In the past few years, I've explored many different entrances to this open space. Surprisingly,…read moremany of the entrances are close to or even on private land, with an easement. For example, the entrances nearby Walnut Avenue are often interspersed among largest estates. Generally, the trails are well marked. But not always. And sometimes trails do not show up on the official Park map. Having said that, this is a delightful Park with tons of interesting trails. In most areas there are no facilities or water, so keep that in mind.

Was in the area and looking for a place to take my dog for an off leash walk and this was it. It…read morewas after some rains, so lots of muddy spots on trails. We did a nice mile and a half loop, perfect length for my small dog. I got parking, but there are not many spots, so that could be an issue. I also didn't see any bathrooms, forcing me to figure out alternatives. Rolling hills, but nothing too bad. Some native plant restoration work was being done and everybody I passed by was polite and pleasant. The trails are very exposed, so I would limit my hiking here to days with more mild weather, but it wasn't busy a really nice change of scenery for me.

I love visiting the east bay city of Lafayette. There are so many beautiful outdoor trails and the…read moretown itself is adorable. I was looking to get a morning walk in and a family member brought me to this trail which she typically runs. We parked at the community center off of St Mary's road. Just one of many locations that you can catch the trail. Plenty of parking was available. The 7.65 mile trail runs on both sides of St Mary's road through Lafayette and Moraga We decided to cross over to the other side of the street from the community center and walk towards Moraga. The paved trail can be used for biking and horses as well. The trail towards Moraga has quite a bit of inclines and makes for a good workout. I went 2 miles in and turned around at Rheem Blvd for a 4 mile round-trip walk. Beautiful scenery and lots of people walking their dogs.

I Have biked and hiked and geocached on this trail numerous times. It's t's one of my favorite…read moreplaces to visit, but I don't think there's any bathroom facilities along the way. If you're looking for a beautiful bike ride, this is a great option.

So, lately I've been on this local park hype, and I have to say that Larkey Park ranks up there as…read moreone of my favorites. This little park has got it goin' on! It's the perfect spot for a picnic, a party, a walk, for dogs, to take your kids... just about everything! Lots of big grassy fields and tall trees that provide a ton of shady areas. There are tons of kids play areas with slides, swings, and other rides that I'm still trying to figure out?! Yeah... some of those rides look a little strange, but I digress... They have picnic tables galore! You can reserve one of the picnic areas for special events and parties. The last time I was here, someone was throwing a party for their little girl here. It's truly the best spot to do it at! You have a grill and so many tables to host people. This park is connected to a small swim center that has a pool and the most adorable little water slides! It's a hop and a skip away from the Lindsay Wildlife museum. There's a basketball, tennis, and volleyball court on site and restrooms are easily accessible. What I love about this park is that one of my favorite walking and hiking trails runs right through it: the Briones to Mount Diablo Trail! You can park at Larkey Park and take this trail all the way to Acalanes Ridge and even to the backside of Briones Regional Park! It's apart of Walnut Creek open space. There are a few other local walking trails that connect here as well. On nice sunny days, this park fills up with a ton of locals but it never feels overcrowded. Sometimes they have community activities that can be seen on their posted calendar. There's a small parking lot off of 1st and Buena Vista Street but there's also plenty of street parking on many of the side streets. It's a great local park with tons of activities.

Given a nice spring sunny day, on a whim we decided to visit Larkey Park in North Walnut Creek. It…read morehad been a long time, and we had forgotten how nice this park is! A nice walking path goes through the good-sized park, offering wonderful views of the lush lawn and large mature trees. A host of families with their young children were enjoying the playground areas, and locals with their canine companions were out too. A few picnic tables are available, or - as one young woman did - just spread out your towel and have lunch on the lawn. After walking for a while we found a bench near the edge of the park and just vegged out soaking up the sun. A swim center and nice pool is here, although it looks like it's only used in the summer for recreational and limited lap swimming - an under-used facility in my mind. Why not year-round lap swimming? Next door is the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, and although it was closed (open Weds-Sun), a young docent had a red tailed hawk with her and was giving a nice educational spiel. There is no dedicated parking - the one negative. Street parking nearby or in the neighborhoods is the only alternative.

I am so incredibly grateful I found this place! I'd been searching for a ceramics class that I…read morecould take with my mom, who has some cognitive impairment, and this school has been a total blessing. The teachers here are phenomenal. They are kind, incredibly generous with their knowledge, and created such a welcoming environment for both my mom and me. There is a really nice variety of workshops too and I'm hoping they add even more for evenings. I recently took the holiday linocut workshop and had the best time! It wasn't just about learning a new craft; the vibe was so social and upbeat. The teacher was wonderful and the other students were a blast to hang out with while we worked. Their approach to teaching really builds your confidence. For the first time, I actually felt like an artist rather than just a hobbyist. The atmosphere here is creative, supportive, and fun. I'm constantly checking their calendar for new classes and workshops to be added. Check them out if you or your kids (or your mom!) want a community as well as an art school.

We are currently attending this art school, and I want to share our experience, especially…read moreregarding their make-up class policy. They only allow one make-up class--ever. I understand policies exist for a reason, but what happens when a child is sick? Are parents expected to bring their sick kids just so they don't lose a class they already paid for? I tried requesting an earlier time due to a legitimate scheduling issue, but was told no because we had already used our one make-up. So if my child gets sick again, we simply lose the class. As for the teaching, I honestly can't even say if it's great since this is our first time enrolling. But it's sad that because of this strict policy, it just doesn't seem like it will work for us. It's ultimately my fault for not reading the make-up policy closely, but after this experience, we won't be returning. We still have two classes left, which we will attend, but that will be the end for us. My friend's child is actually in the ceramics program at this same art school--she's the one who referred me--and even she thinks the policy is too rigid. If you have a very healthy child and know you'll make every session, then this school might work for you. Otherwise, there are other art programs--like Damoya Art in Danville--that are far more flexible with scheduling. When I spoke with Alex, I was told that other art schools don't even offer any make-up classes at all, as if I should be grateful for the one they allow. But for a kids' program, flexibility matters. Unfortunately, this school has just lost a customer.