is also located. The grounds and lake looked beautiful, from what I could see.

Wildlife Sightings:
N/A - although the fake sheep on the hill above the parking lot were fun.

American Canyon Rd. West - Aug. 14, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.4 miles
Walking Time: 40 min. (8:42 - 9:22 p.m.)
Start and End Point: American Canyon Marketplace, shopping center parking lot, American Canyon, CA

Once again I took advantage of mild summer weather, and walked after sunset -- in an area that had at least some street lights. This evening I also had a sidewalk to stroll down, which was a welcome change of pace. Uneven patches of dirt and gravel are less fun in the dark.

First I walked West (toward the Baylands) on American Canyon Road (shown as double red lines on the map). I turned around when I reached the intersection with Elliott Drive, and retraced my steps, walking as far East as the intersection of American Canyon Road with Broadway (also known as Highway 29, and/or Napa Vallejo Highway).

I have only one very blurry photo to post here. Putting my camera on a tripod would have helped. But, my primary objective was to walk down this street quickly; and I've made it a practice to travel light. So, the trade-off is -- no night photos to show. I balanced my camera on a wire fence to take this picture, hoping it might steady the shot. However, wire fences have some give to them. And, I ended up with a "painting" instead of a photograph.

Wildlife Sightings:
None; it was too dark