April 8, 2006 Saturday Day 7

Clear all day 4.5 miles
Temperatures 65 to 75.

We begin the day slowly, writing and catching up with washing. We will be giving a presentation at the Alviso Public Library at 1pm, and will walk later. Alviso is like an island in the midst of fields and open space. In Muir's time it was an active shipping port, the most southern of the bay. The town still shows its history, with old Victorian-like houses with big yards, and a big rundown old cannery/factory that has been deserted since the 40s.

The talk at the library was lively and engaged. Everyone wanted to see the maps and know about the route. People were especially excited to see the 15 foot map of Alameda and Santa Clara counties with our route and Muir's highlighted in different colors. We are always amazed at the excitement generated when we are sharing about this trip. Everyone always says how pleased they are that someone is doing this.

We then drove to where we ended yesterday, the Milpitas station on the VTA light rail line (in the middle of the huge Cisco campus). We walked along the Coyote Creek trail for a few miles. The sky was wild with clouds and light, and the wind blew across long green grass by the path. In the creek, Donna saw what at first she thought was a diving duck, but it never surfaced. It was a huge salmon! We watched it lazily swim circles in the muddy water, making its way against the current. A little further, high in the huge cottonwoods, several great blue herons nested. They talked and squawked to each other and their young.

We ended walking through business park neighborhoods for a couple of miles, till we got to the airport, and then took the light rail back to the van.