East of San Francisco Bay, past the beauty of the Oakland hills, is the upscale and exclusive town of Alamo. And Alamo has just about everything one could want in the way of lifestyle. Being centrally-located in the Golden State, the Bay Area provides Alamo with all of the big attractions like the Pacific Ocean (about an hour), the intriguing cultural theaters of the big city, wine tasting in the gorgeous Napa Valley, the World Champion San Francisco Giants, as well as skiing and entertainment fun at Lake Tahoe.
Sometimes, many of the added-value small amenities that exist in the Bay Area present themselves after one has lived in a neighborhood for some period of time, in other words, you end up "discovering them". But, "if these perks can be known ahead of time, small attractions usually become significant in any home-buying decision as they may greatly improve quality of life", say two local Realtors over coffee. "The Iron Horse Trail is one of those not-so-small treasures one loves while living in the town of Alamo", he adds.
"Well, get up and drink some water and let's go!" I say to our white German Shepherd "Mika" (pronounced "Mee-ka"). Into the bathroom she pads to her dish, I hear "slurp, slurp, slurp", and she is back waiting eagerly by the door after taking a series of gigantic happy-bounces. Her big brown eyes and dolphin-like smile let me know that at least with her, "my stock is up today!" As the door opens, she is out of the house and into the bright sunshine, fresh air and trees, acting like a two year old puppy. Come on, she pleads; there are dogs to visit and people to see! Mika strongly believes that a walk is the absolute best thing that can happen in any given day. This is living, this is luxury!
And, everyone does love a great place to enjoy a leisurely walk, reacquaint with nature while pondering life's bigger challenges. They say there is no exercise like walking to line-up all the muscles and bones in your body while making peace with your mind. Dogs know this, too. Also, for those of you with young bones who love to jog, I know just the place in Alamo. So, go ahead, like me, you can take your puppy for a walk, exercise your horse, ride your mountain bike, roll along on inline skates, enjoy the sunshine, breathe some fresh air, and get that positive attitude going for the day on the Iron Horse Trail.
With her head moving from side to side, those big German Shepherd ears are up and ready for anything, Mika is happy to be going onto "her trail". "Don't pull my arm like that!" I command. Mika is hearing none of it, she is "on a walk" and nothing else matters. Like sports car enthusiasts who live for an on-ramp, shepherd dogs live for a walk.
According to Alamo Luxury Homes, a great benefit of living in the San Ramon Valley in the East San Francisco Bay Area is being able to enjoy use of the Iron Horse Trail. The trail, appropriately-named after early Indians dubbed a steam locomotive an "Iron Horse", stretches south from Concord through Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon all the way to Dublin and Pleasanton. It passes through Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. This great trail is relatively flat, paved, and well-maintained. The roughly 33-mile trail was built after the Iron Horses of the Southern Pacific Railroad became silent and abandoned the land in 1977. Serving as an important recreational and even commute choice for the communities it passes through, it poses the thought: "Why not take my bike to shopping, to the store, or even skate to work?" I, for one, cannot offer an excuse as to why not as the trail is open most all of the day from 0500 am until 10:00 pm.
Arriving at the turn-around point on our walk, Mika has slowed down a little and is now acting her 88 people-years of age. Somewhere along the way, she greets her friend Sarah, a black and brown Shepherd, as well as every other dog she sees while "getting her dog news". She also knows it is time for us to stop in and relax while getting some chow at one of the nearby restaurants. People have to "get the news" too. Remarkably, restaurants are friendly here to the dog population, and Mika, for one, really appreciates it.
A great benefit of this fabulous trail is that one may find food (I like Alamo Plaza and Danville for several breakfast and lunch haunts) in many places if the need strikes you, or if you just want to sit, share a cup of coffee, and chat with fortunate local residents. Restaurants in Alamo include MaggieRay's stellar barbeque for yummy ribs, pulled pork and tasty salads. Cherubini Coffee shop, Starbucks, and Peet's Coffee offer great sit around and chat places too. In nearby Danville, the best breakfast is to be had from historic Vally Medlyn's restaurant.
The Iron Horse connects almost seamlessly to four other great Trails: the Ygnacio Canal Trail, the Contra Costa Canal Trail, the Las Trampas to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail, and the Briones to Mt. Diablo Trail. Close by, in several of the communities the Iron Horse passes through, are entrances to the huge Las Trampas Regional Park as well as close-by access to the beautiful Mt. Diablo State Park. However, one should reserve the Las Trampas and Mt. Diablo trails for more serious hikes whereas the Iron Horse is for everybody.
The Iron Horse Trail transits many residential neighborhoods, along canals and a golf course, and is near Hap Magee Park in Danville. Hap Magee Park is now famous as a great dog park, and is especially popular with Mika's new friend "Nicki".
Ok, now brunch is over and it time to head home to her relaxing bed. Mika is happy overall in having the best walk she has ever had. Like me and to her, every walk along the Iron Horse is the best walk we have ever had.
What a wonderful home Alamo is to live in, and a great place to buy real estate. Perhaps the wonderful perk of the Iron Horse Trail will be yours to enjoy too.
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