Spring Break comes early in New Mexico, as our schools start in August and let out in May. Again this year "the boys" (my husband and son) took off on a road trip. Last year was the mid west and north east coast (all the way to Connecticut); this year was southern and northern California. A mere 2,600 miles in 10 days - and no speeding tickets.
On Tuesday I flew out to meet them for a few days. The last time the three of us went on vacation together was four years ago, when we spent two spectacular weeks hiking in the Canadian Rockies. We met in San Francisco, a beautiful city by any measure. Captivating, contained, under constant construction. Riots of muted colors.
As civilization goes, San Francisco is great - countless great restaurants, unique architecture, endless views (after the fog lifts), great public transportation, shopping for any budget, and one of the world's best parks. I greatly enjoyed my time living and working in The City many years ago, but I don't miss it.
After spending some time at Ocean Beach
we took a leisurely drive through Golden Gate Park... crazy to see bison in a pen full of green pasture, they looked quite out of place to me:
But the ceaseless noise and all-night-lights are quite wearing on my nerves, and by Thursday morning I was very happy we headed to the NE to Sacramento. After driving around our old stomping grounds, I needed a respite. So off we went to Effie Yeaw Nature Center, a miracle carved out of suburbia. We hadn't made it out of the parking lot when we spotted our first wild turkey, and he was spectacular:
After some time enjoying the visitor's center (Anthony reliving some of his fonder childhood memories)
we hit the trail - and were immediately halted by some does crossing our path.
Ahhhhh, to be outdoors in the unpaved part of the world. We wandered over familiar trails to the American River, red tail hawks and buzzards overhead, Canada geese, mallards, and a great blue heron along the way.
The boys indulged in a favorite river game, who-can-skip-a-rock-the-farthest, while I sat on the trail above and enjoyed the lack of man-made noise. And was struck by how endlessly green everything was.
My flight home reminded me of the luxury of vast open spaces, unspoiled by road or power lines.
I'm more comfortable in my niche, as a desert rat.
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