Riverside And Beyond

Favorite Breakfast Spots – Riverside County

January 5, 2020 by Ole Leave a Comment

During breakfast this morning with my wife and oldest son, I decided to start the year off with a new feature: Favorites.

Not scientific. Not based on polls. Just completely subjective rankings of places / things I (or we) like.

The first category is breakfast:

Cowgirl Cafe, Norco – Friendly service. Best “scrambled” omelet. Good hashbrowns. Drinks come in mason jars.
Brandon’s Diner, Riverside (Magnolia) – Love the small, hole-in-the-wall diner feel. Great pancakes with warm syrup. Good omelets and hash browns.
Corky’s Kitchen, Corona – Open 24 hours. Big menu. Big servings.

Think there’s a better breakfast spot in Riverside County? Leave a comment and make your argument.

Tio’s Tacos – Riverside, CA

January 27, 2019 by Ole Leave a Comment

I have lived in Riverside for a long time and I love Mexican food, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to try Tio’s Tacos in Riverside.

This place is a trip. It is filled with original works of art that are made up of “things that have been utilized, and in this country considered useless, then discarded”.

If you haven’t been here, you should give it a try and spend some time wandering through the art-filled compound.

I didn’t take pictures of everything. There is much more to see.

About the artist…

We sat in one of the outside dining areas. No matter where you sit, there is plenty to look at.

Plenty of birds, too.

Our bill was very reasonable. About $30 for three of us. Although we ordered water bottles, Tio’s also offers flavored margaritas and beer.

Chips and salsa…

Chorizo and egg burrito…

Carne asada burrito…

Carne asada tacos (they usually come with onions and cilantro)…

When you visit Tio’s Tacos, make sure you look up and down while walking through the gardens. The art is everywhere.

Tio’s Tacos is hard to miss, but here’s the address just in case:

3948 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside,CA 92501
www.tiostacos1.com

RiversideAndBeyond.com – Online Since 2009

January 5, 2019 by Ole Leave a Comment

RiversideAndBeyond.com will turn 10 years old this year. I started the website to share restaurants my family enjoyed in and around Riverside, and have added a bunch of other content since my first post in 2009.

In 2019, I’m going to commemorate the first 10 years by sharing some of my favorite pictures, places and events on social media that I’ve shared on the website over the past decade. I’ll probably find some other things that I’ve never shared at all.

I’ve almost killed the website more than a few times, but thankfully never ended up pulling the trigger. I want to be more active in 2019 and would love to hear any ideas you have.

I’ve been much more active on Facebook than I have on Instagram, Twitter or other social media sites. Facebook has over 17,000 likes, but the others are lagging. If you’re on any of these other social media sites, I hope you’ll connect with me there too…

Facebook: @riversideandbeyond
Instagram: @riversideandbeyond
Twitter: @rivandbeyond
Pinterest: @riversideandbeyond

Thank you,
Kris aka Ole

RiversideAndBeyond.com - Online Since 2009.

La Sierra Ranch Produce – Riverside, CA

November 16, 2018 by Ole Leave a Comment

My wife and I found a new organic produce stand today at the corner of McAllister and Blackburn in Riverside.

We didn’t have any cash with us, but my wife wanted to check it out. As a dutiful husband, I agreed. Happy wife. Happy life.

We spent some time talking to the guys who run the stand and found out that today was their second day in operation.

One is a farmer and the other operates a natural foods store.

You can find out more about the partners on Instagram:

You can also find more information here:

La Sierra Ranch Produce on Facebook

My wife already went back today. I’m actually eating a tasty red pear that my wife brought home as I publish this post.

The stand will be open 7 days per week and is located at 17475 McAllister St. in Riverside, CA.

Our First Visit to Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park – Riverside, CA

November 13, 2018 by Ole 1 Comment

We love to hike, but sometimes we’re more interested in exploring wide-open spaces than climbing to the top of a hill. Last Sunday, my wife and I planned to spend the day roaming the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Murrieta, but decided to stay local and visit the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park in Riverside instead.

While Sycamore Canyon is tucked in between homes and businesses, it is much larger than we expected. From myscamorecanyon.com:

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park is a large 1,500 acre public open space park that is one of eight protected, core reserves. Designated by the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) for the Federally-listed endangered species Dipodomys stephensi, the Stephens’ kangaroo rat (SKR), the park serves as both a habitat and a recreational hub.

We went for a 3.4-mile hike and only explored a small part of the park.

Since this was our first trip, I checked the internet to find out where to go. I found this map on mysycamorecanyon.com:

We started at the main trail head near The Ameal Moore Nature Center on Central Ave. According to the website, this is the only entrance with a dedicated parking lot. The nature center didn’t have any maps to hand out, so the attendant suggested we use Google Maps to navigate. We didn’t use any maps, but used one of the higher peaks as our landmark since the trails aren’t marked. There are also no bathrooms or drinking fountains out on the trails.

The peak near the middle of the picture is the one we used as our landmark while hiking.

This is the view from a rock formation near the Sycamore Highlands Park. We look forward to going back on a clear day.

My wife enjoying the view.

Even though we didn’t go further into the park, we still found ourselves surrounded by nature.

We even made some new friends.

We hope to get on the other side of this ravine on a future trip.

This is the view from the peak we used as our landmark.

This is me standing at the top.

Nice day. We will be back.

Looking for more hiking spots in and around Riverside? Check out our list of Places to Hike in Riverside and Beyond. #hikeriverside

Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park
400 Central Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507
mysycamorecanyon.com

The Crack Shack – Costa Mesa

September 4, 2018 by Ole 1 Comment

I haven’t written about a restaurant in a long time, but my sons and I tried a place on our way home from the beach over the weekend that deserves a mention…

The Crack Shack in Costa Mesa.

If you haven’t eaten here, you might be wondering what kind of food you’ll find…

We’ve intentionally crafted both the chicken and the egg for you to enjoy with reckless abandon and the assurance that you’re savoring every bite of locally raised, free-living chickens without a care or antibiotic in them—just as they should be. – crackshack.com/our-story

You might also be wondering why this place is called The Crack Shack…

CEO Michael Rosen and celebrity-chef Richard Blais have translated their bold and brazen vision through a culmination of a meticulously prepared menu and our “crack spice” – a proprietary blend of spices that gives our fare a certain je ne sais ‘squawk’ for sumptuous delight. – crackshack.com/our-story

We didn’t know any of this before our visit. My sons thought the name was funny, so we stopped. We are glad we did. The food was amazing.

The three of us demolished the Mexican Poutine – “schmaltz” fries, pollo asada, jalapeno cheese sauce:

By the way, if you’re like me and have no idea what “schmaltz” fries are:

Schmaltz (also spelled schmalz or shmalz) is rendered (clarified) chicken or goose fat used for frying – Wikipedia

Dad chose The Royale – chicken sausage, fried egg, cheese and the crispiest English muffin I’ve ever eaten:

Older son chose the spicy Firebird, which lived up to its name:

Younger son chose the Señor Croque sandwich, which will be dad’s choice next time:

So good. Check the website for more info.

You can also find The Crack Shack in San Diego, Encinitas, Pasadena and Century City.

The Crack Shack
196 E 17th St.
Costa Mesa, CA
crackshack.com

Heat Stroke is No Joke

July 23, 2018 by Ole Leave a Comment

I have always had a high tolerance for heat. I love to hike and enjoy the empty trails when it is too hot outside for most people.

I guess there’s a good reason that I haven’t seen anyone else on the “Big C” trail yet. #hikeriverside #riversideca

A post shared by Kris (@krisinriverside) on Oct 22, 2017 at 1:50pm PDT

Having said that, I did flirt with heat exhaustion once, which led to changes in my hiking preparedness…

While looking at pictures from past visits to the old Temescal tin mines to share on my website, I was reminded of one of my scariest hikes. On 8/1/17, I solo hiked out to the tin mines on a crazy hot day… up to 107 degrees per my Garmin. I used up all of my water, had no shade, and eventually completely ran out of energy. As I sat on a hill dehydrated and completely out of gas, I was genuinely nervous. Thankfully, a thunderstorm came along and saved the day. The cool weather and rain gave me a much needed second wind. This hike changed my preparation. Now, I always carry more than enough water, energy gel or granola bars, an umbrella for shade and a cell phone charger in case I get stuck and need my phone for an emergency. #hikeriverside #riversideca #lakemathews #hikeinlandempire #hiking

A post shared by Kris (@krisinriverside) on Apr 29, 2018 at 8:21pm PDT

I also have a hard head and have never lost consciousness despite taking some hard hits over the years.

It turns out that hiking in the heat and hits to the head are not my weaknesses. Stupidity is.

On July 6th, 2018, the temperature reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Riverside. On that day, I hustled to get my work done (in my hot office) so I could leave in the early afternoon to watch my sons play water polo (in the hot sun). When we got home from the games, we entered a dark, hot house.

Yes, on the hottest day of the year our power went out.

Can’t even report our power outage. Good thing it isn’t hot. Thankful for my @johndeere generator so we can at least run some fans and keep the fridge cold. #helldegrees #highof115

A post shared by Kris (@krisinriverside) on Jul 6, 2018 at 8:40pm PDT

I scrambled to get fuel, lay out cords and set up the generator so we could run some fans, keep the refrigerator cold and watch a movie.

When I finally sat down to relax at about 9 PM, I felt a horrible pain in my abdomen. I got up to walk it off and ended up in the kitchen. The last thing I remember is reaching for a cup out of the cupboard.

The next thing I remember was my youngest son asking me if I was ok. I had passed out and was on the floor. I was probably only out for a minute.

We searched the interwebs and determined that I most likely passed out due to dehydration and the heat. Technically, I don’t know if it was due to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, but it scared the heck out of me. My wife made me drink a ton of water, gave me some ice and sat me down in front of a fan. I was fine in no time.

Looking back on that day, I realized that I drank no water all day. I drank some Diet Coke with dinner, but that was it.

In other words, I was stupid and this was completely avoidable.

The silver lining: I now drink a ton of water and have completely given up Diet Coke.

With the next heat wave starting today (Wednesday is supposed to reach 111 degrees in Riverside), make sure you take care of yourself and know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses:

From medicinenet.com:
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness vary based on the condition, but may include

an elevated body temperature,

headache,

nausea,

weakness,

dizziness,

fainting,

muscle cramps,

seizures,

confusion, and

coma.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be life-threatening:

From medicinenet.com:
Heat stroke is a medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention. It is the most severe form of heat-related illness, and it can sometimes lead to death or permanent disability.

Also, let’s not forget our four-legged friends. Check this link for some warm weather pet safety tips from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

It’s getting HOT HOT HOT out and tomorrow is going to be a scorcher!!! Keep your furry friends safe with these top tips for heat pet safety! ?????? #safetyfirst #toptips #petsafety #heatstroke #toohot #highof113 #animalcare #animalwelfare #animalshelter #animalfriendsofthevalleys

A post shared by Animal Friends of the Valleys (@animalfriendsofthevalleys) on Jul 5, 2018 at 4:06pm PDT

Don’t be like me. Stay hydrated and stay cool. Water is good.

Temescal / Cajalco Tin Mines – Riverside

May 5, 2018 by Ole 4 Comments

Back in July 2017, my wife and I went for a short hike in the hills above La Sierra near Lake Mathews. When we got to the top of the first hill, we decided to abandon our planned hike and go in a different direction. A few miles later, we decided to see if we could make it to Corona Crossings. Six or seven miles later, we met our kids at Chick-fil-A for a well-deserved lunch.

Completely by accident, we ended up hiking through the old Temescal tin mining site.

I’ve been back out there a bunch of times since our first visit. Here are some pictures:

On our first hike, we found these burned-up cars in a clearing a few miles in from where we started on La Sierra. The cars are gone now, but this is a popular spot for illegal target shooting. I’ve walked through here three times when people were out shooting. Be careful if you venture through here.

I like stopping here for a moment to take in the view. There have been two recent fires in this area. The first picture is from July 2017 and the second is from April 2018.

On to the old tin mining site…

This is a picture from “about 1890” of the tin mining site from a Press Enterprise article:

I hiked back out there today to see if I could get a current picture from the same perspective:

According to a post on the History of Corona Facebook page (follow the link for a summary of the history of the tin mines), the tin mines closed in 1892. There are also a few old pictures attached to the post, including this old map of the site:

Here are some pictures of the remaining structures…

Reservoir?

Ore bin?

Smelter? By the way, there is now a big red bullseye (actually, a painting of a ladybug) on the large concrete structure in the middle of the picture. In addition to the clearing I mentioned above, people also use the tin mining site for illegal target practice. I’ve seen or heard people shooting out here a few times, so be careful.

There used to be a large structure at the top of this retaining wall.

You can see this retaining wall toward the bottom right of this picture posted on the History of Corona Facebook page:

If you walk up the steps, watch out for the barbed wire on the ground.

Looking down the steps.

Remnants of another structure.

There are three fenced-off mine openings in the immediate area. Here are a few of them:

This old structure…

… appears to be one of the buildings near the right of this picture from Corona Public Library’s website:

I’m always on the lookout for wildlife when I go on my hikes, and was surprised to see this guy out at the tin mines back in November of last year.

This hill is to the west of the tin mining site. Although I don’t know the actual name of the hill, I call it “Tin Hill”. The flag is a new addition that we noticed on a recent visit.

I hiked to the top of this hill back in November 2017. The side I climbed is covered in loose rock and I almost fell a few times. There is actually a path on the other side of the hill. Oops.

The view of the old tin mining site from the top of “Tin Hill”:

Looking for more hiking spots in and around Riverside? Check out our list of Places to Hike in Riverside and Beyond. #hikeriverside

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve

April 14, 2018 by Ole Leave a Comment

About five years ago on our way back from lunch in Murrieta, we exited the 15 freeway at Clinton Keith Road to see where the road would take us. We headed toward the Cleveland Forest until we came across what appeared to be hiking trails.

Our little driving adventure had brought us to the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

What is the Reserve? Here is an excerpt from the rivcoparks.org website:

Consisting of 9000 acres, the Reserve protects unique ecosystems such as Engelmann oak woodlands, riparian wetlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools as well as more than 200 species of native birds and 49 endangered, threatened or rare animal and plant species, including mule deer, mountain lions, badgers, bobcats, western pond turtles, white-tailed kites and fairy shrimp. Of the two species of fairy shrimp that live in the seasonal vernal pools on the Reserve, one is found only here and nowhere else on Earth!

We have gone back many times since our first visit in 2012, but after highlighting the trails I remember us hiking over the years, it is clear that we still have a few to go.

Here are some pictures from our many visits:

The Visitor Center is one of three places to enter the reserve, and is probably a good place to start on your first visit, especially if you have kids or need access to an actual restroom.

The Visitor Center has informative displays inside the building and out through the back doors, including this graphic that made me kind of sad:

When the last California grizzly was killed just north of here in 1908, it brought an end to an animal nicknamed “Bear of the Chaparral”.

We usually park at the Hidden Valley trail head and start our hikes on the Trans Preserve trail. We have also parked at the Vernal Pool trail head, which is a good place to start if you just want to visit the vernal pools.

The trails at Santa Rosa are marked and pretty easy to follow. Grab a map from one of the trail heads, and you should have no problem finding your way around.

One of our favorite spots is this tree tunnel on the Trans Preserve trail.

This is another of my favorite spots. I love the sound when the grass is a little taller and the wind is a little stronger.

The big vernal pool is one of the main sights to see. If you haven’t heard of a vernal pool before, here is some info from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Vernal pools are a type of temporary wetland […] where a hard underground layer prevents rainwater from draining downward into the subsoils. […] In the springtime the water gradually evaporates away, until the pools become completely dry in the summer and fall.

Vernal pools support plants and animals that are specifically adapted to living with very wet winter and spring conditions followed by very dry summer and fall conditions.

We’ve visited the big vernal pool when it was empty, like on this visit in 2012…

… and when it was full, like on this visit in March 2017…

I have read about the fairy shrimp, but have never seen them. During our visit in March 2017, we saw thousands of tiny pink and translucent creatures in the water. I’m not sure if these are the two different types of fairy shrimp, but the water was full of them both.

We went back again a month later when the vernal pool wasn’t as full, and saw some water snakes, including this guy or girl…

This video shows one of the water snakes, the view from Monument Hill and part of the Trans Preserve trail:

Although they are out there, we have only seen coyotes a few times.

We also caught an impromptu air show earlier this year put on by the Red Eagles Formation Team. Apparently, this is one of the team’s approved training locations. Very impressive.

There are two adobes on the Reserve that were built in the mid-1800s. You can walk through the compound and into one of the adobes. We visited them on our first trip.

The highest spot on the Reserve seems to be Monument Hill, which we visited for the first time earlier this year.

The lone bench at the top of the hill is a nice quiet spot to enjoy the view.

Our most recent trip: November 2017

This was the first time we parked at the Visitor Center, which gave us the opportunity to take some trails we had never hiked before. We ended up hiking about nine miles.

We saw this hill off Waterline Road and decided to get a closer look.

The rocks were a little sketchy, so I took a quick picture of my wife enjoying the view and climbed back down.

From Waterline Road, we continued along Monument Hill Road until we reached the Punta Mesa Trail, which was our main goal for the day. We even got to see a dinosaur…

Although there hasn’t been any rain recently, there was still water under this bridge on the Adobe Loop trail…

Another great day at the Plateau.

When we’re in the mood for wide open spaces without having to climb too much, this is the place we go.

For more information about the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, click here: www.rivcoparks.org

Looking for more hiking spots in and around Riverside? Check out our list of Places to Hike in Riverside and Beyond.

Osprey and Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

February 6, 2018 by Ole 4 Comments

My wife spotted an osprey today at Lake Mathews, so I went back with my camera to see if I could get a few pictures.

When I arrived, I saw what appeared to be a big bird on a rock in the middle of the lake, but it was too far away for my lens.

When I got home and zoomed in on the pictures, I realized it was a bald eagle, not the osprey.

I eventually found the osprey…

We have seen bald eagles at Lake Mathews once before back in January 2016:

We saw two eagles that day, but we could only get close enough to one of them to get any decent pictures. Unfortunately, we were still too far away to get good pictures. Hopefully that will change some day.

Additional info…

Some facts about bald eagles:

Distinguished by a white head and white tail feathers, bald eagles are powerful, brown birds that may weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 8 feet. Male eagles are smaller, weighing as much as 10 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 feet. […]

Bald Eagles live near rivers, lakes, and marshes where they can find fish, their staple food. Bald Eagles will also feed on waterfowl, turtles, rabbits, snakes, and other small animals and carrion. […]

Bald Eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Excerpts from the American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act:

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The bald eagle was designated as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress.
(2) The bald eagle is the greatest visible symbol of the spirit of freedom and democracy in the world.
(3) The bald eagle species is unique to North America and represents the American values and attributes of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, loyalty, justice, equality, democracy, quality, and excellence.

Source: American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act

Some facts about ospreys:

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus)—also known as the sea hawk, fish eagle, river hawk or fish hawk—is a large raptor, reaching more than 24 inches in length with a wingspan of up to 71 inches. As its other names suggest, the osprey’s diet consists almost exclusively of fish—up to 99% fish. […]

The typical lifespan of an osprey is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow to as old as 20–25 years.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service