Wowza! This place is definitely a hidden gem that's tucked away with some of beautiful "hidden…read morelakes". It's all in the name, folks! I swear lil ol' Martinez never ceases to amaze me. I'm always finding the most wonderful little spots in this city. Been meaning to visit this park for a loooong time. I'd always heard that it was nice. Even drove passed it a million times, but finally stopped by to get a quick little hike in one evening. All I can say is daaaayum. What a beauty!!! Not only are the hiking trails wonderful, but the actual park itself is great. It's super clean with lots of parking and restrooms on site. They've got a kid's playground area, a soccer field, and even a track for some easy exercise. There's also an adjoining park that has tons of picnic tables and outdoor exercise equipment as well as several large grassy fields and walking paths (Hidden Valley Park). And those lakes! They are simply beautiful. They really sneak up on you too. I took a short walking path from Hidden Valley Park and connected to Hidden Lakes. Turned a corner and then BOOM! This beautiful little lake seemingly appeared out of nowhere. There's a nice little waterfall. Not sure if there are actually any fish in this lake, but I did witness one person fishing (or at least trying too). The hikes in this park are all on the shorter side but perfect for a quick little jaunt. You can also extend it by connecting the nearby walking paths for a longer excursions. What's nice is that there are several hills that you can climb up to get some inclines in. And once you reach the top, you'll be rewarded with some wonderful views of tbt entire park as well as some great panoramic views of the city. I was seriously in awe during my entire time here. This is such a gorgeous and extremely well maintained park that's perfect for kids, pets, and families. Will definitely be getting my butt out here again before the end of summer.

This place is a gem. Really good for walking your little dogs, for hikes, playing basketball, or…read morekids playground, and has a beautiful soccer area. There are picnic tables and plenty of parking. Clean bathrooms that the city of Martinez does a good job of keeping clean. We go to this place over and over again because it's just so nice.

My wife and I grow vegetables at St, Vinnie's community Garden…read morein Vallejo. This place is great! It gets us out of our senior apartment and gives us something positive and enjoyable to do. I have been germinating seeds for a long time and my interest in plants extends to the very life sustaining forests of California Sierras. A community garden brings people together, provides a positive resource in the community and gives people some fresh, healthy organic vegetables to eat. Many seniors in our complex get tomatoes, beans, peppers and lettuce from our efforts. We are so happy to have this garden in Vallejo and hope it continues to grow and thrive.

A great place to get some steps in…read more Stopped by for my daily walk and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of features and activities they have! Features: Walking paths Baseball Field Restrooms Dog friendly Playground Swimming pool Public Garden Parking The park was clean, felt safe, and had plenty of space for walkers, runners, families, and people simply looking to enjoy the outdoors. Definitely a place I'll continue returning to.

We went to the pups in the park event at Pleasant Hill Park and had such a fun time today they had…read moreall kinds of booths and entertainment and music and food and adoption opportunities. There were food trucks and people and dogs had a great time.

LEAF is very committed to sustainable farming/gardening and to educating the public of its work…read more The volunteers make it work and that is the beauty of LEAF.

I sure hope it's better now, I kinda joined way back when it was just starting up. At that time it…read morewasn't what I was looking for but I was hoping as time when on it would be more organized and offer classes. I'm really interested in gardening. My husband used to help me with the heavy lifting and building raised beds etc but he recently passed away. So when the dust settles I'd need to see can I do this alone with a bad back and health issues? I've got a little yard which I think is just right for a beginner. I want to learn.

I randomly came across the John Muir National Historic Site, and I'm so glad I did!…read more You first enter through the visitor center, where I happened to overhear a gentleman at the desk telling another guest about the property and a tour happening at 11am. This was on a random Thursday, and luckily, it was 10:55am! So naturally, I decided to stick around for the tour lol. You walk up a short path to John Muir's house, where a docent leads a quick tour that's about 20-25 minutes. Afterward, you're free to explore the rest of the house, including the second and third floors, at your own pace. I especially enjoyed reading about the lives of John Muir's in-laws, wife, and daughters, which gave the house a more personal feel. The top-floor bell tower was a fun surprise -- you can actually ring the bell! I also enjoyed walking around the rest of the property and seeing all the different fruit trees that were planted there. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit. It's always cool stumbling across a local historic site and getting to learn a little more about the history of the area. Definitely worth a stop if you're nearby!

4.4 stars We all…read moreknow some of his famous quotes: "The mountains are calling and I must go." "Going to the mountains is going home." "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." According to Brittanica, John Muir was largely responsible for the establishment of Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park. Muir was a preservationist that didn't agree with allowing industries to harvest resources within the national parks. He was able to swing public and congressional opinion in favor of national forest reservations through his writing, which led to the establishment of Mt. Rainier National Park in 1899 and Grand Canyon National Park in 1919. His home became John Muir National Historic Site in 1964. Much of the exhibits within the home discusses his personal life and achievements. He was the eldest of 8 children, immigrated to the U.S. in 1849, and he married Louie Wanda Strentzel in 1880. He and his wife had 2 daughters named Wanda and Helen. In his lifetime, he has written 300 articles and 10 books, which can be purchased online and at Muir Woods National Monument and Bear Valley Visitor's Center. I highly recommend visiting this site if you'd like more information :) there's a lot more details here.

We love this place. Always clean, neat, have toys for kids to play. My daughter goes to preballet…read moreclass there and we love it. Easy to register, affordable and the teacher is good.

This is a sweet, beautiful, wonderfully fructified community garden o-created by Daily Acts of…read morePetaluma and community neighbors of this area. Lovely creekside walks, a few cozy benches, safe trails for friendly doggies and just a incredibly cozy and lovely feel! Perfect for an intimate walk with a friend or loved one, or simply birdwatching. A natural riparian corridor (Santa Rosa Creek) runs through it. At the time of this writing, there is already no water in the creek No playgrounds and only 1 concrete path. Turn R at Oliver's Market and go straight to the end of La Salle. Street parking.

Beautiful little community garden to walk through on my way around the neighborhood. Given the…read moreheavy rains it was very saturated and could use a little tending to but that's expected in the spring. Wish we had one a bit closer to me but hey if I can meet up with a couple tenders to it then maybe I will be able to help out some.

Charles Street Gardens is non-profit community garden available to Sunnyvale residents who would…read morelike to learn more about gardening and have a dedicated plot of land on which to raise plants. It is a volunteer-run non-profit that includes a demonstration garden supported by University of California Master Gardeners, who put on gardener training sessions during the year.

The picnic of the jour was...at this community garden! My colleague Yoko and I were visiting the…read moreLace Museum nearby and got some food to go on the way back to our work. I found this community garden and thought that on top of taking a look and see veggies growing and butterflies flying around, we could have a bite sitting there and smelling the aromas of Spring. We were not expecting that much, but honestly this community garden is awesome! Well protected with fences and trees, funnily you can find artichoke plants outside the walls! All plots are very well organized and looks like the growers-neighbors take good care of them. It is very enjoyable just to walk there. We also learned that there are classes in situ and various community activities, so very educational for children and adults alike. Speaking of children, needless to say that the kidult in me had a blast playing a the tipi tent and posing for pics in front of those colorful little cottages where the tools are kept, as well as played with some kitchenettes and mini picnic tables. I didn't ask if the plots are only opened to Sunnyvale residents...in any case, once you visit there, you will feel the love for agriculture instantly.

This garden is really impressive. It just keeps going on and on as you stroll through healthy and…read moreflourishing flowers, vegetables, and other plants. They sell clippings of herbs and edible greens for donations at the front.

I love how much care has been taken by the members of the garden to maintain its beauty, and order…read more This garden has been around. Their mission: "Our mission is to stewart an organic, natural oasis in the middle of an urban environment. Here find news, events, garden wisdom and photos!" I went there because I saw an ad (on Nextdoor) about some garden starts they were offering for a small donation. They weren't quite ready to leave the greenhouse, but I was thrilled to see such an amazing place!!! They have events: Garden Recipes; Volunteer Events; Seedling Starts for donation or free; Fertilizer Fun; and all kinds of creative events. If you are interested in subscribing to their newsletter, you can email bancroftcommunitygarden@gmail.com

hubby surprised me with a cheese making 101 class at collective roots this weekend. didn't know…read morethat this place existed in east palo alto and must admit was a little wary of the location, but once we got there it felt like we were at someone's private residence. there is a beautiful garden with herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, chicken coop with hens and roosters, and beehives! we made 5 different yogurts and cheeses in our short 3 hour class: -yogurt - went through the steps of yogurt making using culture from store bought yogurt -greek yogurt/yogurt cheese - let the yogurt drain and have a richer yogurt -cultured butter - yogurt culture in fresh butter -ricotta - super easy to make and enjoy -mozzarella - fresh mozzarella in 1 hour the class was enjoyable, we got to meet lots of new people and learned a lot about local produce and cheese making. the best part was using the fruits, herbs, and honey right from the grounds of collective roots! nothing like fresh, local produce. great experience...can't wait for cheese making 102!

From the owner: The Collective Roots Community Garden provides an opportunity for gardening skill-building,…read moreresource sharing, and community empowerment in East Palo Alto, CA. Operated by 501(c)3 non-profit Fresh Approach, the garden offers a place for community members to gain hands-on experience with organic gardening. Through our workshops, volunteer workdays, and community resources, we equip families with the skills and means to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Residents of East Palo Alto can enjoy additional free resources, such as a tool lending library and free seeds, while qualifying residents can apply for free home garden installation and use of garden plots at the Collective Roots garden. By building a strong, sustainable network of local growers, we're improving access to healthy food while helping preserve the food sovereignty of the many cultures that call East Palo Alto their home.