"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one."
—Jacques Yves Cousteau
Cecile and I decided to take a respite from a week of 90 degree weather by driving to Shoreline Lake past the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View which is about thirty minutes north from our home in Los Gatos. We had lunch at the American Bistro (formerly the Lakeside Cafe) at edge of Shoreline Lake and next to the Lake Boathouse.
We sat on the outdoor waterfront patio with stunning views. The Mountain View Voice calls it the Best Place for a date & Best Place to take a Visitor. Shoreline Lake is a man-made, 50 acre, salt water lake filled by waters pumped in from San Francisco Bay nearby that circulates back out into Permanente Creek. Predictable summer breezes and the intimate, enclosed nature of the Lake make it ideal for learning to sail or windsurf.
When we first arrived there were a group of cyclists having lunch a few tables away. Cecile ordered a Salmon Salad: Fillet of Grilled Salmon, raspberries, candied walnuts with raspberry vinaigrette on a bed of Farmer’s market greens. I enjoyed a Wine Country Chicken Panini: Grilled Chicken Brie, baby spinach and caramelized onions on French baguette with side of watermelon salad with homemade Kettle Chips. Afterwards, we took a hike around the right edge of the lake to enjoy the wide open tranquil spaces. Beyond the lake is the South Bay which offers opportunity for longer hikes and bike rides alongside its edge that extend to the Bay Area Nature Preserves and bird sanctuaries. Palo Alto’s small communter airport and Moffett Airfield are not far away, so there are lots of plane sightings overhead.
