I hiked up a huge hill to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens where you can find plants from every place in the world. With prickly cacti, towering palms, flowering slopes, and incredible views of the bay, this beautiful spot is not to be missed.
I also stopped by Tilden Regional Park. It's waaaay up in the hills, but worth every swervy curve of the drive. The view at the top of the world is outstanding. Since it had been raining all week in California, the fields were deep green and spotted with blooming wildflowers.
During my visit I finished reading THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS, a unique novel that looks at the long-term effects of a bombing in an Indian marketplace. The author describes the psychological state of both the victims and the bombers.
I'm now starting YEAR OF YES: HOW TO DANCE IT OUT, STAND IN THE SUN AND BE YOUR OWN PERSON by Shonda Rhimes, writer of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. It's a light, funny, honest book.
Wishing you good books and happy travels!