We have now been in California for a week and to celebrate the sun came out and completely transformed the landscape here. Bedwell Bayfront Park is just a minute down the road from Facebook so we’ve passed it often, but the sunshine made it irresistible and so we set out to spend a few hours there this morning.

Bedwell is an old landfill converted into a nature preserve and grasslands. It has a mostly flat 2.3 mile perimeter path for walking, running, or biking and a whole spiderweb of interior trails as well. Since it was a landfill the park is hilly and has a man-made vibe about it, since one doesn’t usually expect to find hills in the middle of the marsh.

When we visited in February the flora was green, the sky was blue, and the water was still. I’ll be very interested to visit in a couple months and see how the park handles the seasons! The most striking thing about this park is that your views from every hill are of Silicon Valley and the rest of the Bay area. It’s a wonderful juxtapose of the natural and the modern.

We saw ducks, birds, and snails during our visit, but relatively few homo sapiens. I’ve been told that the crowds really pick up in the afternoon, but for a late Saturday morning the park did not feel crowded at all, at least on the interior paths. I recommend packing a picnic and enjoying it on top of one of the hills. Bring the whole family and the dog!