Ron Horii's San Francisco Bay Area Parks, Recreation and Travel

San Francisco Bay Area
Parks, Recreation, and Travel
by Ron Horii
Coyote Peak Sign

Me in Santa Teresa County Park, at the interpretive sign on Coyote Peak, 12/6/16. I took most of the pictures, including the panorama, and helped with the sign's design.

Welcome! My favorite hobbies and activities are photography, hiking, biking, computers, geocaching, travel, and travel writing. I've created a number of Web pages on travel and recreation in the San Francisco Bay Area and California. Here you will find links to pages with photos and information on parks, beaches, trails, history, and places to visit.

I'm a retired electrical engineer. I spent over 34 years in the computer disk drive industry, working for IBM, Hitachi, and Western Digital. Among other activities, I am a volunteer photographer and docent for the Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Department, a docent for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, and a member of several volunteer and non-profit organizations, particularly the Friends of Santa Teresa Park and the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association.

Note that this is entirely a volunteer effort, with no commercial intent or sponsorship. These pages are for information only and are based on my opinions, research, and observations.

I have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ronald.horii. If you're on Facebook, you can see my public posts. Please don't send friend requests. For security reasons, I only accept people I already know.

News:

My picture of the Casa Grande in Almaden Quicksilver took first place in the non-professional category of the VisualSJ photo contest in 2015. See the Awards section below.
My pictures have been used for some of the County Parks' 2015 "Nature is Nearby" Billboards.
I taught my annual outdoor photography class at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch in Santa Teresa County Park on Saturday November 14, 2015 at 10 am - 1 pm. "Join a Docent for a FREE outdoor photography workshop. Learn how to choose and use a camera, how to take better outdoor pictures, and about photo composition. Workshop begins with an indoor slideshow, followed by demonstrations and a walk around the historic area to take pictures. Meet at the Bernal Ranch barn, 372 Manila Dr., San Jose." Here are pictures from the class.
My pictures were used in an article in Edible Silicon Valley Magazine on Martial Cottle Park: Farm Forward: Planting the Seeds For The Future of Family Farms, January 20, 2016
Some of my pictures of the Santa Clara County Parks were used in an episode of the Open Road TV show on NBC Bay Area. See the video on the Parks for Life Challenge, starting at 5:41 to 6:05.
I joined the Friends of Santa Teresa Park in leading hikes in April at Santa Teresa Park:

April 16, 2016 at 10:00 am on Bernal Hill, starting at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch on Manila Drive.
April 30, 2016 on the Stile Ranch, Mine, and Fortini trails, starting at the Fortini/Stil Ranch Trailhead on San Vicente Avenue off Fortini Road at 9:00 am.

I gave my outdoor photography class and hike at Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear Ranch County Park on May 7, 2016 at 10:00. Here's a poster for the class/hike.
Measure A was on the June 2016 ballot. It renewed the Park Charter Fund, which allocates a fixed percentage of Santa Clara County's budget to fund the County Parks. It is not a tax, but an earmark that guarantees that the parks will get their fair share of the budget. It provides a reliable source of funding (though not a fixed dollar amount) for the County Parks, which allows them to maintain a high-quality park system and do long-term planning. The ballot measure also increases the percentage of the fund allocated for park development to allow them to do park improvements and open new parkland. My pictures were used as part of the "Yes on A" campaign. Measure A passed with about 78% yes votes. It only needed just over 50%.
On 6/26/16, I was featured on an episode of "Open Road With Doug McConnell" on NBC Bay Area. See below for details. Below is a screenshot from that episode, with me being interviewed by Doug McConnell:

I gave a class at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. Here's the description:
"Nature Photography for Beginners, Saturday, July 23, 2016, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. Join nature photographer Ron Horii for this fascinating and engaging learning experience. Bring your own camera, phone, tablet or whatever you like to take pictures with and Ron will take you on a walk to observe nature as a photographer would. Learn how to take more engaging pictures from someone who is a passionate nature and community photographer." I previously gave this class on June 11, 2016. Here are some pictures from it, mostly taken by my son Chris.
I gave another class for the Open Space Authority at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara on Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 4:00 pm. Here are pictures from the class, mostly taken by my son Chris.
I gave an outdoor photography class at Santa Teresa County Park, on November 12, 2016 at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch. Here's a flyer for the class.
The Open Space Authority of Santa Clara Valley has an article about me in their Spring 2017 newsletter (see page 2).
My pictures have been used in a billboard and busback advertising campaign for the Santa Clara County Parks, called "Wish You Were Here?"
I edited and wrote many of the articles for the Friends of Santa Teresa Park's Summer 2017 newsletter.
The Friends of Santa Teresa Park held a National Night Out event at the Bernal Ranch on Tuesday, August 1, 2017, from 5-7:30 pm: Free ice cream and cookies. Bring your family to our fun event. Meet your neighbors and public safety officials. Speak with local and county representatives. Fire engines, park ranger trucks, sheriff and police patrol cars, and other emergency vehicles on display. Children’s crafts project and games will be provided. Sponsored by: The Friends of Santa Teresa Park, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation, United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County, City of San Jose’s Community Action and Pride Grant Program. Emergency agencies vehicles and public officials will attend depending on their schedule. Here are pictures from that event.
Family Fandango was held this year on Saturday, August 5, 2017 from 5-8pm at the Bernal Ranch in Santa Teresa County Park. Celebrate the history of early California and its ties to the Anza Expedition and the Bernal family. The evening’s focus is family fun through song, dance, demonstrations and activities that highlight the many contributions of our early communities. Location is Camino Verde at Manila Drive in San Jose. Here are pictures from that event.
I gave a lunchtime brownbag slideshow presentation on outdoor and nature photography at the Open Space Authority of Santa Clara Valley's headquarters at 33 Las Colinas Lane, San Jose, on September 22, 2017 at 12:30-1:30 pm. More information here.
I gave an outdoor photography class scheduled at Santa Teresa County Park on September 30, 2017 at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch (Manila Drive at Camino Verde) from 11am to 2pm. Here is the flyer for the class. You can register online here or call (408) 355-2201 to register or for more information.
I gave a Nature Photography Workshop at the Japanese Friendship Gardens, 1300 Senter Road San Jose, CA 95112 on Saturday October 21, 2017 from 4pm to 6pm. See here for more information.
I helped to lead these hikes with the Friends of Santa Teresa Park in the spring of 2018:

Sunday 3/25/18: “Hike the Magnificent Seven! Santa Teresa” 10am to 1pm. Join the Friends of Santa Teresa Park for a moderate 2.5-mile #PixInParks hike on the Stile Ranch, Mine, and Fortini Trails. View spectacular wildflower displays, take in the gorgeous views, and hear talks about the rich history of the area. There will be nature and history exhibits and activities at the trailhead. Please bring snack, sunscreen, water and wear comfortable shoes. Meet at the Stile Ranch Trailhead on San Vicente Avenue, at the end of Fortini Road, off McKean Road. Here are pictures from that event.
Saturday 3/31/18: Outdoor Photography and Wildflower Walk: 10 am - 1 pm. Join a docent (me) for an outdoor photography class and slide show in the barn at the historic Bernal Ranch followed by a moderate, but easy-paced hike up the Joice Trail to take pictures of the colorful spring wildflower displays. Meet at the Barn with your camera or smartphone. Register here. Here are pictures from that hike.
Saturday 4/21/18: Coyote Peak Vistas Hike: 2 pm - 4 pm. Join the Friends of Santa Teresa Park on a moderate 2-mile hike to Coyote Peak starting from the Pueblo Day Use Area. Look at the wildflowers and trees along the way. At the top, take in panoramic views of the Bay Area and Coyote Valley. Please bring snack, sunscreen, water and wear comfortable shoes. Register here. Here is a flyer I made for this hike.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese's office contacted me last year about providing a picture that would be used on the Gold Star Families Memorial monument to be installed in Oak Hill Memorial Park. It honors families of fallen military members. I sent them some pictures, and they chose one that I took from the Bernal Hill Trail in Santa Teresa Park on 4/15/16. The picture was etched in granite on the back of the monument, representing the homeland of the families, in this case, Santa Clara County. Here is an album of the ceremony and the monument, which was dedicated on 4/14/18.
On August 7, 5:00-7:30 pm, I helped the Friends of Santa Teresa Park with our second annual National Night Out event at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch at Manila Drive and Camino Verde. Here are pictures from that event. For pictures from last year's event, see: National Night Out, Santa Teresa Park, 8/1/17
On Sunday, September 23, 2018, the Friends of Santa Teresa Park had an information booth at Viva CalleSJ. I helped setup the booth, and my pictures were on display. Here are pictures from that part of the event. This is a huge annual event. Several miles of San Jose streets are closed to vehicles, so bicycles and pedestrians can experience exploring those streets without having to worry about traffic. There were lots of activities along the way.
On Sunday, September 30, 2018, from 10 am-1pm, I gave an outdoor photography class at Santa Teresa County Park's Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch. Here is a flyer for the class.
On Wednesday, October 10, 2018, I led a hike to Little Uvas Creek Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill for the City of Morgan Hill's El Toro Social Club for seniors. Here are pictures from the hike.
On Sunday, October 14, 2018, I helped to lead a hike for the Open Space Authority in San Jose's Alum Rock Park. Here are pictures from that hike.
On Saturday, October 27, 2018, I helped with the La Fuente event at Santa Teresa County Park. Here is the description: "Bernal Ranch is "La Fuente" or "The Origin" for family histories, local economy, and a growing new community. Join us to celebrate the different histories of "Santa Teresa Spring," the original source of thriving communities from the past to present day. The afternoon event will feature cultural presentation of local community organizations, family activities, and children's games. FREE and fun for all ages! Questions? (408) 226-5453." Here are pictures from that event.
There was a series of bird-viewing events at the Bernal Ranch in Santa Teresa County Park, organized by Park Interpreter Kelsi Ju, with help from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. I went to the last one: Raptor Migration Program, Santa Teresa Park, 11/3/18
On Sunday, November 25, 2018, I helped with a plant identification hike at Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve.
On Wednesday, December 12, 2018, from 10 am to 12 pm, I taught an outdoor photography class at the Morgan Hill Community Center for the City of Morgan Hill's El Toro Social Club. This was the description: "Picture Perfect Outdoor Photography: Whether you're a newbie or an experienced photographer, this class will help you take better pictures! Photographer Ron Horii, will share secrets of outdoor photography. He'll show you how to get the most out of your camera and how to choose photo composition, lighting, editing, advanced tricks, and posting pictures online. He'll show local hotspots for taking beautiful pictures of nature or as backgrounds for portraits of your family and friends."
On Saturday and Sunday, 12/1-2/18, there were walk-thru events at Vasona Lake County Park's Fantasy of Light holiday light display. About 9000 people came each day. I went on Sunday as a docent and took these pictures: Fantasy of Lights Walk-Thru, Vasona Lake, 12/2/18
On Friday 12/7/18, I went on the first public presentation and guided tour on the History of Almaden Air Force Station on Mt Umunhum.
On Saturday 12/8/18, I went to Alum Rock Park in San Jose and helped with a BioBlitz event, organized by Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: Alum Rock Park BioBlitz
On Thursday, 12/13/18, I accompanied County Parks docents and staff from the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum on a field trip to Filoli in Woodside. Filoli is a huge estate. It consists of 654 acres, with 16 acres of formal gardens, and a 65,000 square foot main house. It's open for tours. In the winter, it's decorated for the holidays. This shows how it's decorated: Holidays at Filoli, 12/13/18
I collected some of the best wildlife pictures that I took in 2018 and put them in one album: Santa Clara County Wildlife Sightings 2018
From 2/1/19 to 2/28/19, I have a photo exhbition of the parks and preserves of Santa Clara County at the Campbell Library in downtown Campbell. Here is an album showing the exhibition.
I led this hike for the Bay Area Older Adults at Rancho Canada del Oro on April 10. See their website. It's Hike 7:
Wednesday April 10, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Join us for a hike at Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space, a park whose serpentine soils make for awesome displays of wildflowers. This 3882-acre preserve is managed by the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority. It is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. While walking over rolling hills, wildflowers on display include yellow Johnny jump-ups and fiddlenecks, orange California Poppies, purple Lupine and vetch, Blue eyed grass and blue witch, white milk maids and star lilies and more! Along the way, we will learn about the complex ways climate change affects the natural resources we depend upon. Everyone will get a wildflower guide to help them identify wildflowers along the hike route. We end the day with a social picnic lunch.
I gave another outdoor photography class and wildlflower hike in Santa Teresa Park, meeting at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch on Saturday April 27, 2019 from 10 am to 1 pm. "Join a Docent for a FREE outdoor photography workshop. Learn how to choose and use a camera, how to take better outdoor pictures and about photo composition. Workshop begins with an indoor slideshow, followed by demonstrations and a walk around the ranch. Meet in the west bar with your camera. Here is the flyer for the class. Here are pictures of the class and wildflower hike.
I led this hike for the City of Morgan Hill's El Toro Social Club, meeting up at their Senior Center: Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve Interpretive Hike: Join docent Ron Horii as he takes us on a tour of Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve.. Discover and explore this beautiful preserve with a knowledgeable docent who will talk about the plants and wildlife found here. The hike will be 4 miles long and moderately strenuous with several uphill grades. Along the hike, you will see oak woodlands as well as grasslands. The trail may be muddy, rocky and uneven in some areas, so sturdy shoes are advised. Bring water, lunch or snack, a camera, sunscreen, a hat and your sense of adventure! There are restrooms in the parking lot but none on the trail. Location: Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve (Meet at the CRC Lobby at 9:30am and we will caravan). Instructor: Ron Horii, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Docent. Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Time: 10:00am-1:00pm. Here are pictures from the hike.
This is a hike I helped to lead with the Friends of Santa Teresa Park on Saturday May 11, 2019 from 10 am to 1 pm, meeting at the Stile Ranch/Fortini Tralhead on San Vicente Avenue in the Almaden Valley: "Join the Friends of Santa Teresa Park for a moderate 2.5-mile hike on the Stile Ranch, Mine and Fortini Trails. View spectacular wildflower displays, take in the gorgeous views, and learn about the rich history of the area. Meet at the Stile Ranch Trailhead with sturdy shoes, snacks and water. Questions? (408) 355-2240." The Stile Ranch Trailhead is off of McKean Road. Take Fortini Road and turn left on San Vicente Avenue to the parking lot. Here are pictures from the hike.
On 6/20/19, I taught an outdoor photography class to employees of the Santa Clara County Social Services Department in downtown San Jose. I gave a slideshow presentation, then helped as the employees split into groups and took pictures outdoors. Afterwards, I commented on the pictures.
I will be leading a hike for the Morgan Hill Senior Center's El Toro Social Club on 10/7/19 at Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve. Meet at the Centennial Recreation Center at 171 W. Edmundson Avenue in Morgan Hill at 9:00 am to carpool to the preserve. Call 408-782-1284 to sign up or register in person at the CRC. Here are details: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/75d2fe_9826c2543cd842ed87f5594332a1be29.pdf
I taught another Outdoor Photography Class at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch on Sunday, November 10, 2019 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. It was a free outdoor photography workshop for all experience levels. I talked about the types of cameras and how to choose and use them, how to take outdoor pictures, photo composition, lighting, photo editing, advanced techniques, and Internet publishing! We met inside the barn for a demonstration and slideshow. Afterwards, there was a short photo shoot tour of the historic ranch. Here is the flyer for the event. Here are pictures from the class. The indoor shots, like the one below, were taken by my son Chris, with his Pixel2 smartphone, showing its impressive low-light capability.
I have been making a Coronovirus Blog, with information, links, and statistics about the COVID-19 virus, how it's affected us in Santa Clara County, and how it's affected me with events cancelled. On 3/16/20, the Santa Clara County Public Officer issued a stay-at-home order to everyone in the County except for those providing essential needs. On 3/19/20 Governor Gavin Newsom issued a similar order to everyone in the state of California, with no end date. However, people are still allowed to go outside and get exercise, which includes hiking and biking in the parks and preserves in Santa Clara County. I have a document called "Trail Usage Tips During the Coronavirus Crisis," with tips about safe social distancing to prevent spread of the virus while using the trails.
I had intended to teach another outdoor photography class/wildflower hike at Santa Teresa Park in May, 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Friends of Santa Teresa Park and I were planning to lead another pre-Mother's Day hike in Santa Teresa Park the day before Mother's Day. It was also cancelled. All park group events and volunteer activities in the County Parks and Open Space Authority preserves have been cancelled or are on hold indefinitely. Instead, I have been solo hiking, taking pictures, and posting them on Facebook and Next Door. I also have been watching videos and attending Zoom conferences from various organizations, such as Saved By Nature, the Open Space Authority, and the Santa Clara County Parks.
Starting around May of 2021, I started going to park events organized by private groups, like Saved By Nature, the BioBliltz Club, and Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful. (See 2021 Facebook albums.)
I haven't been able to teach in-person photo classes since the pandemic started. However, I gave Zoom photo classes in 2 parts for the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter, as part of their monthly photo-sharing group. I have been participating in the group and showing plant and flower pictures from local parks and preserves.
On 9/27/21 at 12 pm, there was an online forum called "Shining a Spotlight on the Coyote Creek Watershed." It was part of the regular "Peninsula-South Bay Watershed Forum." (Here's a Youtube video recording of the forum.) It was sponsored by Grassroots Ecology. I gave a presentation on the Coyote Creek Watershed. I showed pictures from Palassou Preserve, Coyote Lake, Anderson Lake, the Coyote Creek Parkway, Coyote Valley OSP, North Coyote Valley Conservation Area, Coyote Ridge, Santa Teresa Park, Hellyer Park, and more, all the way to the Bay. Here's my Powerpoint slideshow (68MB PDF).
On 10/3/21, I led a hike at McClellan Ranch Preserve/Blackberry Farm Park on the Stevens Creek Trail in Cupertino for the California Native Plant Society Santa Clara Valley Chapter. Here are pictures from the hike. I previously scouted out the trail in July, when a new section of the trail opened: Stevens Creek Trail: Blackberry Farm to Linda Vista Park, 7/6/21
On 10/14/21, I led a hike for the Morgan Hill Senior Center: "October 14 - Hike with Ron Horii on the Hecker Pass Trail (meet at the Senior Center to caravan at 9:00am or the Heartland Dog Park on 3rd Ave in Gilroy, off Santa Teresa Blvd at 9:30am." In July, on the way back from Mt. Madonna County Park, I saw a new trail next to the Hecker Pass Highway. I explored it and discovered a new trail, which led to an existing trail. I made 4 albums about it. This is the first: Exploring the New Hecker Pass Trail in Gilroy, Part 1, 7/31/21.
On 10/16/21, I led a tour of the Master Gardeners' Parcel at Martial Cottle Park for the California Native Plant Society's Santa Clara Valley Chapter. The Master Gardeners had an open house that day. It was similar to their open house they had during the "Explore Martial Cottle Park" event on 10/2/21. We heard talks from one of the gardeners about their native plant garden. Here are pictures of the tour.
On 4/23/22, the Santa Clara County Parks held their 27th annual Volunteer Recognition event. It was held at the Bunea Vista Group Picnic Area in Hellyer County Park. I was recognized for achieving 14,000 lifetime volunteer service hours. That gave me one of the highest number of volunteer hours. I was recognized for 14,500 lifetime volunteer service hours at the Volunteer Recognition event on 4/15/23 at Hellyer County Park and 15,000 lifetime volunteer service hours at the Volunteer Recognition event on 4/23/24 at Martial Cottle Park.
On 5/13/23, the Saturday before Mother's Day, I helped to lead a hike in Santa Teresa County Park with the Friends of Santa Teresa Park. The event was called "Where Nature & History Collide" The hike was on the Fortini, Mine, and Stile Ranch Trails and included stories about the history of the area, along with the natural history of the park. While others talked about the history of the area, I talked about the wildflowers and the importance of serpentine soil See the flyer for details. Here are pictures of the hike.

I helped to lead the hike again on 5/11/24. It was called the "Mothers and Flowers Hike. Here are pictures from the hike.
On 5/19/24, I led a hike at Spreckels Hill, which is a 215-acre part of the 953-acre North Coyote Valley Conservation Area south of San Jose. It is owned by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) and is normally closed to the public, except for special events (like today's) or by request. The purpose of this hike was to teach some tips about photography and introduce visitors to the Coyote Valley. The OSA has a photo contest. They are looking for pictures of the Coyote Valley. Here are the contest details. We walked along Fisher Creek and went up to the top of Spreckels Hill to get panoramic views of the Coyote Valley. Along the way, I talked about photography techniques, the Coyote Valley, its history, its natural features, and efforts to preserve it. Here are pictures from the hike.
In 2024, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority held a photo contest, called "Picturing Coyote Valley." They wanted pictures that showed different aspects of the Coyote Valley. Contestants were limited to 3 entries in one of several categories. I entered 3 pictures in the wildlife, landscapes, and wildflowers categories. My wildlife entry, of a bald eagle on the Coyote Creek Trail, took first place. My landscapes entry, or Coyote Creek from the Coyote Creek Trail, won honorable mention. These are all the winners. Below are my winning pictures. The bald eagle was taken on 2/23/21. This is how I described it: "I was riding my bike on the Coyote Creek Trail. Just north of the Model Aircraft Skypark, I saw this bald eagle perched in a tree near a pond. I also noticed the moon was out. I moved around until I could get the moon in the background, then zoomed in with my telephoto and got this shot. I have seen bald eagles in and near the Coyote Valley before, but they've been too far away to get a good shot. This time I got lucky." The picture of Coyote Creek was taken on 11/25/09. This was my description: "I was riding my bike on the Coyote Creek Trail. Just north of Bailey Avenue, the trail crosses over the creek. I stopped in the middle of the creek crossing. I noticed the trees, especially the western sycamores, were changing into their fall colors. There was still water in the creek, so it made a nice reflection of the trees." This is how I took those 2 pictures. There was a story about the photo contest on ABC7 TV in the Bay Area. They interviewed me and showed my pictures.

Santa Teresa County Park

Coyote Peak, Santa Teresa County Park

(Migrated from geocities.com/santateresapark.) Here are web pages on my favorite park in San Jose. The park covers nearly 1700 acres in the rolling, grass-covered hills guarding the southern gateway to the Silicon Valley. It's the closest County Park to where I live, so I go there the most often and have lots of pictures of it.

2000-2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Friends of Santa Teresa Park and Volunteers at Santa Teresa Park

FOSTP president Mike Boulland leading a hike on the Stile Ranch Trail in Santa Teresa Park, 5/4/08

(Migrated from geocities.com/stpfriends.) The Friends of Santa Teresa Park (FOSTP) is the volunteer organization supporting Santa Teresa County Park. I am the secretary and webmaster for the organization. Find out what's going on in the park and what you can do to help make it better. This site is updated frequently with park and community news, developments, pictures, and volunteer activities. Below are Santa Teresa Park-related volunteer events and community issues. The Friends of Santa Teresa Park also has a Facebook page, STPFriends, which I help administer.

Geocaching

Geocaching class in Mt. Madonna County Park, 7/11/09

Geocaching in Santa Teresa Park - Geocaching is a hobby and recreational activity that has been growing in popularity. It involves using GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers to locate hidden "caches" whose GPS coordinates are published on the Internet. Santa Teresa Park is a popular place for geocaching.
Sam Drake's Geocaching class, Almaden Quicksilver, Wood Road Trail, 6/14/08
Sam Drake's geocaching class at Almaden Quicksilver, Wood Road Trail, 1/17/09
Sam Drake's geocaching class, Fortini-Mine-Stile Ranch Trails, Santa Teresa Park, 4/11/09
Sam Drake's geocaching class at Mt. Madonna County Park, 7/11/09
Sam Drake's geocaching class at Almaden Quicksilver, Wood Road Trail, 1/16/10
Geocaching class, Coyote Lake, Mendoza-Mummy Mountain-Coyote Ridge Trails, 5/15/10

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Mine Hill Rotary Furnace, Almaden Quicksilver County Park

(Migrated from geocities.com/almadenqs.) Website on one of the Bay Area's crown jewels. This park, in the backyard of the Silicon Valley, covers almost 4000 acres, with hiking trails through rugged, wildflower-covered hills filled with historical quicksilver mining relics.

New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association

NAQCPA president Kitty Monahan at the dedication of the English Camp Map House, 10/10/09

The New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association (NAQCPA) is the volunteer organization supporting Almaden Quicksilver County Park. I am the webmaster for the organization. See this site for pictures, events, and volunteer opportunities at the park. Here are NAQCPA events in Almaden Quicksilver County Park and New Almaden community events, which are organized by NAQCPA members:

Self-Running Slideshows (Windows only)

Instructions for slideshows: move mouse around the bottom of the page to see the controls to pause/play and step back/forward. Slideshow will loop. To stop, right-click, choose Exit option.

Online Slideshows

(Wait for pages to finish loading, enable Javascript if asked, scroll to bottom, hit play button to start, stop button to stop, click on links to exit):

Videos

These are videos that I've uploaded to the Internet, primarily on Youtube and Facebook:

Other Santa Clara County Parks:

Healthy Trails Hike, Uvas Canyon County Park, 2/21/09

Santa Teresa and Almaden Quicksilver County Parks are covered above. Here are webpages and pictures on other County Parks:

County Parks - All/Multiple

Alviso Marina

Anderson Lake

Calero/Rancho San Vicente

Chesbro Reservoir

Facebook: Geocachers of the Bay Area, Coastal Cleanup Day, Chesbro Reservoir County Park , 9/20/14

Chitactac-Adams

Coyote Creek Parkway

Bay Area Parks - (Migrated from geocities.com/bayareparks.) Another former Geocities Website of mine hosting the following Web pages:

Coyote Creek Trail South - Webpage with detailed descriptions of the south part of the Coyote Creek Trail from Hellyer County Park to Anderson Lake County Park
Coyote Creek Trail North - The partially-completed Coyote Creek Trail from Yerba Buena Road to San Francisco Bay, and plans for future developments.
Coyote Creek Trail Mileage Notes - Detailed mileage notes and pictures on the completed south parts of the Coyote Creek Trail.

Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear

Ed R. Levin

Field Sports

Some pictures of Field Sports in this album: Facebook: Santa Clara County Parks Slideshow for the Hellyer Visitor Center, 3/11/15

Hellyer

Joseph D. Grant

Lexington Reservoir

Los Gatos Creek Park/Trail

Martial Cottle

Motorcycle

Picture of Motorcycle Park in this album: Facebook: Santa Clara County Parks Slideshow for the Hellyer Visitor Center, 3/11/15

Mt. Madonna

Penitencia Creek

Rancho San Antonio

Sanborn

Stevens Creek

Sunnyvale Baylands

Uvas Reservoir

Vasona

Villa Montalvo

San Jose City Events, Parks, and Trails

Discovery Meadow, Children's Discovery Museum, Downtown San Jose

Almaden Valley, Almaden Lake, Los Alamitos/Calero Creek Trail, Guadalupe River/Creek Trail

Alum Rock Park, Penitencia Creek

Coyote Valley

Downtown San Jose, Guadalupe River Park/Gardens, Rose Garden

East San Jose, Evergreen, Lake Cunningham Park

Kelley Park, Coyote Creek North of Capitol, Coyote Meadows

North San Jose, Alviso

South San Jose, Santa Teresa Neighborhood

West San Jose

Willow Glen

Multiple Locations

Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, Sierra Vista Trail, 10/22/11

Coyote Ridge

Coyote Valley

Diablo Foothills Preserve (Doan Ranch)

Doan Ranch 11/22/08 Tour Part 1, Part 2
Facebook: Doan Ranch Tour, 4/12/15
Facebook: Diablo Foothills Preserve BioBlitz 10/20/18
Diablo Foothills Photographers' and Nature Hikes, 5/5/19

Little Uvas Creek Preserve (Melchor Ranch)

North Coyote Valley Conservation Area

Pajaro River Agricultural Preserve

Facebook: North Pajaro River Agricultural Preserve Tour, 6/24/18

Palassou

Rancho Canada Del Oro/Blair Ranch

Santa Teresa Hills

Sierra Vista

Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve Hike, Boccardo Loop Trail, 8/14/10

Sierra Vista Staging Area Dedication 8/23/14, Aquila Trail Opening 8/23/14

Urban Open Space, Parks, and Trails *

Multiple Preserves

* Note that the Open Space Authority provides 20% of its capital expenditures to fund urban open space projects. This includes the Albertson Parkway, Martial Cottle Park, the Three Creeks Trail, the Coyote Creek Trail in Selma Olinder Park, the Penitencia Creek Trail, the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, Ulistac Natural Area, and the Santa Teresa Park Historic Area. See other pages for more pictures on these areas. This list also includes OSA events at urban parks. The Open Space Authority partners with city agencies to provide educational and interpretive events in urban areas.

San Francisco Bay, Bay Trail, and Feeder Trails

Alviso Slough Trail

My Bay Trail Pages - This was my original master webpage for my Bay Trail webpages, last updated in 2016. The Bay Trail, when completed, will be a 500-mile trail along the shores of San Francisco Bay. This page links to pictures and descriptions of the southern Bay Trail segments from just north of SFO to Oakland Airport, many of which I submitted to the official Bay Trail Website as early as 1999. Note that the Bay Trail website has been revamped, and the old photo tours are not available on their website anymore. They can only be seen on Internet archive sites, but they are frozen and cannot be updated, so they may have obsolete information. The new tours are stored on my website or are Facebook albums. The updates from 2016 and beyond are below:
Facebook: My First Digital Camera Pictures (Stevens Creek Trail to Palo Alto Baylands), 7/30/00
Facebook: Foster City to San Mateo on the Bay Trail, 6/24/06
Port of Redwood City Bay Trail (2007)
Ravenswood Bay Trail (2008)
Shoreline Park (Bay Trail Update, 2009)
Palo Alto Baylands (Bay Trail Update, 2009)
Moffett Bay Trail Opening Ceremony, 9/20/10
Alviso Marina County Park 11/27/10
Sunnyvale Baylands, Update 2011
High Tide at the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve and Byxbee Park, 11/26/11
Stevens Creek Trail (Bay Trail Update, 2012)
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail, 1/29/12
Facebook: Bike ride from Guadalupe River Park to Alviso, 2/5/12
Facebook: Shoreline at Mountain View, 7/1/12
The Stevens Creek Trail to Cooley Landing, 8/12/12
Facebook: Along the Bay Trail, San Mateo, Foster City, 8/19/12
Facebook: Guadalupe River Trail to Ulistac Natural Area, 8/25/12
Facebook: San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail to 49'ers Stadium, 8/25/12
Facebook: San Francisco Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge, 9/15/12
Redwood Shores Bay Trail (6/30/13)
Facebook: Alviso Day on the Bay, 10/13/13
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, 1/12/14, Santa Clara
King Tide and Low Tide at the Hayward Regional Shoreline, 1/25/14 and 1/29/14
High Tide at the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve and Byxbee Park, 1/30/14
Facebook: King Tides at Alameda Creek and Coyote Hills, 1/31/14
Facebook: King Tide at Don Edwards SFBNWR, Fremont, 1/31/14
Facebook: America's Cup Quest: Redwood City to Redwood Shores, 7/6/14
Facebook: Levi's Stadium, San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, 8/2/14
San Tomas Aquino/Saratoga Creek Trail, Santa Clara (8/5/09-8/3/14, 7/8/18, 1/10/20)
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail to San Francisco Bay, 10/5/14
Facebook Albums 10/12/14: Day on the Bay, Alviso, Alviso Slough Trail to San Francisco Bay
Alviso Mallard Slough Trail Mobile Phone Tour, 10/26/14
Facebook: Alviso Marina Inaugural Boat Tour, 5/29/15
Facebook: Coyote Hills Regional Park bike tour, 6/25/15:

Facebook: Alviso Town Tour, 7/13/15
Facebook: Around the Alviso Environmental Education Center, 7/13/15
Facebook: Bay Trail Menlo Park: Bayfront Park to Facebook, 7/29/15
Facebook: Bay Trail: Ravenswood Open Space Preserve, Menlo Park 7/29/15
Facebook: Port of Redwood City, 7/29/15
Facebook: Bay Trail: San Mateo to SFO, 8/15/15
Facebook: San Mateo Bay Trail: Afternoon and Sunset, Coyote Point and South, 8/15/15
Facebook: On the Bay Trail in Mountain View and Palo Alto, 8/23/15
Facebook: Bay Trail Tour, Alviso to Mountain View 8/27/15:

Facebook: Alameda Creek Trail Bike Ride 8/31/15:

Facebook: Foster City Bay Trail/Pedway Bike Ride, 9/11/15
Facebook: Alviso Day on the Bay, 10/11/15
Facebook: Cooley Landing King Tides Walk by Acterra, 1/23/16
Facebook: The Trail to the Super Bowl (the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail), 1/31/16
Facebook: Alviso EEC Wetlands Walk, 2/6/16
Facebook: Bair Island 2/6/16
Facebook: Levi's Stadium and Vicinity After the Super Bowl, 2/8/16
Facebook: Sunnyvale Baylands Park, 2/8/16
Facebook: New Trails at Eden Landing in Hayward, 5/12/16
Facebook: Sunnyvale-Moffett Bay Trail Reopening Ceremony 5/20/16
Facebook: Re-opening of the Sunnyvale Bay Trails, 5/20/16
Facebook: Nature Photography Class at Ulistac, 8/20/16
Facebook: Day on the Bay, Alviso Marina 10/9/16
Facebook: Alviso Wetlands Tour (Day on the Bay) 10/9/16
Facebook: Birds at the Sunnyvale Baylands, 10/9/16
Facebook: King tide and high water at Alviso, 1/11/17
Facebook: High Water on the Guadalupe River, 1/11/17
Facebook: Save the Bay Photo Contest Submissions, 4/17/17
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail Bypass, 6/16/17
Facebook: Eden Landing 9/24/17
Facebook: Alviso Day on the Bay, 10/8/17
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, Santa Clara, 7/8/18
Facebook: Alviso Boat Tour, 8/10/18
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, Santa Clara, 8/12/18
Facebook: Alviso Slough Loop Tour, 8/12/18
Facebook: Alviso Red Fox Sighting, 8/12/18
Facebook: Alviso Day on the Bay, 10/7/18
Facebook: King Tide Walk at the Palo Alto Baylands, 12/23/18
Facebook: Santa Clara County Wildlife Sightings 2018
Facebook: Alviso King Tide and Camera Test, 1/20/19
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail Flowers and Trees, 4/28/19
Facebook: Alviso Boat Tour, 8/16/19
Facebook: Volunteer Fair at the Palo Alto Baylands, 8/17/19
Facebook: Palo Alto Baylands: King Tides, Waves, Flooding, & Rails, 2/9/20
Facebook: Wildlife Pictures, May-June 2020
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail to New Ravenswood Trail, 8/8/20
Facebook: Permanente Creek Trail, Mountain View, 8/27/20
Facebook: Bay Day 26-Mile Bike Ride on the Bay Trail, 2/13/20
Facebook: 16.5-Mile Bay Trail Biking, Palo Alto to Menlo Park 10/18/20
Facebook: King Tides in Redwood City, 12/14/20
Facebook: Sea Level Rise Simulations on Southwest SF Bay (12/17/20)
Facebook: San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail Bike Ride, 1/16/21
Facebook: Dumbarton Quarry Transformation, Coyote Hills Regional Park
Facebook: Shoreline Lake Watercraft, 7/24/21
Facebook: Birds of the Baylands, Mountain View/Palo Alto, 7/24/21
Facebook: Sunnyvale Baylands Tour, 8/29/21
Facebook: Alviso Marina County Park Sights and Signs, 8/29/21
Facebook: Day on the Bay, Alviso Marina County Park, 10/16/21
Facebook: Milpitas Coyote Creek Trail, 2015 vs. 2021
Facebook: Bay Trail Bike Ride in Fremont, 7/17/22
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail to Palo Alto Baylands Bridge, 7/10/22
Facebook: Alviso Slough Bay Trail Bike Ride, w/Closures, 7/16/22
Facebook: Bay Trail Bike Ride: Palo Alto Baylands to Shoreline Park, 8/6/22
Facebook: High Water: Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View, 1/12/2
Facebook: Bay Trail: Mountain View to Palo Alto, Creeks and Birds, 1/12/23
Facebook: King Tides at Alviso, 1/22/23
Facebook: SVBC King Tide Bike Ride, Sunnyvale Baylands to Alviso, 1/22/23
Facebook: Beat the Heat Bike Ride, Santa Clara to Sunnyvale, 7/2/23
Facebook: Alviso Marina County Park Murals, 7/2/23
Saved live Facebook posts from Shoreline at Mountain View Park's 40th Anniversary Celebration, 10/16/23: This is why I came to Mountain View: Shoreline Park's 40th anniversary celebration, History at the Rengstorff House in Shoreline Park, Nature and trails at Shoreline Park
Facebook: Alviso Crowds, Construction, and Clouds, 10/21/23
Facebook: Don Edwards SF Bay NWR Alviso BioBlitz, 11/19/23
Facebook: Stevens Creek King Tide Bike Ride to the Bay, 1/12/24
Facebook: King Tide Walk at Hayward Regional Shoreline , 2/10/24
Facebook: Hayward Regional Shoreline Bike Ride, 2/10/24

Southern California

Santa Barbara Harbor, 9/23/12

I was born and raised in Southern California. My family's there, so I mostly go to visit family, rather than being a tourist. Here are some pictures I've taken down there:

Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District Preserves

View of Mt. Umunhum from the Woods Trail, Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

East Bay Parks

View from the Red Hill Trail, Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont

Other South Bay and Peninsula Park and Trail Pages

Tunnel in Quarry Park, Saratoga

Edgewood County Park - Spring 2001 pictures of the trails and wildflowers at Edgewood County Park in Redwood City, one of the best places in the Bay Area for wildflower viewing.
Portola State Park and Vicinity - Pictures and information about beautiful redwood-shaded Portola State Park and nearby parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains.,
Bay Area Parks - (Migrated from geocities.com/bayareparks.) Another former Geocities Website of mine hosting the following Web pages:

Arastradero Preserve - Pages on the 600-acre preserve in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains above Palo Alto.
Coyote Creek Trail South - Webpage with detailed descriptions of the south part of the Coyote Creek Trail from Hellyer County Park to Anderson Lake County Park
Coyote Creek Trail North - The partially-completed Coyote Creek Trail from Yerba Buena Road to San Francisco Bay, and plans for future developments.
Coyote Creek Trail Mileage Notes - Detailed mileage notes and pictures on the completed south parts of the Coyote Creek Trail.

Facebook: IBM Almaden Research Center Views, 3/7/02, 4/17/02
Facebook: Big Basin State Park Memories, May 5, 2002
Facebook: Foster City to San Mateo on the Bay Trail, 6/24/06
Stanford Neighborhood and Trails (2007)
Facebook: Tulare Hill Hike, 5/10/14
Facebook: Levi's Stadium, San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, 8/2/14
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail, Blackberry Farm, McClellan Ranch, Cupertino, 9/13-14/14
Facebook: Stojanovich Family Park, Campbell 5/14/15
Facebook: Foster City Bay Trail/Pedway Bike Ride, 9/11/15
Facebook: Fall Color Bike Ride on the Los Gatos Creek Trail 11/18/15
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, 1/12/14, Santa Clara
Facebook: The Trail to the Super Bowl (the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail), 1/31/16
Facebook: Blackberry Farms to McClellan Ranch, Cupertino 2/24/16 (Stevens Creek Trail)
Facebook: Saratoga Quarry Park, 2/29/16
Facebook: Big Canyon Park San Carlos, 3/18/16
Facebook: Westwind Barn, Bryne Preserve to Hidden Villa 7/12/16
Facebook: Saratoga Quarry Park's New Trail Grand Opening 10/19/17
Facebook: Magical Bridge Playground, Palo Alto, 12/24/17
Facebook: Ulistac Wildflower Day, 4/7/18
Facebook: Rancho Del Oso Nature Center, Big Basin State Park, 5/16/18
Facebook: Skyline-to-the-Sea Short Trail Loop, Big Basin State Park 5/16/18
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, Santa Clara, 7/8/18
Facebook: Hike for Health at Ulistac Natural Area, 7/15/19
Facebook: Levi's Stadium Before the Playoffs (from the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail), 1/10/20
Facebook: Souza Park (by the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail), Santa Clara, 1/10/20
Facebook: Saratoga Quarry Park, New Trail Construction, 1/18/20
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, 8/15/20
Facebook: Permanente Creek Trail, Mountain View, 8/27/20
Facebook: Saratoga Quarry Park's Saratoga to the Skyline Trail, 11/4/20
Facebook: San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail Bike Ride, 1/16/21
Facebook: Google's Heron & Egret Rookery, Mountain View, 6/26/21
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail: Blackberry Farm to Linda Vista Park, 7/6/21
Facebook: Exploring the New Hecker Pass Trail in Gilroy, Part 1, 7/31/21
Facebook: Exploring the New Hecker Pass Trail in Gilroy, Part 2, 9/18/21
Facebook: Exploring DeBell Uvas Creek Park & Trail, Gilroy, Part1, 7/31/21
Facebook: Exploring Uvas Creek & Christmas Hill, Gilroy, Part 2, 9/18/21
Facebook: Coyote Creek Trail: Milpitas, Hwy 237 to McCarthy Blvd., 9/26/21
Facebook: CNPS Hike: Stevens Creek Trail, Cupertino, 10/3/21
Facebook: BioBlitz, Coyote Creek Trail, Milpitas, 10/17/21
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area, Santa Clara, 5/1/22
Facebook: Bay Trail Bike Ride: Palo Alto Baylands to Shoreline Park, 8/6/22
Facebook: Coyote Creek BioBlitz, Milpitas 10/16/22
Facebook: Stevens Creek Trail: Varian Park to Linda Vista Park, 10/9/22
Facebook: Stevens Creek, High Water & Trail Closures in Cupertino, 3/24/23
Facebook: Regnart Creek Trail, Cupertino, 3/24/23
Facebook: Morgan Hill's West Little Llagas Creek Trail, 9/16/23
Saved live Facebook posts from Shoreline at Mountain View Park's 40th Anniversary Celebration, 10/16/23: This is why I came to Mountain View: Shoreline Park's 40th anniversary celebration, History at the Rengstorff House in Shoreline Park, Nature and trails at Shoreline Park
Facebook: Coyote Creek BioBlitz in Milpitas, 10/22/23
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area Tour, 10/21/23
Facebook: Ulistac Natural Area Tour Videos, 10/21/23

Other Park and Trail Pages

China Cove, Pt. Lobos State Reserve

Spring Lake Regional Park, Santa Rosa - (May 2001) Guide to Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa and parks and attractions in Santa Rosa and Sonoma and Napa Counties.
Facebook: Point Lobos Tour: North Side, 5/7/18
Facebook: Point Lobos Tour: South Shore Trail Area, 5/7/18
Facebook: Point Lobos South: Pocket Beaches, China Cove, Bird Island 5/7/18
Facebook: Elkhorn Slough, Kirby Park, 6/10/22
Facebook: Moss Landing Harbor and Beach, 6/10/22

BioBlitzes

Coyote Ridge BioBlitz, 3/4/18

What's a BioBlitz? "A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms that live in a place." Participants use the iNaturalist app or website to record and upload observations. Here are local BioBlitz results on iNaturalist: South Bay BioBlitzes. See here for BioBlitz events. BioBlitzes have occurred in many parks and open space preserves. They are listed above by their location. This section collects them into one place:

Outdoor Photography

Ron teaching photo class, Santa Teresa Park, 11/14/15

Ron teaching a photo class at the Bernal Ranch, Santa Teresa Park, 11/14/15, picture by Mike Boulland

I've been been teaching classes on outdoor photography at Santa Teresa Park and other venues for several years. These are web pages associated with the classes or on outdoor photography:

Outdoor Photography and Internet Publishing - Text from presentation foils for a class I gave on this subject.

Bay Area Outdoor Photography Gallery - Examples of some of my outdoor photographs, taken around the Bay Area.

Outdoor Photography Class Powerpoint presentation (4/2007, 21 MB).

High Dynamic Range Photography:

HDR Experiments Part 1, Part 2, demonstration of High Dynamic Range photography.

Part 3: sunset HDR pictures at Hellyer County Park

Part 4: Uvas Canyon County Park

Santa Teresa Park Sunset Pictures, 2/7/10

Joseph D. Grant County Park, 1/31/10

Almaden Quicksilver Park HDR Pictures 2/27/10

Santa Teresa Park Sunset Pictures, Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch, Joice Trail, and Norred Trail, 5/21/10, 5/27/10

Alviso Marina County Park 11/27/10

Sunset Pictures, Stile Ranch Trail, Santa Teresa Park, 1/29/11

Sun, Clouds, and Rainbows, Santa Teresa Park, 1/30/11

HDR Experiments, Black and White Conversion, Santa Teresa County Park

Outdoor photography hike and wildflower walk, Santa Teresa Park, 4/4/09

Outdoor photography class, Santa Teresa Park, 10/2/10

Outdoor Photography Class and Hike, Mummy Mountain Trail, Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear County Park, 4/23/11

Park Photography Show by Ron Horii at the Santa Teresa Library, Sept. 2011

Outdoor Photography Class and Hike, Mummy Mountain Trail, Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear County Park, 4/7/12

Outdoor Photography Class/Hike, Mummy Mountain Trail, Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear Ranch 5/4/13

Outdoor Photography Class and Hike, Mummy Mountain Trail, Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear County Park, 5/3/14

Facebook: Coyote Lake Photo Class/Hike 5/9/15

Facebook: "Artsy Fartsy" Challenge Pictures

Facebook: Ron Horii's Outdoor Photography Class 11/14/15, Santa Teresa Park

Facebook: Nature Photography Hike, Coyote Valley OSP 6/11/16

Facebook: Nature Photography Class at Ulistac, 8/20/16

Facebook: Video Screen Grab Test, Martial Cottle Park, 10/24/16

My old Minolta SLR.

Colleges

UCSB

UCSB Summer - Pictures of my alma mater, UCSB, and of the beaches, parks, trails, and sights in the Santa Barbara area near the campus, taken in summer 2000.
California College Tours - information, rankings, pictures, advice, and links on Calfornia 4-year colleges and planning college tours.
Pictures of Stanford University.
Facebook: UCSB 12-23-09

Museums, Gardens, and Exhibitions

Gilroy Gardens Luminations

Lumination, Gilroy Gardens, 10/2/16

Facebook Pictures and Photo Albums

Note that most of these Facebook albums are also listed above. This is a list of all the Facebook albums that I have made. They are not always in chronological order by when the subjects occurred, but starting in 2020, they may be in the order that I made the albums. In the sections above, they are in chronological order. Jump to a year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. Some are saved posts instead of albums. Facebook membership is not currently required to view these, but is needed to comment on them.

2000-2010

2011

New Almaden and Randol Trails (Almaden Quicksilver County Park), 12/28/11

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020 (Albums below listed in order of creation)

2021

2022

2023

2024

* Note that Facebook made changes starting in March of 2019 such that in order to view Facebook albums, you needed to sign into Facebook, meaning you needed to be a Facebook member. This may have changed recently, so you might be able to see these without signing onto Facebook, but you still won't be able to comment on them.

I have contributed pictures and notes to the Facebook pages of these organizations:

My Work Used By Others

Bay Trail in Shoreline Park in Mountain View, used in Bay Nature Magazine, April-June 2009

I often get requests to use pictures or information from my websites. Here are some examples. If you'd like to use something from my websites, send me a note. Some of the documents mentioned below are no longer available online. I've removed the links, but kept the reference. Where possible, I've downloaded the documents to one of my websites and linked to them.

Many internal Santa Clara County Parks publications.
Pictures for Bay Area Action's (now Acterra) poster on Matadero Creek and pamphlet on invasive weed management, 2001
Pictures for the San Mateo County Convention & Visitors Bureau website, 10/01
Bay Trail Gap Analysis Plan, cover picture, 9/05
Picture of Coyote Hills used for display in ABAG's auditiorium, 3/06
Pictures for NOAA Coastal Ocean Program manual for Science-based Restoration Monitoring of coastal habitats, 7/04
Photo for the book Environment, The Science Behind the Stories by Scott Brennan, 12/03
Mechanical Science and Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign, picture for poster, 7/07
Bay Nature Magazine

Santa Teresa County Park, Apr-June 2007 (picture)

Article on Mt. Madonna, Jul-Sept. 2007 (2 pictures)
Jan-March 2009, picture of the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, pictures at Coyote Ridge (1 in print version only)
April-June 2009, picture of the Bay Trail in Mountain View's Shoreline Park: "A Bayshore Getaway in Silicon Valley."

Bay Area Parent (interview for article on accessible hiking, 5/08)
Almaden Times Weekly

Snake in the Grass, 8/2/07 (picture and interview)
New Almaden Day 9/14/07 (cover picture, last picture)
Pioneer Day 10/18/07 (pictures)
Article on San Jose Parks plans, 10/25/07 (pictures)
Martial Cottle Ranch planning 11/1/07 (picture)
Santa Clara County Parks offer Healthy Trails 11/23/07
Living History (Almaden Quicksilver Pioneer Day) 10/16/09, page 6
Santa Teresa Library 1st Anniversary

Education and the Environment Initiative public school curriculum, picture for 5th grade science unit on "Earth's Water", 3/08
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), picture used for FOCUS program letterhead, 12/07
Pictures of the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens for a book on Hargreaves Associates by a professor at the Univ. of Penn.: Unearthed, The Landscapes of Harveaves Associates by Karen M'Closkey, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013, page 124..
San Jose Mercury News article on Almaden Quicksilver Park (interview, 3/30/08)
Bay Area Ridge Trail (pictures on website)
Santa Clara County Parks Activities Guide (pictures, 2008-9)
City of Palo Alto Baylands Master Plan (pictures, 2008)
The Media Center: for intro pictures to a monthly community access TV program on Palo Alto's Community Environmental Action Partnership (CEAP), 12/08
My picture of Rancho San Vicente was featured in the Peninsula Open Space Trust's 2009 Annual Report (print only).
Many of my pictures were used on the Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2010 Play Here brochure, pages 1 top and bottom, 3 top, 4 bottom, 6 top, 7, 8, 9 (with me in it), 11, 12.
Many of my pictures were used on the Santa Clara County Parks Fall-Winter 2010 Play Here brochure, pages 1 left and bottom, 2 top, 4 bottom, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 upper left, 11 upper left and center.
Many of my pictures were used in the Santa Clara County Parks Healthy Trails 2nd Edition booklet, pages 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 39, 41, 43, 46, 48.
Pictures of the group picnic sites in Hellyer County Park for the site reservation system.
Cover picture, Almaden Times Weekly article on the Jump-In Parade, Sept. 12-23 issue 2010
Almaden Times Weekly, article on the Santa Teresa Library Birthday Bash, Feb. 11-24, 2011 (top picture)
Many of my pictures were used in the County of Santa Clara Parkland Acquisition Plan 2011 Update.
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2011 Play Here brochure has my
King Tides in Redwood City, 12/14/20
Sea Level Rise Simulations on Southwest SF Bay (12/17/20)
picture of Coyote Peak on the front cover, Uvas Canyon on the back cover, page 2 top left, 5, 6 top left, 7 top right, 8 both, 11, 13 top left, 14 top right, 20 top right, 21 top left, 23 top left, 28 both (I'm in the picture on the left).
My pictures of Calero and Rancho San Vicente were used in the Calero County Park Trails Master Plan open houses.
District 2 Newsletter for March 2011, picture of a rainbow from Santa Teresa Park, page 3
Picture of Penitencia Creek Park in Metro Silicon Valley, May 11-17, page 70.
District 2 newsletter for June 2011 has a picture on page 3 from the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa Park, showing the Albertson Parkway.
The new County Parks Park Here Brochure released July 2011, has maps, pictures, and descriptions of all the County Parks. The cover picture is of the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa Park, taken by me on 5/27/10. I also took the pictures of Alviso Marina, Chesbro Reservoir, Chitactac-Adams Park, Uvas Reservoir, Rancho San Antonio Park, Sanborn Park, and Stevens Creek Park.
The new County Parks Fall 2011-Spring 2012 Play Here brochure has my pictures on the front and back covers, top 3 on page 2, right 3 on page 5, top and bottom left on page 6, bottom left and top right on page 7, top center on page 8, upper left on page 12, all 3 on page 13.
Picture of Los Gatos Creek in Vasona County Park on the cover of the Valley Yellow Pages directory for Campbell, Los Gatos, and Saratoga, September 2011, posted on Facebook.
District 2 Newsletter for November 2011, picture of Hellyer Park, page 3
The Jan.-March 2012 Bay Nature magazine issue has a short article that I wrote on the Sunnyvale Baylands, with a picture of the Bay Trail.
District 2 Newsletter for March 2012, picture of plum blossoms at the Santa Teresa Light Rail Station, page 3
District 2 Newsletter for April 2012, picture at the Friends of Santa Teresa Park Anniversary Celebration, page 3
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2012 Play Here brochure has my pictures on page 3 lower left, 5, 8 upper right, 9 upper left, 10 upper right, 12 upper right, 16 upper right, 18 upper right, 21, 22, 23 top, 25 upper right, 26 upper left. (Note that the page numbers are from the printed version. The online version has page numbering errors.)
Many of my pictures were used in the Santa Clara County Parks Healthy Trails 3rd Edition booklet, pages 22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 36 (of me, not by me), 39, 41, 42, 50, 52.
Pictures in the Calero County Park Trails Master Plan Alternatives Report.
San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide, Second Edition, A State Coastal Conservancy book, with assistance from the Bay Trail Project: Cover (top, Shoreline at Mountain View), pages 33 (Brisbane Pier), 37 (South San Francisco Bay Trail), 56 (Dumbarton Bridge Pathway), 59 (Palo Alto Baylands Nature Center and Boardwalk), 60 (Byxbee Park sculptures), 61 (Palo Alto Baylands boat ramp), 64 (Shoreline's sailing lake), 65 (Stevens Creek Trail over Caltrain tracks), 67 (Moffett Field Bay Trail), 69 (right 2, Alviso Marina County Park), 70 (top, bird-watching at Mallard Slough), 71 (top left, Coyote Creek Trail, bottom right, Drawbridge), 82 (top left, Eden Landing).
Trail Rider Magazine, November/December 2012 issue, page 37, Alameda Creek Regional Trail.
County of Santa Clara Parkland Acquisition Plan 2012 Update, December 2012 (many pictures).
The Santa Clara County Parks Fall-Winter 2012-2013 Play Here brochure has my pictures on the cover, pages 1, 6, 7 left, 12, 14 left, 16 right center, 17 bottom left, 20 left, 21, 22 right, 23 right. I'm in 24 top and 27 top left.
Transit & Trails website, County Parks Healthy Trails pictures: Joice/Norred Trails (Santa Teresa County Park), Los Gatos Creek Trail, Coyote Ridge/Savannah Trails (Coyote Lake County Park), Willow Springs Trail, Martin Murphy Trail, Mt. Madonna County Park, Coyote Creek Trail, Calero County Park, Deep Gulch/Mine Hill Trails, Hacienda Trail (Almaden Quicksilver County Park), Spring Valley Trail (Ed Levin County Park).
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2013 Play Here brochure has my pictures on pages 5 top right, 6 top left, 7, 10 top right, 12 top left, 14 top left, 15 top right, 16, 17 top right, 18 top right, 19 top right, 21 top left, 22 top left, 24 top right, 25 top left, 26 top left, 28, 29.
Many pictures in the Calero Trails Alternatives Report and the Calero Trails Draft Master Plan.
New Bay Trail maps: Moffett Bay Trail on the big map, Alviso Marina County Park on card 7.
I worked on updating the website for the Friends of Los Alamitos Watershed (FOLAW) and included some of my pictures.
The Active Times: Best City Bike Paths, #16: The Los Gatos Creek Trail.
The Santa Clara County Parks Fall-Winter 2013-2014 Play Here brochure has many of my pictures.
The October 2013 issue of M Magazine has my picture of Harvey Bear Ranch on p. 191.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District's 2014 Stewardship Report Calendar has my picture of the Hacienda signs at Almaden Quicksilver for February.
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2014 Play Here guide has many of my pictures, including the cover.
Bay Area Parent, Silicon Valley Edition, August 2014, page 78.
My Out & About Magazine, June/July 2014, pages 9 and 54.
The latest (2014) County Parks Park Here! Guide has my pictures on pages 6-8 top and bottom, 9 top, 10-11 top and bottom, 13 top, 14 bottom, 15 top, 16 bottom, 17 bottom, 18 top and bottom, 19 top, 20 bottom, 21 top and bottom, 23.
The August 2014 issue of My Out and About Magazine has my picture of a yurt at Mt. Madonna County Park on page 7.
Bay Area Parent, Silicon Valley Edition, July 2014, pages 6 and 66.
My Out & About Magazine, September 2014, my picture of Almaden Lake on p. 15. My son's picture of my photo class at Coyote Lake is on p. 14. His picture of Fandango is on page 62.
Bay Nature Magazine, October-November 2014, page 38, picture of the Aquila Trail at Sierra Vista.
Peninsula Open Space Trust's Fall 2014 Landscapes magazine, page 9.
The Coyote Peak Sign has my pictures and my son's taken from Coyote Peak in Santa Teresa County Park
The Santa Clara County Parks Fall-Winter 2014 Play Here guidebook has many of my pictures inside.
The October-November 2014 issue of South Bay Accent Magazine on p. 58 has my picture of Shoup Park in Los Altos.
The November-December 2014 issue of My Out & About Magazine has an article that I wrote (pages 16-17) on taking photos to use for gifts and some good places to take pictures.
My picture of the John Nicholas Trail in Sanborn County Park is on the front page of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council's Spring/Summer 2015 Ridgelines newsletter.
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2015 Play Here guidebook has my picture of the Stile Ranch Trail on the cover and many pictures I've taken inside. On page 20 is a selfie I took at Bull Run in Almaden Quicksilver.
My pictures of Coyote Creek are on the walls of the Anderson Lake Visitor Center.
A slideshow with my pictures of the County Parks is showing at the Hellyer Visitor Center.
7 of my pictures have been made into billboards for the County Parks' "Nature Is Nearby" campaign.
My picture is on the cover the Santa Clara County Parks Annual Report 2014. Many of my pictures are inside. There is a picture of me teaching my photography class on page 8.
My picture of Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve is on the Cover of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council's 2014 Annual Report.
My pictures and quotes used in this San Jose Mercury News Article: San Francisco Bay Trail: Coyote Hills adventures, 8/24/15
The Santa Clara County Parks Fall-Winter 2015-2016 Play Here guidebook has many of my pictures. On page 18 is a picture of me teaching my outdoor photography at Santa Teresa Park.
My pictures were used in an article in Edible Silicon Valley Magazine on Martial Cottle Park: Farm Forward: Planting the Seeds For The Future of Family Farms, January 20, 2016
The County Park's 2015 Parklands Report uses many of my pictures.
Some of my pictures of the Santa Clara County Parks were used in an episode of the "Open Road" TV show on NBC Bay Area. See the video on the Parks for Life Challenge, starting at 5:41 to 6:05. There is also a brief shot of me teaching my outdoor photography class at Santa Teresa Park at 2:08.
The Santa Clara County Parks Spring-Summer 2016 Play Here guidebook has many of my pictures. There's a selfie of me on page 11.
There was a TV commercial on the County Parks, airing on NBC Bay Area, narrated by Doug McConnell. It used pictures from the "Nature Is Nearby" billboard campaign.
The "Yes on A" campaign to promote Measure A, the Parks Charter Fund renewal, has been using my pictures on their website, their Facebook page, and in ads and flyers. The measure passed by about 76%, so my pictures were successful.
I was on an episode of "Open Road With Doug McConnell" on NBC Bay Area. They show my pictures of Rancho San Vicente (with Tom Cochrane), Alviso Marina (with Chris Carson), the John Nicholas Trail in Sanborn, and several pictures of Santa Teresa, Almaden Quicksilver, Coyote Ridge OSP, and Coyote Lake. They also showed pictures of me teaching my photo classes at Santa Teresa and Coyote Lake, some of which were taken by my son Chris or by Mike Boulland. Here are the pictures they used. Doug McConnell interviewed me at Tilden Park because he was interviewing other people from Marin County and East Bay. They had me walk around the nature area of Tilden taking pictures.
My picture of Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve was used as the cover picture in the Open Space Authority of Santa Clara Valley's 2016 report called, "Understanding Our Community: A Community Assessment Project."
My picture of the Coyote Valley Open Preserve was used on the cover of the July 29-Aug 11, 2016 issue of the Almaden Times in an article on the Coyote Valley. They also used my picture of wildflowers on Coyote Ridge.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Fall-Winter 2016 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures, page 2 for example.
Poet Samanthi Fernando used my picture of the Hayward Shoreline for the cover of her book of poetry: Enchanted Bay Area: Nature Inspired Poetry.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Spring-Summer 2017 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures. For example, all the pictures on page 33 are mine.
The Santa Clara County Parks' "Wish you were here?" Ad Campaign used my pictures for billboards and panels on buses.
My picture of the Alviso Marina was chosen for Save the Bay's 2018 calendar.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Fall-Winter 2017 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures. My picture of Rancho San Vicente is on the front cover.
Many internal and external Open Space Authority of Santa Clara Valley publications. Their Spring 2017 newsletter has an article about me and uses serveral of my pictures.
The Santa Clara County 2018 Strategic Plan document uses many of my pictures. There's a list of them in the Acknowledgments section, p. 141.
My picture from the Bernal Hill Trail in Santa Teresa Park was used on the Gold Star Families Memorial monument at Oak Hill Memorial Park. Here are pictures of the dedication ceremony and the monument.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Spring-Summer 2018 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures. Here is a list of my pictures. There's a picture of me teaching my photo class on page 21.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Fall-Winter 2018-2019 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures. There's a picture of me (in green) leading my photo class on a hike in Coyote Lake on page 12.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Spring-Summer 2019 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures.
The Santa Clara County Parks' Fall-Winter 2019 Play Here guidebook uses many of my pictures.
Numerous requests from students and educators to use my pictures in their school projects.

Awards

Recipients of Presidential Volunteer Service Award

Me (3rd from left) with fellow recipients of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award on 11/18/14 at the County of Santa Clara Civic Center

I've received a number of awards over the years. Here's a sample of them:

Santa Clara County Parks Volunteer Coordinating Council Award 2002.
Volunteer Program Choice Award, SCC Parks & Recreation 2008.
Volunteer Award, County of Santa Clara, California Park & Recreation Society, 2008.
My picture of the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch won second place (see the last picture on this page), and my picture of Rancho San Vicente won third place (see this picture on this page) in the Historical Landscapes category of the city of San Jose's Historic Landmarks photo contest in 2010.
Certificate of Commendation for 5,500 cumulative volunteer hours for the Santa Clara County Parks, 4/26/11 from Dave Cortese, Santa Clara County Supervisors.
Docent of the Year Award, 4/24/12, Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation.
I submitted 2 pictures to the 2014 San Jose Historical Photo Competition. They are numbers 11 and 15 on this page. My son Chris submitted picture #13. My picture of the Cottle House at Martial Cottle Park won best of show. Here is the picture and description. I also submitted a picture of Santa Teresa Spring. Here is the description.
Recognition for 8,000 cumulative volunteer hours, Santa Clara County Parks, 8/9/14.
My picture of Vasona Lake County Park was one of three winners of Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman's Summer 2014 Photo Contest.
I was awarded the White House Lifetime Presidential Volunteer Service Award, presented by Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on 11/18/14 in recognition of my 8,000 lifetime volunteer hours of service for the County Parks. I received an award pin, a certificate, and a letter of congratulations from President Obama.
My picture of the Casa Grande won first place in the non-professional category in the VisualSJ historic photo contest, with the award given at Southern Lumber on 6/16/15. The award-winning pictures were published in issue 7.2 of Content Magazine, the Summer 2015 issue of PACSJ's Continuity magazine, and the June 19, 2015 issue of Almaden Resident newspaper.
I was recognized for 8,500 cumulative volunteer hours at the Santa Clara County Parks Volunteers Recognition Barbecue at Santa Teresa Park on 10/17/15.
My picture of Russian Ridge was a winner in the Committee for Green Foothills' 2015 photo contest.
My picture of Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve was one of three winners of Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman's Summer 2016 Photo Contest.
I gave a slideshow and talk on nature photography to the West San Jose Kiwanis Club on August 17, 2016. They awarded me a certificate of appreciation with a clock.
In 2016, I received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Santa Clara County Parks for 10,000 cumulative hours of service. I also received a pin for those hours.
My picture of the Alviso Marina was chosen for Save the Bay's 2018 calendar.
At the Santa Clara County Parks' 22nd Annual Volunteer Recognition Barbecue luncheon on 8/12/17, I was recognized for 10,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service hours.
At the Santa Clara County Parks' 23rd Annual Volunteer Recognition Barbecue luncheon on 4/28/18, I was recognized for 11,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service hours.
At the Santa Clara County Parks' 24th Annual Volunteer Recognition Barbecue luncheon on 4/6/18, I was recognized for 12,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service hours.
At the Santa Clara County Parks' 27th Annual Volunteer Recognition Barbecue luncheon on 4/23/22, I was recognized for 14,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service hours.
At the Santa Clara County Parks' 28th Annual Volunteer Recognition Barbecue luncheon on 4/15/23, I was recognized for 14,500 hours of lifetime volunteer service hours.
I entered the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's "Picturing Coyote Valley Photo Contest" with 3 pictures. One of them took first place in the wildlife category. Another was a runner-up in the landscapes category. (See above in the News section.)

Note on Geocities migration: Geocities was a web hosting service that was founded in 1994. They offered free web hosting for small web pages. Many of my web pages, including the predecessor of this one, were on Geocities. The webpages included geocities.com/rhorii, which was my main page, geocities,com/santateresapark, bayareaparks, almadenqs, santateresahills, stpfriends, and some others. Geocities was acquired by Yahoo! in 1999, but they shut it down in October 2009. I migrated most of my Geocities.com webpages to this website or other websites that I control. While the links below work, the links on the pages that they are linked to most likely don't work. Here are my old Geocities websites and their new locations, including some archive sites for the pages that haven't been migrated:

Ron Horii's San Francisco Bay Area Travel and Recreation Homepage: www.geocities.com/rhorii moved to www.rhorii.com (here), but a copy of the original version preserved here: http://www.geocities.ws/rhorii/, http://www.oocities.org/rhorii/, http://www.reocities.com/rhorii/, http://web.archive.org/web/20091027005819/http://geocities.com/rhorii/
Bay Area Parks: www.geocities.com/bayareaparks moved to www.rhorii.com/bayareaparks, archived on http://www.oocities.org/bayareaparks/
The Santa Teresa Hills and the Coyote Alamitos-Canal: www.geocities.com/santateresahills moved to www.rhorii.com/SantaTeresaHills, archived on http://www.oocities.org/santateresahills/
Santa Teresa County Park: www.geocities.com/santateresapark moved to www.stpfriends.org/Santateresapark, archived on http://www.oocities.org/santateresapark/
Friends of Santa Teresa Park: www.geocities.com/stpfriends moved to www.stpfriends.org
Almaden Quicksilver County Park: www.geocities.com/almadenqs moved to www.newalmaden.org/AQSPark, archived on http://www.oocities.org/almadenqs/
Gardena High School Class of '71 Reunion: www.geocities.com/gardenahs71 not migrated, but preserved on http://www.oocities.org/gardenahs71/ and http://www.geocities.ws/gardenahs71/, http://web.archive.org/web/20091026213516/http://geocities.com/gardenahs71/
Lincoln High School PTSA: www.geocities.com/lhsptsa not migrated and probably won't be, but preserved on http://web.archive.org/web/20091027024907/http://geocities.com/lhsptsa/, http://www.geocities.ws/lhsptsa/, http://web.archive.org/web/20091027024907/http://geocities.com/lhsptsa/
Lincoln High Grad Night: www.geocities.com/lhsgradnite not migrated and probably won't be, but preserved on http://www.geocities.ws/lhsgradnite/, http://web.archive.org/web/20091027133238/http://geocities.com/lhsgradnite/

Bay Area Back Pages

For many years, I had a website on Prodigy called "Bay Area Back Pages." This is what it said:

Bay Area Backpages - Visit my first webpages on Prodigy, started in 1997, once featured on TV, on travel and outdoor activities in the Bay Area. It has pages on parks, hiking, camping, biking, beaches, swimming, museums, playgrounds, views, and information about places in the Bay Area and other parts of California. There's also a technical section on scanners. Prior to these webpages, I was a frequent contributor to Prodigy and other travel bulletin boards, and I found I was frequently answering the same questions over and over again. These pages gave me a means of having the information available permanently. Because of space limitations, I have not been able to expand these pages, so some have been supplanted with pages on this site.

On June 1, 2011, AT&T terminated the Prodigy Personal Web Pages without warning (to me, at least). All my Bay Area Back Pages at http://pages.prodigy.net/rhorii are now dead. I may revive some of them here, but it will take time. Many of those pages are very old and are in need of upgrading. In the meantime, you can still find the home page on this archive. See here for the history of Prodigy.

I attempted to re-create Bay Area Back Pages on this website, but not everything is working yet. Here are the major pages for my migrated Bay Area Back Pages. Note that many of these pages date from the 1990's, so they are not up-to-date. The links are most likely stale. Some things never change, so much of the fundamental information is still valid. Just don't expect the links to work.

Bay Area Back Pages Home Page
Ron Horii's Bay Area and Travel FAQS - (June 2001) Indexed archive of my replies to the Bay Area Backroads Message Board, with information on parks, travel, outdoor recreation, etc. and lots of links
The Californias
San Francisco Bay
Bay Area Biking

Bay Area Hiking

Places to Take Young Children
Places to Take School-Age Children
Family Camping
Best Places to Go Swimming in the San Francisco Bay Area
Favorite Beaches
Best Views
North Coast
Santa Barbara
What to Do With Teens
Essay on Open Space
How Green Is My Valley
Scenic Drives
Cheap Eats With Views
Southern California
Deserts
Sierras
Gold Country
Central Valley
Scanning

Disclaimer:
The information in these web pages was accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time the pages were written, but is not guaranteed to be accurate or current. Factors such accessibility, conditions, rules, ownership, directions, etc., can change without notice. Readers are responsible for finding out the latest conditions before venturing out. The information on these pages should not be treated as official, but as private opinions and observations. These pages are non-commercial and not officially associated with any company or agency.

Note on Dead Links:
Links go dead faster than I can fix them. The older the web page, the more likely the links will be dead. All of these web pages are volunteer efforts, done in my spare time. I don't have time to constantly go back to check and refresh links on old web pages. However, if you are looking for some specific information, send me an e-mail, and I can see what I can do to answer your questions.

Note on Link Exchanges:
Sorry. I don't have time, so please don't ask. I do not accept commercial link exchanges.

Updated 10/3/24 by Ron Horii. E-mail me!