SPRINGTIME SOJOURN: There's connecting with a place, and becoming one with nature, and that's all fairly easy to obtain, if one stows one's technology and outside worries and daily stresses and really enjoys the trees and the sky and the clouds and the experience. But an hour or two enjoying a walk or a picnic has a way of zipping by, like so much dandelion fluff on the wind. Going deeper into a destination, further in, has a real way of making that destination more understandable (and, yes, more complex, too -- funny how that happens). If you've been up Mount Diablo, either to admire its beacon or find its autumntime tarantulas or just to take in some grand vistas, you've known nature at some of its nicest. Now you can lift a few layers back on the Walnut Creek-close wild spot, and connect with it further, via a four-day glamping trip over the thirty-mile Diablo Trail.
YES, "GLAMPING"... is the buzz word: You'll be "gently roughing it," say the organizers at Save Mount Diablo. This means that "staff hauls your gear and sets up your new camp while talented local chefs, from restaurants like Forbes Mill, Postino, and Sunrise Bistro create delectable meals on the spot." Just because your grass/dirt/insect/flower experience'll be a bit tonier than most doesn't mean you won't be fully invested in your walk over glen and vale; you will be, and you'll need to keep your eyes on the ready for wildflowers. Oh, did we mention this is wildflower time around Mount Diablo? It is. The dates are...
APRIL 29 THROUGH MAY 2: And many of the wildflowers will have a special story. They're fire followers, the buds that have burst through following the Morgan Fire of 2013. Your guides will tell you what to look for, and where, and provide a plethora of insights about the mountain's story, history, and character. If you've wanted to connect with this area, beyond an hour's hike, this glamping-foodie-wildflower excursion might be your way to delve into Diablo's delights.
