Debell Uvas Creek Park Preserve, Gilroy, California

 Waning Crescent Moon.

I really like municipal bike paths that wind along local rivers and creeks. I have visited hundreds of them all over the United States and without fail, they provide positive, natural opportunities for all kinds of citizens to recreate in safe, healthy environments. Yesterday I had a checkup with an ophthalmologist in Gilroy, about 15 miles from my camp. When it was over, I changed clothes and parked at the Gilroy Sports Park, which marks the southern end of the town's bike path that parallels Uvas Creek. Little League baseball is a very big deal here. The fields (three or four, I think) are immaculate, with great big scoreboards and grandstands. Very impressive.

The wide asphalt trail is paved with mile/km markers painted every quarter mile/km. There seemed to be an equal number of bicyclists and walkers on the trail during the two hours I was there. I walked to the three mile marker and turned around for a pleasant, six-mile stroll. It was breezy shorts-and-tee-shirt weather, an absolutely perfect day to be outside. After passing by the backside of Gilroy High School and some more sports parks, the trail enters the boundary of the Debell Uvas Creek Park Preserve, which appears to be a relatively new segment associated with the sprawling subdivisions along Santa Theresa Boulevard. There is still plenty of creek bed and floodplain area to offset the imposing houses and the coastal mountains in the background also provide welcome relief. The closer I got to the houses, the more developed the trail was, with playgrounds and informative posters and water fountains. I am sure the developers paid the city fees to cover at least part of these amenities. That is standard procedure in most places from what I understand. That practice allows residents from the whole town to benefit from growth. 

My favorite parts of the trail were the murals painted on underpasses that protect trail users from the busier streets. The best of these murals, in my opinion, is the one (painted by artist Sheryl Cather) that features animals and scenery that are reminiscent of the time before the modern settlements began. It may portray a romanticized paradise that is not entirely accurate, but it IS beautiful and it calls us to strive for responsible stewardship of the place we call home. Way to go, Sheryl Cather.

I really enjoyed my visit to this linear park along Uvas Creek and I could tell by the expressions on the faces of the people I met along the way that they did, too. Well done, Gilroy!

Peace, Love, and Universal Bike Paths,

Jim

#2,022 in 2022