For Steve's birthday (observed), my brother Jim and Jim's fiancee Brooke accompanied me and Steve on an exploration of a park so ridiculously close to us, it's absurd that we hadn't yet been. The Pogonip is a 640 acre park full of hiking and biking trails nestled in the hills near UC Santa Cruz. It's a five minute drive from our house to the trailhead we chose.
Steve on the Spring Trail:
Steve shows off the greatness that is the Banana Slug:
Steve watches koi swim in one of the concrete pools ("spring boxes") scattered throughout the park:
The spring boxes collect water from some of the streams and creeks that flow through the park. The park used to be a sports club (there is an abandoned clubhouse, pool and tennis courts that we did not visit on this trip) and water was probably gathered either for use in that endeavor, or possibly by ranchers dating back even earlier. Koi got dumped in the pond at some point, and there they swim beneath the redwoods.
Steve and Brooke are super excited about the Lime Kilns... Jim less so:
Another shot of the lime kilns:
The most fun hidden gem we discovered was the "forest" of stacked rocks near the Lime Kilns. It's a truly bizarre sight, and pictures don't really do it justice, but here's a couple anyway:
One of Jim and Brooke's gifts to Steve was unexpectedly apropos (and incredibly awesome):
If you can't tell from the picture, those are rocks that Jim and Brooke arranged on a little plate, glued in place, painted on eyes, and sealed. Whimsical and a little weird, it's absolutely perfect for Steve (and me).
The four of us then had a lovely dinner of Mediterranean Afghan cuisine at a local restaurant Steve really enjoys. A truly phenomenal meal, and a great way to end the day.
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