Man, August has been a fucking drag. Every day it's foggy and fucking freezing and windy and all that shit. I know, I know, summer in San Francisco blah blah blah. It still sucks.
So last Saturday we finally were fed up and we piled the dog and some sandwiches into the car and drove about an hour and a half to Del Valle Regional Park, near Livermore. Guess what? It was delightful!
First of all, when we left the city it was around 58, 59, foggy and cold. When we arrived at DV, it was BRIGHT SUNSHINE and 75. We emerged from the car blinking in the bright light like fucking Mole People. The dog immediately started panting. He's part chihuahua and he's bred for this shit but he's not used to it now.
FEATURES: There's a big lake you can swim in. Canoes and kayaks and paddleboats available for rental. And a long off-leash dog trail that goes around the lake.
For a Saturday, it wasn't that crowded. I mean, the picnic areas were filling up by the time we got there at 11:30 am, but we only passed a few people on the trail around the lake. There was one big group in the shade singing what I took to be religious songs in a foreign language. So there's that.
It costs $6 to get in, plus $2 if you have a dog. I definitely recommend taking a dog.
So in conclusion, I would like to say:
DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK! FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!
Or maybe
DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK! IT'S PARK-TASTIC!!!
Or just
DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK! IT'S NOT FUCKING FREEZING AND COLD LIKE SF! AND YOU MIGHT SEE SOME TRUCKS WITH TEA PARTY-TYPE BUMPERSTICKERS!
Srsly, if you want a good day trip this weekend, head out there. Super nice. Have a great holiday weekend! It's Labor Day! That's the most socialist holiday of all! TAKE THAT MITT ROMNEY!
It's always nice to know I'm not alone in losing my mind a bit during our summer.
ReplyDeleteDespite the drive, that place also sounds excellent and I'll be packing up my Chihuahua mix to check it out at some point.
Lisa -
ReplyDeleteTotally worth the drive.
Next, I want to do the Lake Lagunitas outing you did.
The San Pablo Dam Reservoir is also a nice place to rent a boat.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWith the help of my better half, I got some texted pics from my dog frolicking in a land far back east with views of SF. They said it was Knowland Park open space, but at about 40 degrees different than the icy office I was sitting in, it might as well have been the moon... Apparently the dog kept running from shady spot to shady spot. Mole people indeed.
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/urbanoutings/article/Upper-Knowland-Park-offers-views-around-bay-3195474.php