Close to Home- The Emeryvlle Marina

I thought that I would start close to home for my first entry and my first shot at blogging. One of my favorite places in the Bay Area is the Emeryville Marina. Because I live right next to the marina it is an obvious place for me to go walking. It has some of the most amazing views in the East Bay and there is a nicely paved, flat path around the whole pennisula. I am not a huge fan of walking/hiking uphill so this is ideal for the casual stroll or for a nice run if you are so inclined.

I try to walk around it at least once a day, more if I have time. Last night it was the summer solistice and the longest daylight of the year. I headed out about 8:15pm and had plenty of time to make it out to the point to view the sunset. The sun was bright orange and slowly sunk into the hills north of Mt. Tamalpais. I joined the other walkers and runners who stopped to watch the sun disappear and the clouds above and to the right glow from behind, backlit by the now hidden sun.

A quiet breeze kicked up and people began to move again. I continued my walk around the point as the sky glowed softly orange, the Golden Gate straight ahead, Alcataraz in front of it with its water tower prominent, the City with its skyscapers dark except for the light reflecting off the windows and then the lights flickering on, the Bay Bridge to the left, the Marin Headlands and Angel Island ahead on the right, the distant lights of Tiburon and Sausolito and the Richmond Bridge.

As I continued to the North the East Bay comes into view. First the Berkeley Marina and Albany Hill, the 80/580 freeways and the East Bay hills. I always look for the Campanile on the UC campus and the Clarmemont Hotel majestically sitting like a castle on the hill. The windows of the homes in the Berkeley and Oakland hills glitter like jewels in the darkening sky and I feel rich and overwhelmed to live in a place with such beauty.

I have lived in or near Berkeley for 20 years and my breath is still taken away when I take a simple walk around the point. I try to remember to take the time to stop and listen to the wind blow over the water and the cries of the birds as they glide through the air. I close my eyes and feel the breeze brush against my face and I breathe deepl