Almaden Quicksilver Park Mine Hill Trail

Quicksilver Mining equipment on display at the Almaden Quicksilver Park Hacienda Trailhead in San Jose.

We are have having so much fun exploring the trails in Almaden Quicksilver Park! We decided to park at the Hacienda Trailhead in order to catch a trail from there. It was fun to see some historical mining equipment near the trailhead, and learn more about the quicksilver mining history in the area. Isn’t the equipment cool!

There are a few trailheads you can catch at the Hacienda entrance, and we decided to hike the Mine Hill Trail. It was a nice, uphill hike with views of Almaden Valley’s more rural areas. We could see historical homes, buildings, and rolling hills. It was really pretty. The trail was wide too, allowing for easy social distancing.

Mine Hill Trail in Almaden Quicksilver Park was slightly busy, but I believe it was due to the fact that hiking is one of the few things open right now.

This trail attracted more than just hikers. We encountered a lot of bike riders, and a few runners and dog walkers. The bikers rode pretty fast, and as a hiker, you had to be aware of them or you would get run over. Just a warning 🙂

Once again, I wore my balaclava as a mask. It’s easy to slip up and down when people are around. I would say 80% of the people on the trail were wearing masks. If you go, be ready to turn your head if someone comes by without a mask.

Shop my hiking gear:

This was a great trail for my kids to hike on. It wasn’t too steep, and they were able to keep up with only a couple of breaks. There was a mix of bright sun and shade during the hike. It was a comfortable hike, and it felt like medium intensity. We really enjoyed the Mine Hill Trail!

I hope you are getting out there and enjoying the nice weather! To find the Hacienda Trailhead in San Jose, take Almaden Expressway to Almaden Road. Continue all the way through the historical part of Almaden. Shortly after the museum, which you can’t miss, you will see the parking lot for the trailhead. There are several trails you can catch there. We will definitely go back!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Best sunscreens for summer 2020

best sunscreen for face

It’s that time of year again! Temperatures are rising, and we are all starting to head outside a lot; especially this year with so many indoor activities cancelled due to the current pandemic!

When we are outside, it is really important to protect our skin. Sunscreen is a great way to protect ourselves from the harsh UV rays outside. It is important to use sunscreen on our face, lips, hands, and body. I have a few favorite sunscreens which target each of these areas. Without further ado, here are my favorite sunscreens for summer 2020:

Favorite sunscreens for face, lips, hands, and body from around the web, scroll to view:

What is your favorite sunscreen for the upcoming summer season?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Italian mini baked potatoes – San Francisco style

mini baked potatoes

Looking for an easy side dish to pair with a main course? Here it is! I tweaked my Mother’s Italian mini baked potato recipe in order to ensure my kids would love them; and it worked! Since my kids love it, I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that you love it too!

This is a really easy recipe, which tastes amazing. At Whole Foods, you can buy a bag of mini potatoes; they come in two colors! My kids thought the multi-color potatoes were fun 🙂 If you don’t live near a Whole Foods, or don’t shop there, you can find these mini potatoes at any supermarket. You can buy one color, or mix two together like I do. It’s up to you! Here are the ingredients:

  • 3 lbs mini potatoes
  • 1 pat butter
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt, basil, oregano, paprika (or black pepper)

My Mom uses ground black pepper, but my kids don’t really like pepper, so I switched the pepper out for paprika. If you prefer pepper, you can make it like my Mom and switch the paprika for pepper. If you really want a crazy kick, use both!

How to cook mini baked potatoes

It’s really easy to cook mini baked potatoes. Before you start, pre-heat your oven to 350.

The first step will be to slice the mini potatoes in half, and spread them out in your casserole dish.

Then, slice up the pat of butter and place the parts apart from each other in the casserole. After you spread out the butter, add the olive oil, and season to taste with oregano, basil, salt, and paprika (or ground pepper). My basil and oregano are dried because we are currently under a shelter-in-place order and I am trying to limit my trips to the grocery store. You can use fresh or dried-it will taste yummy either way! I just spread the seasonings out so that they cover the potatoes; like in the photo above.

When the oven hits 350, put the casserole dish, uncovered, in the oven for 50 minutes. This will give you plenty of time to cook your main course, and vegetables.

Yummy! When the potatoes are done, they should be slightly brown on the edges. The potatoes will be soft inside, and very warm. Be sure to let them cool off for five minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite main course, and a vegetable!

Voila! Instant yummy side dish!

Things you need to cook Italian mini baked potatoes San Francisco style:

I hope you enjoy these Italian mini baked potatoes as much as my family does!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy