East Palo Alto, Part 1 - Sept. 5, 2009

Walking distance: ~ 3 ? miles
Walking Time: 1.5 hours (9:05 - 10:35 a.m.)
Start & End: Geng Road Athletic Center Parking Lot, East Palo Alto, CA

This morning I crossed Palo Alto into East Palo Alto via Geng Rd. (off Embarcadero), and hiked toward Bay Road.

There is something surreal about walking down an elevated path, and having two different worlds on either side of you. As I walked north, on my left side, was East Palo Alto, a modest suburban neighborhood, and high-crime area, with bars on windows and barking dogs (and one screeching parrot) on one side of the path, and, on the other side -- an immaculate, green golf course, with three lads playing there without a care in the world (where their biggest frustration and the occasional f-word was directed at a bad golf swing). Some small differences on this section of trail: more spray paint/tagging and more dog poop.

Wildlife spotting: more egrets, ducks, Canada geese; another pheasant; two black-crowned night herons that looked like they were hunting as a pair; some small black-and-whites (black-necked stilts); and lots of white-shelled snails hanging onto tall blades of dry grass along the way.

Below is a link to an image of some black-crowned night herons.
http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/sanfranciscophoto1/ig/californiabirds/nightheron.htm