Heading into spring
I relish the progression. It begins in January, when the narcissus fills the backyard with perfume and the mustard launches in flames of yellow up the vineyard rows. February brings daffodils, clustered on the edges of Arnold Drive and along Dunbar and Henno roads. In March it’s the snowdrops, which are just beginning to fade as the poppies fire up and the wild radish blooms in pale purple tangles amid grasses growing more quickly than my teenaged boy.
Springtime demands a good hike. And while the trail I’m recommending is not in Glen Ellen, I’ve always thought the Sonoma Overlook Trail offers one of the best wildflower displays in the Sonoma Valley.
The lollipop loop, just under 1.5 miles in length, begins near the entrance to the Mountain Cemetery, located north of the plaza on First Street West. Long traverses broken by switchbacks lead up Shocken Hill, with views slowly opening south down the spreading Sonoma Valley to San Pablo Bay. On a clear day, the Bay Area’s finest peaks are on display: Mount Diablo far to the south, Mount Tamalpais closer in, and Sonoma Mountain sprawling to the west.
A short loop through the meadow at the apex of the trail enables you to both enjoy the views and check out the wildflowers – poppies, lupines, blue-eyed grass, butter-and-eggs, Indian paintbrush and more, blooming in succession as the season progresses into summer. By the time September rolls around the showiest flowers have long died back, but while the grass is green and there is a chance of rain, the flowers keep coming.
After taking in the vistas, you can retrace your steps to the trailhead, or take a detour down the Toyon Trail into the Mountain Cemetery, finishing the hike on the quiet, tombstone-lined lanes of this historic site. Keep an eye out for names you might recognize among the stones: General Mariano Vallejo is buried here, along with Henry Ernest Boyes, founder of Boyes Hot Springs, and others.
If you’d like to take a guided wildflower walk, the Sonoma Valley Ecology Center, housed here in Glen Ellen, in partnership with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, is hosting a series of tours through the Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve. Walks are slated through Wednesday, May 9, and you can reserve space by contacting Jessica Glatt at 996-0712, ext. 110, or emailing jessica@sonomaecologycenter.org. There is no charge.
Mark your calendars for another adventure – this one into the far north. This year’s Dunbar melodrama is Dastardly Deeds at Yoursin Mine (or Yukon Take It With You). Spread your blankets on the soft green grass in front of Haver Stage at Dunbar Elementary School and let this year’s bevy of fifth-graders transport you to another time, another place, and another state of mind.
It’s the 20th anniversary of the melodrama program, a rite of passage at the school. It’s also an enormous undertaking, for the kids, for their parents, and for Dunbar staff. They can’t do it without the help and support of the community, and now’s the time to start showing that support. According to organizers, this year the play is in need of cash donations, raffle items, and concession supplies. Checks made out to ”Dunbar School: 5th grade play” can be sent directly to Dunbar School, 11700 Dunbar Rd., Glen Ellen, CA 95442. Businesses or individuals who would like to purchase ads in the playbill or for display onstage, or would like to make other donations, can contact Shannon Lee at 996-3352 or email her at shannonlee@me.com.
The play is set for Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27, and a special “Western BBQ Gala” to commemorate the play’s 20-year milestone will be offered as part of the Saturday evening performance. For more information, contact Joanna Greenslade at joannagreenslade@yahoo.com.
Please send your tales of Glen Ellen to me at laughink@vom.com. I’m hoping to hear from parents of graduates in the upcoming months, so keep me in mind as you are sending out those graduation announcements!
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