Get Outside this Summer! 3 Great Activities in the Bay Area

Summer means sun and that means it’s time to get outside and enjoy some of the Beauty around the Bay Area. There are a lot of great places to go hiking this summer but we’ve put together 3 area selections and paired them with a great place nearby to dine afterwards.

Encased by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the Baylands Nature Preserve is a 1,940 acre undisturbed marshland. With 15 miles of multi-use trails you can hike, run, or bike your way around as well as enjoy wind surfing, sailing, canoeing, and a variety of nature walks and programs on ecology and natural history. Dogs are welcome but must remain on a leash and as it’s a preserve, there’s no collecting of plants or animals allowed. One your hiking adventure is complete, stop by the Kali Greek Kitchen for a fantastic local organic menu. With a great selection of light meals and filling plates along with a variety of beer and wine, this is a perfect stop on the way back home.

Also nearby there is the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, a 3,436-acre preserve that is rich in wildlife and ecosystem diversity. Monte Bello is Italian for ‘Beautiful Mountain’ and is surrounded by other open space preserves and parks, making trip options nearly limitless. There are multiple hiking trails available, from a self-guided 3 mile loop with an average 5% grade that will take you about 3 hours to complete, to the Canyon Trail that is popular with bicyclists, and trails that connect to other nearby open space preserves. Once you have completed your day of open space fun, stop in to get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant. Named in part after the Arlo Guthrie song, Alice’s has been around since the 1960’s, is family owned and operated, and they serve locally sourced ingredients served up in a casual atmosphere that is perfect after a day enjoying the outdoors.

The Windy Hill Preserve is a 1,335-acre preserve featuring open grassland ridges and forests of redwood, fir, and oak. There is a very popular 8 mile loop that goes through the forested ridges to the valley floor and back again that combines the use of 4 different trails popular among hikers and equestrians alike. Leashed dogs are allowed on most of the trails but you need to plan accordingly as there are a couple where they aren’t allowed. Once your workout is done for the day, stop by Nick’s Next Door for some great American Bistro Cuisine. With a fantastic menu, a great wine list, and plenty of spirits, you’ll be glad you made the stop.

 

Be sure to watch our Blog for other exciting happenings around the Bay Area and don’t forget to contact us for all your catering needs during both private and corporate events this summer.

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