Todd is the man, and his company is the place for off road and off the beaten path adventures…read more Whether or not you have an off road vehicle capable of some true trail and rock crawling and climbing, this is one outfit that can make it happen. Bring your own capable rig, or get one from Todd, either way your adventure is going to be unforgettable, and here are some reasons why. If you're not an regular overlander you'll either test your driving ability in his vehicle, or you'll test your own vehicle AND your abilities in one of the many canyons or along some of the jaw dropping trails and vistas throughout Death Valley. But at each stop you'll see amazing views and some wildlife along with Todd's insight and knowledge of the area, then handed a plate of an amazing chef prepared lunch, or quick snack while taking it all in. When i say snack, I don't mean a bag of nuts or Doritos, unless you want those things....I'm talking about a Chilled Citrus and Avocado salad, or Chilled Ahi Poke- while standing in the desert. Maybe some toast points and Albacore with Ponzu and crispy onions? What you don't get is an MRE in a box. I chose the Death Valley trip- I've never been there and was itching to get some desert night shots and get my Land Cruiser out into some real trails and canyon crawling. I thought my LC was set up for almost anything, but of course , i made of list of things i need after talking with Todd and doing some very cool trails and climbs- and of course setting up camp. Having a chef in tow is an amazing and relaxing- this is bougie and let bougie prevail once in a while- i'm in, all in. What's next?!

If I could give 10 stars I would!…read more Where to begin... 1. Todd Rogers was so great to work with through the planning process. He was extremely informative, very responsive and really helped me come up with the best plan for the time of year and what we were looking to achieve. Todd also made sure we were well prepared for the trip with equipment, safety considerations and other preparations. He was very attentive to make sure our vehicles and gear list we're going to work successfully on the trip. 2. We opted to have a Chef along with us and it was well worth the extra cost. We had some dietary restrictions and they were very accommodating. The food was excellent and very appropriate for the trip. In addition, Barron, the expedition Cook was also highly experienced in over landing and was also a firefighter/EMT and he was super cool. 3. OMG! Death Valley was the expedition we decided on and cannot express enough how stunning, diverse and beautiful it is. There were lots of surprises along the way and happy Todd waited to show us and share them. 4. Todd was extremely professional (but very relaxed and casual in his approach). We learned so much from a technical standpoint with off-road traversing in the vehicles, shared lots of his wisdom and knowledge about over landing, and was just super fun to hang out with! I could go on and on but this isn't a novel, it's a review :-) If you are looking to do an off-road excursion I literally could not more highly recommend for points adventures. We absolutely intend on doing other expeditions with him in the future. Feel free to contact me if looking for extra reference information.

This is a large staging area with plenty of rooms for cars. Keep in mind that on the weekends it…read moredoesn't open till 8 a.m., so if you're an early hiker you'll have to wait. However, the ranger opened the gate promptly at 8. The whole area is well-maintained. I only saw a few bits of trash. There are several trailheads right off the parking lot, making this a very convenient location. There is also a rustic restroom there. I did not see any drinking fountains. There were lots of trail maps in the parking lot.

Although I probably couldn't pronounce "Nejedly", I know it's the name of the staging area for a…read moremoderate hike with views of Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, west delta, and Mt. Diablo. There is no fee here to park in one of two parking areas: Shaded lower parking area and a bigger upper parking lot with room for trailers. There's also a bathroom and some picnic tables too. If you're coming here to hike something like the Franklin Ridge Loop Trail, the trailhead is on the west end of the upper parking area. You'll notice buckeye, oaks, and eucalyptus trees along with wildflowers. One thing that was pretty interesting about this place was how empty it was; that feeling was intensified by the cemetery just adjacent to the staging area. This would be an interesting hike or bike ride after the sun set.

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.

An underrated park with trails and playground, soccer field and of course 'hidden lakes.' Very…read morepopular park that has good vibes. Its unexpectedly good. There are so many overrated parks around - this is not one of them. I think its an underrated park in an underrated city. Martinez is one of these cities that just isn't Walnut Creek or Danville or Orinda. A more affordable city and a family friendly one. Its good to get out and take a walk. I recommend you do that once in a while and why not try a different park from what your used to every once in a while? If you have a dog they will particularly love it sniffing around someplace new. Some of the park is noticed from the main road - Morello. You might even see some people enjoying the basketball hoop from there. Just the 'curb appeal' of the park will get you interested to see more. When I got here with Sweets had in gear this launch mode I hadn't seen since he was a bit younger. His enthusiasm was intense and I was surprised since for the most part he just likes to stay at home - Netflix and chill. There really is something for the whole family to enjoy here. A very underrated park that you need to make time to see one day soon.

My first hiking experience at the Castle Rock Park. The hike overall was quite easy but we came…read moreseveral days after rain so quite muddy. This park would be good for the summer because through my hike of about 2.5miles in, it was pretty much shaded. Highly suggest to wear waterproof hiking shoes because you would be passing several small creek that might get your shoes wet. The route we took was along the side of the pond which does not allow dogs. There is another path which dogs can enter. As for parking, there are only about 10-15 parking spots by the entrance. We passed by one huge rock that looks like an alien. We were hoping to see the pond but it was covered by bushes so that was a little disappointing. If I were to go again, I will try another path.

The park is located at the foothills of Mt. Diablo. A beautiful piece of heaven. I enjoy every day…read morehiking in this park. Wish I could share with everyone.

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.

This is probably the third marina I went to in the north side of East Bay. They have a nice park…read moreand with boats parked at the side. There weren't really many people here, but there seem to be residents to seem to like to walk around here. I can literally see SF and some bridges from here, but it's quite far compared to other marinas like the one from San Leandro and Emeryville. I also like how the sidewalks are created here. They seem to do a good job at creating them. This park is connected with the San Francisco Bay Trail. So if you want, you can visit other areas around here using that trail.

Its always a wonderful time here for my family & me. Please come down, take a walk by the water. We…read morego to fireworks most July 3rds here. It was a beautiful night once again. Enjoy! Peace & love!

They finally finished the Rodeo stretch of the San Pablo Bay Regional Trail at Pacific Avenue. They…read morespent money on a large footbridge over the marshland, but there is little to do at the end but turn back since it turns industrial pretty fast. One suggestion I have is considering the walk over the railroad overpass and into this postage stamp of a shoreline park. There is indeed a Rodeo Beach but nothing like the scenic sandbar in the Marin Headlands. Just a lot of concrete rubble. Nicer is the small bluff that drops into the bay, an almost Monterey touch you don't expect to see in these parts. There's also a beached tugboat and remnants of a long-gone pier to consider for photographic purposes. OK, now you can walk back on the trail. RELATED - Exploring the western part of Contra Costa County? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2VyCP18

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more It's actually not that hard to imagine the motorcycle hill climb races that took place here nearly a century ago. The surprise is how this steep escarpment remained untouched by real estate developers given how suburban this part of El Cerrito feels. I keep picturing that scene in "The Great Escape" where Steve McQueen jumped the POW camp fence as a testosterone-driven act of Nazi defiance. He would've ended up on somebody's backyard deck or in a hopefully filled swimming pool if he tried it now. You can get there from the bottom of the hill on the sorta corner of Navallier and Blake where you see a little staircase and a flyer posted on the fence about the hill's history. Or alternatively, you can take the hidden hillside stairs of El Cerrito and enter at the top through the nondescript path from Potrero Avenue. From the entrance, the first segment affords you a wide foot trail and a panoramic view of the bay (photo: https://bit.ly/2PI6CXp). The hillside trail itself is rustic in either direction with a lot of tall grass and dead trees that look like they were cut and left there for years. And yet, the constant views of El Cerrito make it a more pleasurable experience than you would expect despite the unexpected appearance of immobile wild turkeys (photo: https://bit.ly/3kO4wAM). RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

A hiking trail that's perfect for both uphill and downhill hiking, Motorcycle Hill just proves…read moretrails can not only exist just about anywhere there is public land but it also proves that trails can be created at anytime thanks to the fortitude and creative energy of a group of community nature lovers. In this case Motorcycle Hill was founded by El Cerrito Trail Trekkers, which was formed in order to build, maintain, publicize and use the little known urban trails of El Cerrito, California and they not only lead local trail hikes for community members to participate in and explore but their main goal is to create new safe trails in safe open spaces so all can enjoy and make sure that paths continue to be cleared of excess brush so the fire danger remains low, which in this day and time is remarkable we've been so lucky in our hillside neighborhood. I've have been to Motorcycle Hill about six times and every time I venture downhill (notice not uphill because I'm no fool as I still have to walk all the way home!) and I get to experience something interesting and new every time I venture along Potrero Avenue high in the hills of El Cerrito to begin my trek each and every time. If you're not careful you will miss the start of the trail from the top of the hill each and every times as it literally is a slim dirt pathway in between two single-level homes. Once you keep walking along the dirt path and see a huge swath of small cactuses growing like bushes to your left, you know you are on the right path. From there you keeping walking straight along a dirt path which I believe was created much longer than the rest of the trail as it hugs the hillside until you hit what is basically a naturally-made observation area that looks over the entire cities of El Cerrito and Richmond and you would see it all if it weren't for the numerous eucalyptus trees blocking your view line. From there you will notice a nice wooden handrail that serves as your starting point and barrier for where you are supposed to walk next, down Motorcycle Hill. which is a series of small switchback dirt trails down the steep incline (hence the name Motorcycle Hill and dirt bikes tend to do this as they head downhill as well). And I do mean steep as you can tell this remains a fairly new trail that hasn't been traveling along by a vast number of trekkers as there remains a long of brush and dirt which can get in the way for a smooth trip down the hill. And just be careful because it can be a trip down this hill, as many a time I found myself slipping to the point where I had to grab on to a tree or even the dirt below to make sure I wasn't rolling down the steep hill. And beware of your shoes as they're going to get really dirty as even on a warm day after walking back and forth down the incline, my shoes were filthy of dry brown dirt. But that's just one of the sacrifices one makes when walking down one of El Cerrito's newest trails. Once you're done you'll find yourself among a number of eucalyptus trees that has been cut down to their stumps on the back side of some residences and then you'll once again find yourself in between a narrow pathway in between two homes, this time on Blake Street. Then you're back in the suburban community from where you once came with passing cars whizzing by. But for a little while, you will be as grateful as I was for this tiny and tranquil oasis among all of the chaotic suburban city life. At Motorcycle Hill, one can enjoy a healthy hike with scenic views of San Francisco Bay and beyond, and we have the El Cerrito Trail Trekkers to thank for all of this.