6/19: Windswept Walk in Berkeley, CA

Less than an hour's drive northeast of San Francisco was Berkeley, a city described as "eclectic, inquiring and experimental." Before heading further north to Lassen Volcanic National Park, Steven and I decided on the spur of the moment to spend a few hours in the city very famous for the University of California, Berkeley or simply Cal, often the vanguard of any nationwide campus movement.

We opted to stop first at the Berkeley Marina and its Cesar Chavez Park that was built on the site of a former landfill. The park was named in honor of the famous labor leader who dedicated his life for social and environmental justice for all Americans by challenging the terrible working conditions farm workers faced. In 1994, he was posthumously granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the country. 

We were interested in walking along the perimeter trail but the park also had a nature area, an off-leash dog park, and a "flare station" that burned off traces of methane gas from the old landfill. Right from the beginning of our walk, we could see why the park was also referred to as Berkeley's Windy Front Porch as there was a tremendous breeze coming off the bay. 

The shoreline waters of the North Basin and the vegetation of the park's meadow lands provided valuable habitat and foraging areas for a variety of resident and migratory birds, waterfowl and other wildlife. Community volunteers monitoring the resident bird population and seasonal bird populations in the park have noted nearly 150 species. 

I didn't know my geography well enough of the area to know what we were looking at here on the north end of the trail. Both Alcatraz and Angel islands could be seen from the park so perhaps we were looking at one of those. 

This was the interior of the park and the site of the former landfill. Thank goodness, the city fathers had the good sense to transform the spectacular location into a park for many to enjoy. 

As we headed west on the trail, we had stupendous views of San Francisco in the distance. 

Not sure if this was the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge or the Richmond Bay Bridge - sorry!

After the invigorating walk, we headed literally for the hills! Just like San Francisco, Berkeley is spread out over a series of hills, called aptly the Berkeley Hills. Residential neighborhoods on the western slope overlook San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and part of the San Francisco Bay.

After reading about the city's network of pedestrian paths and stairways in the hills, we decided to hike up Orchard Lane, one of the most picturesque and located in Panoramic Hill.

Looking at all these steps was pretty daunting, let me tell you, and made me wonder what we'd gotten ourselves into!

A very welcome landing before still more steps - I hoped the views at the top would be worth our huffing and puffing!

Alas, we didn't see any grand mansions on the way up that would have been worth the hike.

The view was less than overwhelming from the top of the steps. Perhaps, it would have been much better from some of the more expensive homes we saw at the top - we'll never know!

Since the city is synonymous with the aforementioned famous Cal, we drove there next. South Hall, built in 1873, was California's oldest university building. 

In the center of the campus was the impressive Campanile or Sather Tower. Built in 1914, it was over 300 feet tall and had a 61-bell carillon that chimed on the hour and also played music. We didn't have time, nor the energy at that point (!) to hike to the top of the observation deck for views of nearby Oakland, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Our last stop in the city was the Berkeley Municipal Rose Garden, a joint creation of the City of Berkeley and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) whose public works provided employment during the Depression. It was designed in a rustic style with semicircular stone-walled terraces that faced San Francisco Bay. More than 2,500 rose bushes were selected with one color per terrace, with red at the top, and then, in descending order, pink and yellow to white at the bottom.

With a wedding taking place under the pergola, we felt it best to give the bridal couple space and put the garden on our list to hopefully visit another time when we're in the Bay area seeing two of our children, their spouses, and Max, our first-born granddaughter.. 

Next post: Driving to northeast California to Lassen.

Posted on September 3rd, 2020, from Grayton Beach State Park in Florida's Panhandle. As always, Steven and I hope you stay safe, strong, and connected during these tough times.