California Here We Come

A 93-day adventure by Betty Read more

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Day 17
Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM
☀️ 20 °C
Altitude: 408 m
United States White Water 33.925015, -116.63834833°55’30” N 116°38’18” W
White Water
January 15, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
The views were impressive from the top, where we took a break to have a picnic. This was our favourite hike so far.

On our way home we stopped in Palm Springs to go to the weekly Village Festival. Palm Canyon Drive is closed to traffic for several blocks. There was food, crafts, music, and throngs of people.Read more
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Day 18
Friday, January 16, 2015 at 10:00 AM
☀️ 14 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 16, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We saved the best for last. Forty-five minutes east of our condo was the southern entrance to the strangely beautiful Joshua Tree National Park. Two deserts come together in this 800,000 acre park. The eastern section is the Sonoran Desert and is the "low desert", below 3,000 feet elevation. We selected a 4.8 km hike to Mastodon Peak with an elevation of 3,371 feet. The trail is marked with stones as it would be very easy to wander off and get lost in this unforgiving desert.Read more
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Day 18
Friday, January 16, 2015 at 12:00 PM
☀️ 17 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 16, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
This hike was rated "strenuous" but only because it involved scrambling up and over rocks. Tremendous earth forces shaped this unusual land of granite monoliths. The cholla cactus adds interest to this arid land. It was a comfortable 18 degrees C today and I can't imagine what it would be like in the summer months when the temperature is in the 40s! When we reached the peak we had a picnic amongst the rocks and enjoyed the amazing view.Read more
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Day 18
Friday, January 16, 2015 at 2:00 PM
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 844 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.870269, -115.90315133°52’13” N 115°54’11” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 16, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
In the 1800s miners came and tunnelled the earth looking for gold. The Lost Horse and Desert Queen mines remain. Can you find Linda in the middle photo? We took a break to act silly :)
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Day 19
Saturday, January 17, 2015
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 159 m
United States Lawrence Welk Resort Golf Course 33.231703, -117.13975533°13’54” N 117°8’23” W
Escondido
January 17, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Our next stop was 180 km SW to the Welk Resort in Escondido. We were assigned a beautiful, newly renovated 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit. Each bathroom had double sinks. A large, nicely furnished balcony overlooked hills of green and the I-15 where traffic never ceases. There will be plenty of room here for our expected visitors.Read more
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Day 21
Monday, January 19, 2015
☀️ 21 °C
Altitude: 159 m
United States Lawrence Welk Resort Golf Course 33.231703, -117.13975533°13’54” N 117°8’23” W
Escondido
January 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
We spent the first 2 days getting settled into our new home, exploring the towns of San Marcos and Escondido, and stocking up on food and wine. The GPS proved to be very unreliable and often got confused. "Recalculating" was it's mantra!

Nancy and Mandy arrived today. Mandy opted for a relaxing afternoon at the pool while the rest of us drove into Escondido for more grocery shopping and banking.Read more
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Day 22
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 397 m
United States Dixon Reservoir 33.17409, -117.0517333°10’27” N 117°3’6” W
Escondido
January 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Daley Ranch is a 3,000 acre conservation area in the city of Escondido. We chose the 4 km Boulder Loop Trail that was a popular trail with the locals and had nice views of the city. What's a hike without a picnic!

Nancy & Mandy returned to the resort afterwards while Linda & I scouted out a Ross store. We had to drive through rush hour traffic to get home....not a great idea for future reference!Read more
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Day 23
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 4 m
United States Goat Canyon 32.551019, -117.11176832°33’4” N 117°6’42” W
San Diego
January 21, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
We started our day trip with a stop at The Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Estuary, the largest coastal wetland in Southern California. It is 1,750 square miles with 3/4 of it in Mexico. There were 5 helicopters flying overhead monitoring the border. The noise apparently doesn't affect the birds but we found it very annoying. The lady at the reception desk was the most pleasant and helpful person we've met. We thought she was a Park Ranger but we later found out she was the Maintenance person, who obviously loves her job!

Next was Coronado Island and over the sweeping, curving Coronado-San Diego Bridge with vistas of the skyline and marina. I was too focused on all of the traffic so we were unable to stop and take photos. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at an authentic Mexican restaurant before heading home early to beat the dreaded rush hour crowd.Read more
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Day 24
Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 9:00 AM
☀️ 12 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 22, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
We left our condo at 7 am in order to drive 2 l/2 hours to Palm Springs because Alyssa was arriving at PSP today!! Despite our best efforts, her flight arrived l/2 hour early so she sat outside to wait for us in the warm sunshine and was able to thaw out.

On the agenda was a trip to the Northern section of the immense Joshua Tree National Park. This part of the park is in the higher, wetter and cooler Mojave Desert, a perfect environment for the joshua tree. Mormon pioneers thought the limbs resembled the upstretched arms of Joshua leading them to the promised land.Read more
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Day 24
Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 10:00 AM
☀️ 14 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 22, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We drove along Park Boulevard which loops into the main area of the park with the most interesting features. There are many stops along the way with short, less than a mile, hikes. Joshua Tree is a world-class climbing destination with more than 8,000 climbing routes. We were glad we brought a picnic lunch as the park is not commercially developed, which surprised us as it was so unlike the free-enterprising Americans!Read more
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Day 24
Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 11:00 AM
☀️ 16 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 22, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
The San Andreas fault line as seen from a very windy viewpoint. We all thought camping in the park would be a unique experience but I would refuse to stay in a tent.....there are 25 varieties of snakes found here! Unusual rock formations are endless.Read more
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Day 24
Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 12:00 PM
☀️ 16 °C
Altitude: 785 m
United States Joshua Tree National Park 33.873415, -115.90099233°52’24” N 115°54’4” W
Joshua Tree National Park
January 22, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
The cameras were well used today! We were puzzled by the fine, natural engraving in the rock and never did come up with an explanation. Alyssa was a real trooper, considering that she only had 2 hours of sleep the night before a very early flight. It was a verrrry long day......12 hours of driving, hiking, and more driving!Read more
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Day 25
Friday, January 23, 2015
☀️ 20 °C
Altitude: 301 m
United States Temecula 33.493639, -117.14836533°29’37” N 117°8’54” W
Temecula
January 23, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
The Temecula Valley wine growing region was a l/2 hour drive from our resort. Although there are almost 40 vineyards in the area, we only went to one wine tasting at the Lorimar Winery. It was $14 each but we had a 2-for-1 coupon. Since I had to drive, Linda & I shared the 5 wines that we were allowed to select and we enjoyed 4 of them. A band was setting up on the patio just as we were leaving.

On the way home I had just taken an exit from the I-15 when a 3/4 ton truck whizzed by me at a very high speed. We witnessed him driving erratically down the wrong side of the road and thought OMG!! We were glad to see that he turned into a driveway and apparently made it safely to his destination.Read more
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Day 26
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 9:00 AM
☀️ 19 °C
Altitude: 26 m
United States Ellen Browning Scripps Natural Preserve 32.923384, -117.25891932°55’24” N 117°15’32” W
Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve
January 24, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
This 2,000 acre park is within the city limits of San Diego and is the home of the rare Torrey pine. Our hike started at beach level and climbed and climbed. The view from the top was so worth it.
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Day 26
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 10:00 AM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 30 m
United States Scripps Shoreline Underwater Reserve 32.867278, -117.25221832°52’2” N 117°15’8” W
La Jolla
January 24, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Twenty km further south on the Pacific Coast Highway is the very pretty, upscale town of La Jolla. There was a high surf advisory with impressive wave action.
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Day 26
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 1:00 PM
☀️ 25 °C
Altitude: 4 m
United States La Jolla Cove 32.850603, -117.27142632°51’2” N 117°16’17” W
La Jolla Cove
January 24, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
The baby seals were the highlight of the day, especially for animal-lover Alyssa. Sadly, over 185 baby seals have been rescued by SeaWorld this year. They are having trouble finding food and then are too weak to return to the ocean. Apparently they have a vicious bite when approached.Read more
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Day 27
Sunday, January 25, 2015
☀️ 25 °C
Altitude: 13 m
United States Rotary Park 33.158093, -117.35059433°9’29” N 117°21’2” W
Carlsbad
January 25, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We stayed at the Marriott La Jolla last night as we couldn't move into our timeshare until today. The Carlsbad Seapointe Resort assigned us a 2 bedroom corner unit on the 3rd floor, which was very nice. The beach is a 2 minute walk across the street so we have a partial view of the ocean. Behind the building is the coastal train track with very noisy trains that blast their horn at any time of the day or night :(Read more
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Day 29
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 17 m
United States Oceanside 33.19587, -117.37948333°11’45” N 117°22’46” W
Oceanside
January 27, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Yesterday was our first bad weather day as it drizzled on and off all day. It was a perfect excuse to go the Carlsbad Premium Outlet Mall.

Today the sun was back. Alyssa decided she wanted to walk to In-and-Out Burger for lunch and then spend a relaxing day at the pool. I think she needed a break from the 3 sisters :P The rest of us journeyed 25 km up the Pacific Coast Highway to the towns of Carlsbad and Oceanside. We had a picnic lunch on the beach. Huge waves, surfers, and sea birds kept us entertained.Read more
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Day 30
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 82 m
United States San Diego Zoo 32.735316, -117.14904632°44’7” N 117°8’57” W
San Diego
January 28, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Nancy decided to stay home today while the rest of us went to the much anticipated San Diego Zoo. The 100 acre Zoo is located in Balboa Park and is home to 3,700 rare and endangered species. We started off with a 35 minute guided bus tour and then planned our attack.Read more
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Day 30
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 12:00 PM
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 82 m
United States San Diego Zoo 32.735316, -117.14904632°44’7” N 117°8’57” W
San Diego
January 28, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
There were cute and cuddly bears.
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Day 30
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 2:00 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 82 m
United States San Diego Zoo 32.735316, -117.14904632°44’7” N 117°8’57” W
San Diego
January 28, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We were lucky to see a one month old baby gorilla. The colourful one was not very bashful as he nonchalantly primed himself for a sexual encounter with a female.
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Day 30
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 4:00 PM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 82 m
United States San Diego Zoo 32.735316, -117.14904632°44’7” N 117°8’57” W
San Diego
January 28, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
My child found other ways to entertain herself :-)

Overall we concluded that we were disappointed in this zoo. Perhaps our expectations were too high as we had often heard or read that the San Diego Zoo was one of the top ten zoos in the world. Although there are botanical gardens interspersed with the animal exhibits, we still felt that the enclosures were very small. On the positive side, the zoo does have a large variety of species that we had not seen elsewhere. But for the admission fee of $43 each, we had expected more.Read more
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Day 31
Thursday, January 29, 2015
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 14 m
United States Swamis Seaside Park 33.036987, -117.29198233°2’13” N 117°17’31” W
Encinitas
January 29, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
We went on a pleasant drive south along the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas for a picnic. It was high tide so there wasn't much beach to enjoy. However, adjacent to the beach was this pretty yard full of tropical flowers. We cruised through Solana Beach and Del Mar with beautiful ocean views. Ended the day with shopping at Marshall's, great deals, and dinner at a Mexican restaurant.Read more
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Day 32
Friday, January 30, 2015 at 10:00 AM
🌧 15 °C
Altitude: 144 m
United States Agua Caliente Spring 33.830296, -116.54529233°49’49” N 116°32’43” W
Palm Springs
January 30, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
It was time to move on. We took Nancy to the train station in Oceanside where she caught a train to LA and would be picked up by Mandy. Her flight home wasn't until February 1st. The rest of us travelled on to Palm Springs as Linda & Alyssa would be flying home tomorrow from PSP.

We made full use of our last day together, starting with a hike in Indian Canyons, which is on reserve land of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Because I presented my Metis card we were given free admission, a savings of $6 each. To get to the trail head the road narrowed to a single lane through a rock cut-out. It had been drizzling when we first arrived in Palm Springs but it stopped by the time we got to Indian Canyons which is just on the outskirts of the city. Yay! Bonus.....a rainbow!Read more
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Day 32
Friday, January 30, 2015 at 12:00 PM
🌧 16 °C
Altitude: 144 m
United States Agua Caliente Spring 33.830296, -116.54529233°49’49” N 116°32’43” W
Palm Springs
January 30, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
We hiked for l l/2 hours on the Palm Canyon trail. The full length was 15 miles but we had time restrictions as you had to be off the reserve by 5 pm or they would tow your car.....and they were serious about it. We wondered if they would be heartless and tow your car, leaving you lost in the desert in the dark!Read more
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