Thanksgiving in California: Pena Adobe Regional Park, Vacaville

I was up early again to use the free wifi in front of the Starbucks on base.  It was a cool day again with the morning fog lingering.  I wasn't too sure what to do today, other than meeting Eric and Margaret for dinner in the evening.  My radiator was acting up again and I knew I couldn't drive far.  I didn't want to be stuck somewhere with no one nearby to help me.  I decided then to discover more of the Vacaville Creek Fitness trail that meanders for 1.5 miles through Old Town.  Minnie certainly enjoyed splashing in the creek, but I was aware that she was off-leash within town limits so I had to be careful.  We managed 2.29 miles out and back near and close to the creek.

 The trail isn't long enough to get a good enough workout, unless the trail is done several times.  I really didn't want to do that with the dogs off-leash.  I ate a mediocre lunch at the German Grain Bakery and Cafe in town, where I was overcharged for a hazelnut roll and coffee.  There really wasn't anything "German" about the cafe, either, so I didn't stick around. I decided to check out the Pena Adobe/Lagoon Valley regional park again, this time exploring a different angle of it. There were some trails to the west of the radio tower that I did not explore yesterday.

There is a small historic cabin, Pena Adobe, right inside the park and close to the interstate.  It's protected by mature trees. There really wasn't much there for me to do with the dogs on leashes, though, so I went with them back to the main road to another trail head that I discovered yesterday, close to the dog park and off the main road through the park, inside the adjacent Lagoon Valley Regional park.  I started at an elevation of 121' at the cabin to 277' on the tallest hill. This trail was on the closest hill to the interstate.  No one else was here; people stayed on the pavement below.  Once I was away from the crowds, I let the dogs off-leash again.  The cold morning fog made the trails slippery and muddy.

The views from the lake from this perspective were of a remote, quiet lagoon.  One would have to get closer to the water to see that it isn't so; there are plenty of people along the shore just relaxing.  This little park is such a godsend to the Vacaville-Fairfield area.  If I lived here, I'd be coming by several times a week.  The live oaks, green grass and gentle hills make this an attractive park.  But one must be careful of one's dogs.

From the pavement we climbed up one hill with views of the lake and a picnic area on the hilltop.  From there we took a single track that went along a gentle ridge going mostly north, with views of the interstate traffic below.  Across the interstate were more naked hills, so one can see how this land was before it was "developed."  I went from a muddy, steep hill trail back down to pavement, around a small water reservoir , looping around that, then coming back toward the main road where I walked through a disc park before stopping at the dog park a bit before leaving. This 3.23 mile loop took me an hour.  It was a nice way to give the dogs some exercise before being stuck in the van during the dinner hours.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/1884026333

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We had a good time so far, considering there had been rain forecasted for today.  Instead, we had a thick overcast that kept us cool (and damp).  With now close to 5.5 miles under our feet, it was time to relax and get some rest in a nearby hotel where we could stay warm overnight.  Again this was a wise decision because it did finally rain at night. 

My hotel of choice was the Motel6 in Vacaville, right off the interstate again.  Dogs are allowed at Motel6s (many limit it to just one), but this one allowed two dogs.  It was just past 4pm when we checked in.  I showered, watched cable news.  Florence Henderson, 82, TV mom from the Brady Bunch, a corny 1970s show that I watched in my preteen years, died of heart failure.  I was now spending time until I heard from Eric.  I let him decide where we would meet up again for dinner.

Eric and Margaret decided on a family diner in Vacaville, the Bear Diner.  The place was huge!  It was a good choice as I took some food with me later back to the hotel.  It's so nice to see Eric happy with a good woman.  When we hugged our good-byes, I knew that this time it would be a while before I saw him again. I had a long drive back to Arizona again and needed to be fresh. The hotel was surprisingly quiet for being a Motel6 and right off the interstate.