Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk

Note: Both pictures are from the San Francisco side

You must also see San Francisco after dark
More pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge (during the day) HERE
Read about my first visit to this landmark Splendour in suspension

Pinto Lake: Perfect for a quiet summer day

A lake in Watsonville was not exactly on my list of places-to-see in California. But one day we decided to go strawberry picking and landed up in a farm in Watsonville. Once we were done with the farm activity, we had more time on us, so we thought we'd see a little more of Watsonville. Since it was Cinco de Mayo*, we had to skip the drive through downtown Watsonville and go to Pinto Lake instead.

We went, we saw and we really liked the place. The lake was serene and beautiful, there were a few boats on the water and lot of birdlife, both in the water and outside. There were picnic tables, grills, swings and slides. Most of all, Pinto Lake seemed like quite a peaceful place.

Here are some pictures from Pinto Lake. You might want to have a BBQ there this summer.

For more info - http://pintolakepark.com/
Check out - Pictures from Quarry Lake, Fremont

San Francisco after dark

San Francisco has a charm that few other cities can boast of. If it is charming by day, it’s very pretty and dreamy by night. I recently got to take in all that nighttime beauty when I had a nice long walk with a friend of mine.

It was literally a gorgeous girls’ night out. Since it was late February, night had set in early as it does every time winter is here. The lights had come on and the skyscrapers looked bejewelled. The artistic victorian buildings that San Francisco is so famous for, was bathed in soft lights, looking as lovely as always.

Transamerica Pyramid looked stunning.
The Koit Tower looked like a light house out of a story book.
And the Bay Bridge was perfectly decked up.

Transamerica Pyramid

Coit Tower

Bay Bridge

That night as I stood and admired the Bay Bridge, I made a silent wish -- to be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge in all its nighttime glory. And sure enough, a couple of months later, that wish was fulfilled.

Watch this space for 'Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk'

Family fun at Tilden Park

Tilden (Regional) Park: This place in Berkeley promises to provide you with activities for a whole day; and keeps its promise too. If you have kids and are in the San Francisco Bay Area, this place is perfect for a summer's day.

Steam Trains 

In this 2000 odd acres of land in the Berkeley Hills, there is plenty to do. Our first stop on our day long visit to this East Bay Regional Park was the Steam Trains at the south end of Tilden Park. We first boarded the Redwood Valley Railways’ train for a joyride courtesy engine no. 11.

When we were almost done with the ride, I noticed the cutest real tracks I had ever seen. Once we alighted, we walked down the road and found ourselves at the Golden Gate Miniature Railway and the teeny weeny rails here accommodate 2 ½ to 7 ½ “ gauge engines.I call them the cutest trains (second only to Disney’s Chuggington trains). You must see it to believe it.

The Little Farm

Tilden’s Little Farm has cows, goats, pigs and sheep. This place was full of little hands feeding these farm animals with celery and lettuce.

There’s also a little red barn that was built in 1955, put together by the Berkeley High School Carpentry students. In here you will find, hens, roosters, turkeys, geese and rabbits.

Merry-go-round


This I would say is a place you shouldn’t miss if you visit Tilden Park. The indoor carousel here is an antique piece. Said to be one of the few historical wooden carousels still functioning in the United States, a ride on it is a must. The gentleman who mans this charming merry go round, told me it is operated in the weekends all year through. And in the summer it’s open on weekdays too.

Lake Anza


Our last point for the day was Lake Anza. This was where the two little boys in our group got to wet their feet and play in sand. The lake has a sandy beach where you can chill out or sun bathe. It was a perfect way to end our day.

FYI

• Tilden Park also has a number of hiking and biking trails.
• The park is dotted with many picnic areas.
• Rich in fauna and flora
• Food available near the merry-go-round.
• Steam train tickets (as of May 2012) Single -ride $3, 5- rides - $12
• Swimming allowed at Lake Anza. There are changing rooms too. It’s open till 6 in the evening and there’ll be lifeguards during the swim season.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilden_Regional_Park
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/vc/tna