Tourism Adventures – Page 8 – branching out… on a limb

Photography on an Off Day… Not Bad- Return Trip Planned!

College visit weekend included some great photo opportunities, but all my chances for purty pics were completely marred by one thing- I felt crummy. There was so much to do, things to see, terribly interesting people to learn from and question… nope! Great foods, lovely walks, nearby cities to visit. All shot to hell with two of us falling ill.

We are getting better, and will have more opportunities in the near future to do all the things we missed out on- it looks like The Girl is sold on this place.

Although the lighting and framing is not what I want for almost every one of these photos, here is a sampling of some of the sights we did manage to fit in while visiting Spokane:

Industrial Photography at a renovated steam plant…

We really enjoyed this restaurant and I’m bringing the Nikon back to The Steam Plant for better photo opps.

Inside the university’s student chapel:

Staircase inside of the school’s oldest building. I wish I had more time for photography that day!

Three shots from inside the parish church. It was beautiful!

And a couple of shots from Oakland’s island airport- my son spotted the joke on the runway tug-truck… can you see it? And Can you believe that this is the view from one of the food court shops at an airport? It was really lovely, the picture doesn’t do that view justice.

I bet I can snap better photos if I am not ill! Oh well. There’s always tomorrow!

Desert View Tower and The Old Plank Road

Disgusted that she has to climb up steps. — Disgusted Mom.

I drove my mom to see her mother on Friday. Gramma is fading fast. We stopped along the way to visit a viewpoint that I have meant to stop at each time I drive across the desert to see my grandparents. A very short drive off of Interstate 8, following In-Ko-Pah Park Road is the Desert View Tower. There are caves to explore there, too, but I was lucky to talk The Mom into climbing up the steps to the viewtower. If it resembles hiking or walking that requires any effort, she would rather sit in the car and read her paperback- she never leaves home without a paperback, no sir-ee!

Really... I can't make this stuff up. — Really… I can’t make this stuff up.

We almost didn’t get out of the car, either- not because of desert heat, it was a beautiful 65 degrees with a light wind. We were just too engrossed with trying to send each other baby whale texts. We stink. We don’t make good teen-aged girls.

While in the viewtower shop I found an article written about the Old Plank Road that used to exist between Yuma and San Diego. My gramma told us how she had traveled on that plank road, and how it felt like it took forever with her brother annoying her along the route and their father changing a tire every ten to twenty miles of travel.

Article about the Old Plank Road... — Article about the Old Plank Road…

Can you imagine? She says that over the years tourists took away most the planks after better roads were built, and eventually “the hippies and hobos” used up almost all of the rest to make campfires. Only a small portion remains as a protected landmark, that you can read about here at DesertUSA.com, or if you have good enough zoom capabilities on a desktop computer, click on this photo on the right.

Gramma is very tired, and only sleeping lately. I bet she is a tired as she was while traveling across that Old Plank Road, but at the end of this journey, her father, mother and brother are waiting for her. Safe and blessed travels to you, Betty Gene!

Whine Free Wildflower Photography!

Very grumpy children. She is totally faking that smile and was as miserable as he was that day. — Very grumpy children, 2011. She is totally faking that smile and was as miserable as he was to go hiking that day.

Today The Husband and I did something we have never done. We went on a long drive to go hiking in the Anza Borrego State Park lands in the desert… without the teenagers. They asked to stay home, finish homework, and generally relax. We had a grand time eating pie, seeing wildflowers, stopping on a whim for tacos, all without anyone complaining about being too hot, too cold, bored, hungry or ready to go home.

The Amma (my mom) after being tricked into hiking up the Borrego Palm Canyon trail — The Amma (my mom) after hiking Borrego Palm Canyon trail

All four of us have had a ball tromping through state parks, but rarely are all four people happy at one time. You want to see that old phrase “madder than a wet hen” in action? Add my mom to the mix. I have tricked her into hiking on short trails and have been surprised she was speaking to me by the end.

*Click on any of the photos for larger versions, the flowers are really pretty*

More pie pics. Because, pie. That’s why.

For this day trip, we stopped in Santa Ysabel for apple pie à la mode at the Julian Pie Company. We carpool school trips to this area and I always try to bring my car load of middle schoolers to this shop for a snack. If you have the chance to visit, don’t miss it! Seriously, pie is my favorite dessert, and I prefer my own pie usually. This is the only pie I buy. I think they only hire the nicest people. Must be part of their hiring tactics.

I call this photo "Cholla Blooms, One Week Too Early" — I call this photo “Cholla Blooms, One Week Too Early”

Wildflowers of Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Next on the agenda- hunt down some wildflowers. We’ve had enough rain to ensure a good year for desert flowers in all their beauty. Looks like it’s Yellow Flower Season to me. And can you see the citrus groves in the distance in the photo on the right? The groves were in full bloom and words cannot begin to describe their perfume that filled the air.

What's left of lunch from El Borrego. — What’s left of lunch from El Borrego.

We finished the day with a snack from El Borrego. This little taco shop had a great menu, but we went for the basics- tacos and a carnitas burrito. The Husband declared that he will be stopping at El Borrego every future trip to the desert. You’ll have to use your imagination to decide if the lunches looked as good as they tasted… they did, and I for got to snap a pic. I love a good, hard fried shredded beef taco, and they know how to make them here.

While I missed my kids, I’m glad they had a quiet day at home instead of being dragged out to the desert on a 92 degree day (but it’s a DRY heat!). If you are looking for a nice day trip, I love the Anza Borrego desert this time of year. Don’t forget the State Park Visitor’s Center, the day hikes, buy a bag of oranges and enjoy the fresh air if you come out.

More flowers, that's why we came... — More flowers, that’s why we came…

Ocotillo in bloom, Anza Borrego Desert State Park — Ocotillo in bloom, Anza Borrego Desert

Peñasquitos Preserve, Waterfall to the West End

I have hiked in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, but always approaching from the east and hiking to the waterfall. By “hike,” I mean easy walk. I knew that the preserve trails continued all the way into Sorrento Vally, just east of the 5 and 805 freeways… by the way, you know how to peg a Native Californian? By how they refer to all highways and freeways as “The + Number,” no matter where they live. My Indiana friends always thought I was nuts to say “The 465,” or “Remember that 4th of July weekend when Bryan’s accident shut down The 65 North to Chicago?” If you would like an easy, but long-ish hike, I recommend this walk. And it was a beautiful day for this beautiful walk.

Looking north, towards Del Mar and Rancho Penasquitos

These two photos are taken from the same spot, I just turned 180 degrees. The south slopes of the canyon received more rain this winter, maybe?

One of the sages that grows in California. Smells soooo good!

This is one of the native sages that grows in California. I mentioned the chaparral in this earlier post- Two Mile Monkey is Off My Back.

Purple Nightshade... don't eat it. — Purple Nightshade… don’t eat it.

Wildflowers, trees and scrub were blooming everywhere thanks to the earlier rains. We passed bunches of Purple Nightshade and Blue-Eyed Grass… fortunately, we didn’t cross paths with any rattlesnakes.

The Headache-Preventing Nice Guy Award goes to.... — The Headache-Preventing Nice Guy Award goes to….

And all of these photos? Taken with my iPhone 5s. Because when I went to take the first picture of the waterfall, with my Christmas Nikon D3300… that’s when I figured out that the battery was dead. Duh. But what a nice guy is The Husband? He carried the dead weight the whole three hours so I didn’t get a headache from having it hang around my neck. What a guy!

View of Sycamore Crossing, looking west toward La Jolla and Sorrento Valley

The walk we took was about four miles starting at the western entrance of the Peñasquitos Preserve accessed on Park Village Road, and ending all the way west on Sorrento Valley Blvd.

West end of the walk. There is parking somewhere around here... look it up. — West end of the walk. There is parking somewhere around here… go look it up yourself. Just kidding. Click on this photo and it will link you to a map of this area, parking, and trails.

The weather was perfect- lots of clouds, some sun and a nice onshore breeze. From the start of our walk to the end the paths were hopping with mountain bikers and other walkers, dogs and horses. It was a beautiful day! The round trip 8.2 mile walk totaled just over three hours. Did I mention what a beautiful day it was? Gorgeous.

February Tourist Trip- Dragging the Family to Oceanside

It’s getting difficult to get the four of us together for a tourist day. Between college and high school entrance requirements we are more scattered than ever.
Plus, the half hour ride in the car to get anywhere means 30 minutes of butt jokes coming from the back seat.

Aside from bringing The Girl to her friend’s house in Oceanside (pre-licensed teenager days), the only thing I associated with this city was a long drive down the coast to my great-grandparents condo when my brother and I were younger. We had nothing to do but read the books we brought along. Our other option was to slip and slide down a long iceplant covered hill, cross a highway and buy candy at a 7-11 mini mart. When the great-grandparents’ health began to fail, I don’t remember helping out with any of moving or cleaning… we were probably just under foot while others took care of the work, but then again, we were just flaky little punks back then. My brother did a complete turnaround not long after that, and since then he’s the one the family can count on when the older family members have needed anything.

Clear at the start of the walk... — Clear at the start of the walk…

15 minutes later at the end of the pier.

I'm guessing this is a California Brown Pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can, you know... — A California Brown Pelican? His beak can hold more than his belly can, you know…

Egret posing for my camera on the Oceanside pier.

Today we spent the afternoon driving through beach towns before arriving in Oceanside. We walked to the pier with the sun in our faces only to have the marine layer roll in by the time we reached the end of the walk. After five days of Santa Ana conditions, I was in heaven! My kids played on the boardwalk like I did decades ago. They loved seeing the sand underneath give way to the rocks then the waves. We snapped pictures of birds waiting to snatch the catch away from people fishing on the pier. I busted them before they could spit on the surfers below. Fourteen-year-old boys are such… fourteen-year-old boys. Especially when egged on by the big sister.

“OK, now we don’t have to go to Oceanside again.” That was The Husband’s observation.
He prefers the Encinitas, Cardiff and Del Mar scene.

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