...and as for the rest of my trip....

Well, on Sunday morning, I headed out to Henry W Coe State Park in Morgan Hill. It was a nice, sunny morning, perfect for a walk in the woods. Well, I got to the main parking lot and there were no empty parking spaces. There was another parking lot not far from the main one, so I parked there, found a trail, and started walking. Lots of flowers were in bloom, so I thought, "great! Looks like a good trail." I hadn't gotten too far when I heard some rustling in the woods ahead, and I couldn't see what was making all the noise, but it was something big (not a bird or a lizard, or even a fox....I could tell it was something big). There was no one else around, so I decided to turn back, walking rather quickly, telling myself it was probably just a deer....just a deer, Kim. Just a deer (lol). But I was all alone out there, so it made me uneasy. Then when I got in my car, I was ticked off at myself for being such a chicken - lol. Oh well. There were more places to hike still.

After my little adventure at Henry Coe, I set off for The West Pinnacles National Monument. The entrance to this park is located in Soledad, CA (there is another entrance, to the East Pinnacles, in King City, CA - my old home town - but there is no road leading from one side to the other, although you can hike from the East to the West if you want to). I always hike the same trail...the Juniper Canyon/High Peaks Trail. It is absolutely FULL of wildflowers in the spring. You can't go more than a few feet without seeing something new. Lots of birds and butterflies out there too. If you are lucky, you may even spot a California Condor, as they nest in the Pinnacles. I didn't make it to the East Pinnacles, as I was running out of time, and still had a ways to drive to get home (and I had to be at work at 7 am on Monday, so I thought I better save the East side for another time). Still, I had a nice hike. I went about a mile before turning back. There is another trail...The Balconies Trail...that leads to a cave. But I have never hiked that trail before. If you do plan to hike The Balconies Trail, take a flashlight, as they are required in the caves. Also, you may want to arrive early, as the parking area is rather small and fills up quickly on the weekends. I know there is an entrance fee of $5 per car ($3 if you walk in). I have the Interagency Pass, which is $80 per year, but when you go to the parks as much as I do, it pays off rather quickly ;)

After my hike, I decided to drive Jolon Road to Lake San Antonio to check it out. I love Jolon Road. It is much more scenict than the freeway, and, given the choice between the freeway and the scenic route, I will choose the latter every time. Unfortunately, they were having a marathon at the south shore, so I was unable to get there. I did visit the north shore, and managed to finally get a pic of the Yellow Billed Magpie (a bird I have been trying to photograph for just about forever!), so my side trip paid off.

Instead of driving the 46 home, I decided to go to Morro Bay, grab some dinner and then drive the 166 home to Bakersfield. I got home just before 10:00, tired, sunburned, but very happy I went.

This weekend I have volunteer work in Venice on Saturday, so no road trips this weekend (altho I would love to take my mom to Caramel for Mother's Day and drive the 17 Mile Drive, since she has never been there), but knowing my mom, she will just want to stay home and watch the Laker game - lol.

Next weekend, I am off to Yosemite. Staying in Curry Village on Saturday nite and camping out in Bass Lake on Sunday. Stay tuned for more pics from this last weekend's trip (still in the process of uploading em to Flickr so I can post em here). And of course, next week, I will be posting Yosemite shots! I can't wait!!!!!

Til then, Happy Trails!!!