Bay Area

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Antonio is one of my favorite places to go hiking in the Bay Area. There are many trails to choose from, all of which are all well-maintained and clean. It can sometimes get busy, but it is still a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of life and enjoy nature with friends.

One of my favorite places to visit inside Rancho is Happy Hollow Farm. I have many fond memories of hiking there as a child, where I played with and fed the animals. I was also fascinated by the garden, which grew many different fruits and vegetables.

Before entering the park, there's a path under a highway bridge that has a slope of rocks under each freeway. When I was young, I used to climb it and cut my hands on the spiked leaves that would fall from the trees closeby. For some reason this didn't deter me, and I would continue to race my friends to see who could climb the fastest.

Another memory I have is hiking a trail with my father. We walked over one of the bridges, and my dad explained the effects of the drought and why there was no longer any water flowing underneath. That was the same creek where I first tried long exposure photography.