“Biking through a nature preserve is like turning the page of a beautiful illustrated book, with each trail offering a new chapter filled with life and adventure."
What a fantastic and colorful way to experience the outdoors and the harmony of nature. It’s been quite a while since Bill and I rode our bikes on the Stevens Creek Trail leading to Mountain View as well as the Baylands Nature Preserves in Palo Alto. We stopped to take photos in front of the completed Google Headquarters, rode the very narrow trails of short rolling sand dunes with over six foot of blooming yellow wildflowers on either side of us. Thousands of Shorebirds on islets on the bay created a melodic symphony of sounds that contributed to the natural ambiance of coastal and wetland areas.
Their calls and songs are often complex and can range from melodic whistles to repetitive trills. Birds like white egrets, rhythmic peeping sandpipers, melodic whistles of plovers, screeching sounds of seagulls and the haunting calls of curlews each have a distinctive vocalizations that help them communicate, attract mates, and warn of potential threats. We took a moment to listen carefully to their symphony of sounds. It’s a beautiful and immersive experience that complements the peacefulness of a bike ride through the this very expansive and scenic area.
We paused at the rest stop in Bysbee Park where two guys were walking a pack of dogs on leash. We rode around the Palo Alto commuter airport and stopped to watch small craft take turns on the runway taking off in the bright blue skies. On our return we had lunch at Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen on their front patio on the closed-to-cars streets of downtown Mountain View before hitting the trails back to where Bill’s SUV was parked before heading home. We clocked about 27 miles round-trip during our half-day outing.
