Winter Outing

After all the fun of the holidays, it's time to get "back" in shape. What could be better than taking a long walk on a sunny day in an interesting park that is filled with trees, shrubs, and tombstones? On this January day, we're going back to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. The cemetery is a beautiful place that has a long history and fantastic views of the Bay Area.

Brotherly Love

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

There is always something new to discover at the cemetery. On this day we came across a magnificent bronze elk statue perched on top of a tumulus in Plot 32. The site is an "Elks' Rest" burial place for deceased lodge members (similar sites are located around the country). The monument was established by Lodge #171, and unveiled and dedicated in 1896 (see Where Elks May Sleep in Peace).

View towards Millionaire Road

Tombstones are always fascinating, for both their styles and the stories they tell about the deceased. This gravestone for William H. Lessels caught my eye. It looks like it was broken at some point, and then repaired. The tombstone is a little difficult to read in places, but it looks like Lessels was a midshipman of a British Duke class ship, who died August 21, 1876 at the age of 18. He drowned near Sunderland, England and the officers and crew of his ship paid tribute to their deceased colleague.

I did a quick internet search of the Lessels family and found Brief Life History of Allen Henderson (Lessels). William Henry Lessels is listed as the second child (1858-1876) of Allan and Jane Lessels. However, the family seemed to be firmly settled in England and Scotland, with no mention of anyone migrating to the Bay Area. I am curious how his grave marker ended up at the Mountain View Cemetery - a family history mystery!

Tribute to William H. Lessels, midshipman

We also discovered a graffiti tribute to a deceased 21-year old (1995-2016), painted on a concrete retaining wall nearby. Two young lives in two different eras, snuffed out too early, both with friends, family, and colleagues to honor them.

Tribute to Tonio, brother

Our outing was a success - we got some exercise in a beautiful location, and made several interesting discoveries.

Chilly Walk on the Iron Horse Trail

It's been a treat to be back at work in San Ramon a couple of days a week. It has given me a chance to rediscover some of my favorite haunts and shops in San Ramon, and to take some of my favorite walks. Hikes around Lake Bishop have resumed, enabling me to see the trees and plants go through their seasonal cycles and to observe all the herons, ducks, and geese that touch down during migration.

Mistletoe on a winter-bare oak 

Recently, I ventured out on the Iron Horse trail, for a short hike. Lots of long afternoon shadows. Lots of green grass from winter rains. And cold. It was 50 degrees F. in the sun (I know, that's nothing for my tough northern relatives)! But the sky was blue and clear, and walking quickly kept me warm. It was an exhilarating way to celebrate life!

Celebrating Life

In the spirit of "The Roaring Twenties", we're celebrating gardens, adventures, and life all year long. This week we're celebrating in the cemetery! The Mountain View Cemetery is a jewel in Oakland's crown, for its long history, fantastic views of the Bay Area, and evolving vision for the future. We've visited Mountain View over the years to enjoy its tranquility, architecture, and trees (see Mountain View Cemetery, Cal at Mountain View Cemetery, American Gothic, Trees of Mountain View Cemetery, and more).

View of Oakland and beyond from Millionaire Row

Gothic mausoleum with stained glass window

The Ewing mausoleum

After very restrictive access during the last several years due to COVID, the cemetery is again open for recreational strolls (with a few new rules). Recently, my husband and I visited Mountain View on an overcast day to get some exercise between heavy winter rainstorms. We headed for Millionaire Row for our walk among the tombstones. 

The Goodall mausoleum

The Goodall statue

An angel guards the Bradbury mausoleum

The overcast sky seemed to emphasize interesting details in the structures around us. We saw a large murder of crows up the hill, and wondered why they were gathering in such numbers (Corvids are quite intelligent - should we be worried?). The views were expansive (even with the low cloud ceiling), reminding us to look up every once in awhile to see the big picture. Walking through the beauty and tranquility of the cemetery is also a good reminder to live fully and enjoy life as much as possible (even through hardships)!

A murder of crows gathers in the cemetery

A final view of Oakland over the rooftops

Golden Hour at Lake Temescal

It is October and starting to feel like fall here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We still have the dry, hot days that are characteristic of our Mediterranean climate. Plants are looking a little dry, leathery and dusty, and the hills are brown. But, the days are getting shorter and cool off nicely in the evening, and the golden light of fall is magic!

The Lake Temescal boat house bathed in golden light

My husband and I recently attended a wedding reception at the Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland. Besides all the fun of celebrating the happy couple (in person), we had the opportunity to hike around Lake Temescal. This provided some exercise and a chance to enjoy the view in the fall light of late afternoon and early evening.

View of the East Shore fishing pier, from the West Shore Trail

We left the celebration feeling energized, ready for more outings and gatherings, and eager for all the pleasures of fall!

Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline

We're always on the lookout for new views of San Francisco and its bridges, and the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline provides just that. This unusual park is fairly new and still in development. A pier juts out into the bay enough for some spectacular views of the City, up-close views of the Bay Bridge foundation, and interesting views of the Port of Oakland.

View of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge

Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline

My husband and I visited mid-week and parked in the generous and practically empty parking lot. This is a launching off place for anyone heading for the pier and fishing or views, or those planning to bike or hike the two and a half miles to Yerba Buena Island, with access to Treasure Island. The pier parallels the Bay Bridge so the traffic noise is quite loud, but the whole situation is so unique and interesting that it seemed worth it.

Map of the trail

Purple flowers

The park has interesting transportation history. According to the East Bay Regional Park website:

• The electric railway Key System operated on a trestle between 1903 and 1958, and carried passengers to a ferry terminal to cross the bay between the East Bay and San Francisco.
• A substation at the site provided electrical power to the trains that carried 36.4 million passengers in 1945.
• The Interurban Electric Railway Bridge Yard Shop Building, renamed recently to Bridge Yard Building, was a maintenance facility for the trains.
• In 1941, the Oakland Army Base was established at the site as a transportation port and distribution terminal for the Department of the Army. The base was decommissioned and closed in 1999.

The Port of Oakland is right across the channel, with views of cargo ships and cranes (inspiration for the Star Wars Imperial Walkers, according to local lore). On the day we visited, the ONE (Ocean Network Express) was in port. Gotta love a pink cargo ship.

ONE - cargo ship in the Port of Oakland

Massive cranes used in the port

Pink flowers

We caught a glimpse of San Francisco through the barbed wire fence, while winding our way along the path past interesting buildings and landscape plants.

View of San Francisco from the East Bay

Interesting old building

Red flowers

The pier is built on the foundation of the old Bay Bridge, and parallels the new Bay Bridge. Benches provide places to rest, eat your lunch, and take in the view. You can fish off the pier (but cannot clean your fish there). On the day we visited, several fishermen tended their lines, hoping to catch dinner.

Section of the old Bay Bridge on the left, the new Bridge on the right

Substantial foundation for the new Bay Bridge

Photo-op from the end of the pier

It will be interesting to see how this park evolves over time! I recommend the park for its easy access, beautiful views, and fascinating history.

Sabbatical and Seasons: Wrap Up

In this year of sabbatical we explored fun ideas, appreciated the seasons and seasonal change, visited parks and gardens, and enjoyed the beauty of the everyday.

Fall light in late afternoon

Fun Ideas

Here's a collection of fun ideas for the garden and the gardener.

Tennis Shoe Planter
Birdhouses
Fresh Herbs
Favorite Christmas Plants
The Art of Beatrix Potter
Christmas Gifts for Gardeners
Cousin Chris and the Glam Camper

Seasons

Enjoy the landscape in different seasons.

Winter at Bishop Ranch
Spring at Bishop Ranch
Summer at Bishop Ranch
Roses at Bishop Ranch
Filoli in Fall
The Beast of Lake Bishop

Regional Parks

Visit regional parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Seahurst Park
Garin Regional Park
Wildcat Regional Park
Iron Horse Trail
Dry Creek Garden
Point Pinole
Black Diamond Mines

Gardens

Visit gardens in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Marra Farm Community Garden
Garden on the 17th Floor
Kitchen Garden in Palo Alto
Dublin Heritage Park and Museums

Hazel-Atlas Mine Tour

My husband and I signed up for the new extended Hazel-Atlas mine tour at Black Diamond Mines, and met our tour group at the Greathouse Portal. It was 90 degrees outside, but we felt refreshing cool air coming through the portal from deep inside the hill.

The Greathouse Portal - original entrance to the sand mine

The Greathouse Visitor Center

Warren of mine shafts

After an introduction, we hiked about 15 minutes to the Hazel Atlas Portal, and the gated entrance to the Eureka Coal Mine. We learned about coal (the pressurized remains of peat from a vast inland sea), and the coal mining that took place from 1860 -1906 (miners came from all over the world, conditions were hard, and the hours long). Mining was finally stopped because the Mount Diablo Coalfield produced the lowest grade of coal, lignite.

The Eureka Slope - entrance to the Eureka Coal Mine

Eureka Coal Mine

We suited up with our hard hats and LED flashlights and hit the mines. We saw the office, where all workers and visitors checked in for safety. Everyone had to be accounted for in case of an accident in the mine.

Suited up and ready to tour

The office

Veins of coal running through sandstone

Sand mining took place from 1920s -1940s. The sandstone produced silica that was almost 95% pure. It was used by the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company to manufacture bottles and jars in Oakland. The sand is very fine, so easy to see why it was selected for making glass.

Vein of coal running through the sandstone

A chute for loading ore cars with sand

A giant stope left from mining sand

On the tour we saw cutaways of the veins of coal running through the sandstone. We also saw an earthquake fault which was interesting (and sobering). We were grateful for all the rock bolts and special steel-frames protecting the passages. Our tour guide pointed out stopes and chutes, and a mine car filled with sand.

Back at the Visitor Center we learned more about glass production.

Ore car filled with sand	Form for an Atlas-Mason jar
Formed shot glass and jar	Collection of glass products

We finished the tour at the small gift shop, perfect for "Black Diamond" coal specimens, pencils, and black licorice "coal". We finished the day with dinner and conversation  at Casa Orinda Restaurant, an original roadhouse known for fried chicken and biscuits and many other delicious menu items.

This is a wonderful tour for anyone interested in geology, mining, or history. You can order tickets online, or buy them at the Greathouse Visitor Center (tours are small, so can sell out quickly).

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

The hills around Black Diamond Mine Regional Preserve are hollow, with a warren of mine shafts running through them. I've been reading about its coal and sand mines for the last year, and wanted to see it for myself. My husband and I made a late summer excursion from the East Bay out to Antioch to visit this East Bay regional park.

Back Diamond Mine Regional Preserve

Monument to the Mount Diablo Coalfield near Antioch

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve is the site of the former Somersville mining town, which supplied glass-making sand to the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company in Oakland, as well as the townsites of nearby Nortonville, Stewartville, Judsonville, and West Hartley. From the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, this was a bustling mining area, which extracted nearly 4 million tons of coal and 1.8 million tons of sand.

View of the Somersville townsite, and the Rose Hill Cemetery on the hill

There is no trace of the former townsite, but the historic Rose Hill Cemetery remains high on the hill (you can spot it via the row of yews that seem out of place in the landscape). I confess we chose to sit in the shade, rather than trek up the hill in 90 degree heat, but maybe next time. As is characteristic of old California mining towns, the buildings were dismantled when a mine is closed, and the wood moved to the next mining site.

Ample picnic area

Shady picnic site

We allowed plenty of time for a picnic under the deep shade of the native oak trees. Mixed in with the native trees, we could see some of the exotic trees that had been planted by the miners, such as black locust, pepper, almond,  eucalyptus, and trees of heaven. The Black Diamond Mines brochure also notes that the park is the northernmost location for Coulter pine, black sage, desert olive, and dudleya. Quite a mix!

Some of these trees may have been planted by miners

View to "the Delta" in the distance

You'll find plenty of trails in the area for hiking and exploring. From one of the trails we could see a view through Markley Canyon clear to the Delta in the distance. I've been hearing about "the Delta" for years, and was glad to finally see a glimpse of it!

Mine tailings

I recommend the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve for anyone who loves the California landscape, with a dose of early California history thrown in. The hills are a great place to see wildlife and birds, and reportedly springtime flower displays. I also recommend taking a tour of the Hazel-Atlas Mine.