Yesterday we took to the hills (mountains?) eat of San Jose to visit an attractive nature reserve called Alum Rock, a much favoured weekend destination for fitness fanatics and families. Being a Tuesday, however, there were few visitors, and most of the families had young, pre-school age, kids like us. I won't say much the site because that's easily discovered on-line, except to say that the valley with its running stream and interesting natural environment was captivating. Have a look at what we saw and did on a brilliantly clear day!
The views from car parks are often dreadful, but the moment we arrived we were captivated by the scenery. Just have a look at two lovely eucalyptus next to the car and the stream below running freely after useful rains!
We stopped at an attractive picnic spot for some refreshments before heading off to some interesting play equipment nearby which Ella mastered easily using the monkey bars and Flynn enjoyed crawling through tunnels.
While this was going on I found time to stroll around the valley floor surrounded by green and well-vegetated hillsides.
Flynn tried the swings, not his favourite piece of equipment, before sliding down the back of a concrete (bald-headed?) eagle - which he did at least 10 times.
A century ago, Alum Rock was a Mecca for people using the valley's mineralised springs for medicinal or recuperative purposes - treatments no longer recommended! Relics of this era abound. Here you can see, in the upper part of the photo, a seem of mineralisations.
Another view of the mineralised surfaces are shown here at the top right.
The mineralised water was fed into a stream of 'baths' where people lay in the waters, as in the three different examples shown here.
And so to the wildlife. The area is reputed to be the home of wild pumas, though we didn't see any. They do not attack humans, so we weren't worried. On the other hand the grounds were crawling with dozens of squirrels - again mostly scared of humans but quite cute unless one subscribes to the view that they carry rabies! There was the odd lizard, like this quite large fellow, which interested Ella and Flynn greatly. And a few ducks down on the creek. And on the valley edges we were entranced by soaring eagles like the one you might just spot on the second picture below.
We got home tired but happy after an intense day out.
AS
The views from car parks are often dreadful, but the moment we arrived we were captivated by the scenery. Just have a look at two lovely eucalyptus next to the car and the stream below running freely after useful rains!
We stopped at an attractive picnic spot for some refreshments before heading off to some interesting play equipment nearby which Ella mastered easily using the monkey bars and Flynn enjoyed crawling through tunnels.
While this was going on I found time to stroll around the valley floor surrounded by green and well-vegetated hillsides.
Flynn tried the swings, not his favourite piece of equipment, before sliding down the back of a concrete (bald-headed?) eagle - which he did at least 10 times.
A century ago, Alum Rock was a Mecca for people using the valley's mineralised springs for medicinal or recuperative purposes - treatments no longer recommended! Relics of this era abound. Here you can see, in the upper part of the photo, a seem of mineralisations.
Another view of the mineralised surfaces are shown here at the top right.
The mineralised water was fed into a stream of 'baths' where people lay in the waters, as in the three different examples shown here.
And so to the wildlife. The area is reputed to be the home of wild pumas, though we didn't see any. They do not attack humans, so we weren't worried. On the other hand the grounds were crawling with dozens of squirrels - again mostly scared of humans but quite cute unless one subscribes to the view that they carry rabies! There was the odd lizard, like this quite large fellow, which interested Ella and Flynn greatly. And a few ducks down on the creek. And on the valley edges we were entranced by soaring eagles like the one you might just spot on the second picture below.
We got home tired but happy after an intense day out.
AS
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