OVERLOOK TRAIL IN SONOMA

THIS WEEKEND I HIKED UP A RUGGED TRAIL IN SONOMA CALLED THE OVERLOOK TRAIL. IT IS A WILDERNESS TRAIL AND HAS SEVERAL TURNS ONCE YOU GET UP TO THE OVERLOOK. THAT PART WAS CONFUSING. I CHOSE THE UPLAND TRAIL BUT SOON FOUND OUT THAT IT BECAME STEEP AND HAD NO SHADE, SO I WENT DOWN THE OTHER TRAIL. IT WAS A HOT DAY. THE TRAIL TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR EITHER WAY YOU GO. I MET THREE YOUNG GALS ON THE WAY UP WHO HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE - THEY BROUGHT NO WATER AND WERE BUSY TALKING THAT THEY MISSED THE FOX THAT HAD CAUGHT A MOUSE. WE SPOTTED A BLUE TYPE OF REPTILE OR SALAMANDER. I NOTICED THAT SOMEONE HAD PLCED NAMES ON THE TREES - BLUE OAKS, VALLEY OAKS, SAGE, MONKEYFLOWER, LOTS OF POISIN OAK, DOUG FIR, KNOBCONE PINE. IT IS A STEEP TRAIL WITH MANY ROCKS OF RED SANDSTONE.

BE SURE TO WEAR STURDY SHOES AS THEY NOTE THAT THEIR ARE RATTLESNAKES AND BOBCATS. I ALSO SAW TURKEY VULTURES AND A RED TAILED HAWK!

AFTER MY HIKE I COOLED DOWN IN THE CITY PARK NEARBY AND STOPPED TO VIEW THE SONOMA MUSEUM IN DEPOT PARK WHICH I NEVER KNEW EXISTED. THE MUSEUM WAS IN THE ORIGINAL HISTORIC DEPOT AND TWO OLDER VOLUNTEERS GREETED ME WITH SOME COOL WATER. ONE SAID SHE HAD ONLY BEEN UP THAT OVERLOOK TRAIL ONCE! THE MUSEUM WAS FULL OF OLD ARTIFACTS - A DENTISTS TOOL KIT FROM THE 1800'S, A PAIR OF BOOTS MADE OUT OF BEAR FEET, SOME TRAIN PHOTOS, POMO BASKETS OF WILLOW AND REDBUD WITH QUAIL FEATHERS, AND A COLLECTION OF PREHISTORIC OBSIDIAN AND CHERT TOOLS AND PROJECTILE POINTS.