Ideas to escape the summer funk

School’s been out for just two weeks. Have the summer doldrums set in already? Clayton and its surrounding areas are full of great activities for kids and their parents.

Try exploring our great Clayton trail system. We have many trails that will get you off your beaten track and up into our beautiful hills to enjoy the views and solitude. We have maps available at City Hall and posted in the kiosk at the Black Diamond Plaza (at Main Street and Marsh Creek Road) that show all the trails in Clayton and our surrounding area, including our side of Mt Diablo.

If you’d like to venture a bit further, check out the San Francisco Bay Trail. The trail includes more than 330 miles of shoreline trails in the Bay Area. There are online maps, an interactive trail guide as well as a mobile app available at www.baytrail.org. Remember to wear sunscreen, take a light snack and lots of water – it’s getting hot!

Interested in history? Check out the Clayton Museum (www.claytonhistory.org) on Sundays and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m. during the downtown car show, and Saturday mornings 10 a.m. to noon when you come to the Farmers Market. Or, visit Black Diamond Regional Park just over the hill – it’s great fun to explore the coal mines and see how the founders of our area lived in the mid-1800s.

Want more activity? All Out Sports League, who runs our Clayton Community Gym activities program, has basketball and volleyball summer camps. There are also adult leagues. Check them out online at www.alloutsportsleague.com.

In addition to our Clayton Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, take a short drive to the Brentwood U-Pick farms and fruit stands. The map and schedule of fresh produce are online at www.harvest4you.com.

Want something closer to home? There’s no better time than now to put your emergency kit together. Our Clayton CERT has prepared a handy “Family Preparedness All Hazards Resource Guide” booklet available on the city website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us. Look to the lower right of the home page and click on “read more.” Take some time to review the information with your family and put your emergency kit together so you are ready when an emergency happens. Our CERT crew will be at our Farmer’s Markets and the Clayton Family Fair & Picnic, too, if you want to get more information.

If your summer plans include some home remodeling/improvements, fence changes, pools, etc., please check with the Clayton Community Development Department (925-673-7300) and/or the county for land use and building permit requirements before you start any work.

Don’t forget that our many restaurants and shops are ready and willing to help make summer easy and relaxing for you. Pick up some goodies and have a picnic lunch or dinner in one of our great parks or your own back yard. The sunsets are spectacular from the Clayton Community Park.

Finally, I hope to see you all at the Clayton Fourth of July Parade. We still need a few more volunteers – let me know if you can help.

As always, you can reach me at JPierce@ci.clayton.ca.us. Let me know what you think!