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Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows – Murrieta, CA

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We love the Santa Rosa Plateau, but it isn’t always open… and sometimes when it is open, it isn’t open completely. Back in November 2021, my youngest and I headed out for an early morning hike at Santa Rosa. Unfortunately, it was closed. Fortunately, Sylvan Meadows (located just across the street) was open so we gave it a shot. So, here are some pictures from our first hike at Sylvan Meadows.

Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

Because Sylvan Meadows and Santa Rosa are only separated by a road, the scenery is similar. There are some big differences, however:

  • Size: Santa Rosa is much larger. According to the rivcoparks.org website, Sylvan Meadows is about 1,000 acres while Santa Rosa is about 9,000 acres.
  • Vernal pools: Santa Rosa has them (during rainy seasons). Sylvan Meadows does not.
  • Adobes: Santa Rosa has them. Sylvan Meadows does not.
  • Bikes / Horses / Dogs: Not allowed at Santa Rosa. Allowed at Sylvan Meadows.
Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

Like Santa Rosa, the trails are fairly easy to follow. While there are nice sights at Sylvan Meadows, I definitely prefer to hike at Santa Rosa. Sylvan Meadows is great if you want to ride your horse or mountain bike, or bring your dog(s).

Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows
Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows
Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows
Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

We saw a bunch of these above ground nests and were really curious what kind of animal makes them. According to a few Google searches, it appears that they are made by wood rats.

Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

Not the greatest picture, but this bird was difficult to catch on camera. I think it’s a blue jay. Bird experts, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

This little lizard was also difficult to capture in my lens because it fit in so well with the brush.

Our First Hike at Sylvan Meadows

If you miss Santa Rosa and want an “almost” Santa Rosa experience, this is a good spot to try. It’s a great spot if you have a horse.

Hodad’s Ocean Beach – San Diego, CA

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I’ve been neglecting this website. I’m going to end that neglect today. My first post back is about a burger spot I’ve wanted to try for years… Hodad’s in Ocean Beach (San Diego).

Hodad's Ocean Beach

Back in September 2021, I finally got my chance while I was down at UCSD to watch my sons play in a water polo tournament.

Hodad’s is a famous place and often has a line to get in. I remember driving past this place in the late 90s while in San Diego for meetings, but didn’t have time to wait.

This time, I made sure to arrive before it opened. Even though we got there early, there was still a line. Fortunately, it was a short one.

Guy Fieri visited this place for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which I’m sure added to its popularity.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/ca/ocean-beach/hodads-restaurant

I was pretty stoked that we were able to get a table inside instead of on the patio.

According to the menu on the website, the prices have gone up since we visited last September. For nostalgia, here were the prices when we visited.

My oldest son got the Guido burger and onion rings. From the website:

Inspired by triple D’s Guy Fieri
Our Burger served with Pastrami, Ketchup, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Grilled Onions and Spicy Brown Mustard

I got a double bacon cheeseburger with fries. I took this closeup to show that they even put bacon between the patties. That’s one way to make this guy happy.

There is no shortage of stickers at Hodad’s.

I’m really glad I finally got to try this place. My only regret is that I didn’t get a shake. They look awesome. Next time.

https://hodadies.com

The Last Car Ride

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I love our animals. We have had three dogs cross the rainbow bridge over the years. I was able to hold each one of them when they crossed. This is a little note to my Great Dane Bruce who crossed over in November 2019.

You loved jumping in the car to go for a ride. Whether it was a ride to the hills for a hike or a trip through a drive-through to get dad some food, you were always eager to come along.

You were my first dog that I raised from a puppy and my best-ever furry friend.

Even though you could barely walk, you still got up when you saw me with the leash. I remember all the times you jumped into my truck with those long Great Dane legs, but I had to lift you into the car this time. I loved watching your jowls blow in the wind as you stuck your head out the window, but you didn’t have the strength to lift your head this time.

When we arrived at the vet’s office, I think you knew. Yet you still walked in.

I’m glad I got to hold you one last time as the vet said it was time.

I hope dogs go to heaven so I can see you again.

Love you Bruce. Your family misses you.

This is Bruce. He crossed the rainbow bridge in November 2019.

Redwoods in Southern California? Yep, at Carbon Canyon Park

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I owe my wife a trip to the giant redwoods up north. As a down payment, I surprised her this morning with a trip to the smaller redwoods in the Redwood Grove at Carbon Canyon Regional Park.

Visiting the beautifully maintained Redwood Grove was a bargain. We only paid $3 for parking.

We parked in parking lot F (to the left after the guard station) so we could enjoy a little hike before reaching the redwoods. Parking lot F is all the way to top right of the park map (accessed October 23, 2020).

After a mostly flat hike, we reached the Redwood Grove marker.

After a short walk down the dirt trail, we reached the grove.

These aren’t giant redwoods like the ones up north, but one of the signs indicated that the tallest tree in the grove was measured to be 92 feet back in 2015. Even though they aren’t giants, they are beautiful.

Here are a few pictures:

Redwood at Carbon Canyon Park

I couldn’t get close enough to this California Scrub-Jay to get a great picture, but I did manage to get this ok picture:

The Redwood Grove is near the Carbon Canyon Dam, which, interestingly, has no water surrounding it. I assume it’s there for emergencies, which seems to be confirmed by this excerpt from an LA Times article dated August 6, 1988:

The park spreads up-canyon behind Carbon Canyon Dam. As Orange County grew, so did the need for flood control, and in 1959 a dam was built at the mouth of the canyon. If, as a result of winter storms, the Santa Ana River rises too high, the dam’s flood gates will be closed, thus sparing communities downstream of the dam but flooding the park.

The information on this sign explains how this beautiful grove came to be:

A view from the horse trail above the grove:

The entrance to Carbon Canyon Regional Park is located here:

If you would like more information about Carbon Canyon Regional Park or the Redwood Grove, please visit the OC Parks website:

https://www.ocparks.com/parks/carbon/

The Corona Peak is Gone

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Did you ever notice the pointy Corona peak off the 91 freeway near McKinley? We passed it many times over the years and I often wondered if there was a way to hike to the top.

There was, but not anymore.

The peak is gone. It is now an active mining site. Do not hike here.

Here’s a picture from May 2017…

The "Corona Peak" as seen from the Home Depot parking lot.

… and a picture from this week (08/16/20):

I’ve always considered this peak to be an unofficial Corona landmark, so I will miss it. If my research is correct, I believe that much more of this hill will disappear.

In fact, there was an even higher peak roughly south of this one, but it was whittled down by mining as well.

That peak was designated “Cloud Reset” with a height of 1,637 feet.

From what I can tell, the peak I’m writing about has no official designation, although it has been pegged as “Arlington Peak” on Google Maps with a height of 1,621 feet. According to the National Geodetic Survey Data Explorer, however, there is a different peak designated “Arlington” that is closer to La Sierra.

You can see the remnants of “Cloud Reset” in this map (red marker):

https://goo.gl/maps/aab11EWqbHsVgbUQ9

For posterity, here are some pictures of the hike (taken during different hikes) along with some views from the peak:

This is where I used to start this hike (on a side note, I hope to write a post about the Sherman Indian School sometime in the future):

The trail seemed to be well-traveled, but I stopped hiking here when I learned it was an active mining site. Again, this is an active mining site so do not hike here.

Here are some pictures from along the trail…

At or near the top…

Cloud Reset…

It was fun while it lasted.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Riverside And Beyond: March 16, 2020

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No hype. No politics. Just information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Riverside and surrounding areas from official sources.

Summary of cases (I am trying to find official data on recoveries):

RegionCasesDeaths
Riverside County *** updated 03/16/20 pm152
San Bernardino County10
Orange County220
Los Angeles County941
California *** updated 03/16/20 pm with most recent data from 03/15/203926
USA (49 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands) **3,53668
World **168.0196,610

** A note about the numbers… It doesn’t seem that all of these organizations report in exactly the same manner. For instance, the WHO number for USA is 1,687 (confirmed) while the CDC shows 3,487 (confirmed + presumptive). Also, the CDC reports US and US repatriates from Wuhan, China and Japan separately for a total of what I believe is 3,536 (3,487 US + 49 repatriates). If I keep this up, I’ll try to better understand and articulate the differences in reporting methods. All the sources are linked below.

*** Updated information accessed 03/16/20 after 10 pm.

Updates:

Riverside County’s public health officer reported the first deaths in Riverside County this evening:

Some additional restrictions announced by Governor Newsom:

Some potentially good information from the National Institutes of Health regarding a clinical trial of an investigational vaccine:

Some reassurance from President Trump that the grocery stores will continue to be stocked and a message not to hoard food and supplies:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1239650018832891905?s=20
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1239650086491230209?s=20

Sources for the table above:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Riverside And Beyond: March 14, 2020

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No hype. No politics. Just information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Riverside and surrounding areas from official sources.

First, some excerpts about COVID-19 from the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus Questions and Answers page (emphasis added):

Read the full Q&A page here: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention. [,,,]

The risk depends on where you  are – and more specifically, whether there is a COVID-19 outbreak unfolding there. For most people in most locations the risk of catching COVID-19 is still low. However, there are now places around the world (cities or areas) where the disease is spreading. […]

Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care.

Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses accessed 03/14/20

Summary of cases (I am trying to find official data on recoveries):

RegionCasesDeaths
Riverside County140
San Bernardino County00
Orange County140
Los Angeles County531
California2475
USA1,62941
World142,6495,393

Specific information about Riverside County:

As of March 12, 2020, events with at least 250 attendees are cancelled through April 30, 2020.

Read the full order here: https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/FILE_7803.pdf

As of March 16, 2020, schools are closed through April 3, 2020.

Read the full order here: https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/schoolorder.pdf

Most of the reported cases in Riverside County are in Coachella Valley.

Riverside County has 12 confirmed cases – 10 in Coachella Valley and two cruise ship passengers who have not returned to the region since being diagnosed

Source: https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/31320Schoolclosurenewsrelease.pdf accessed 03/14/20

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Sources for the table above:

First Hike at Harford Springs Reserve in Riverside

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Harford Springs Reserve

We tried a new (to us) hiking spot yesterday near Lake Mathews in Riverside… Harford Springs Reserve. Here are a few pictures:

Harford Springs Reserve

We parked at a very small dirt parking lot at 21470 Gavilan Rd. in Perris CA, which is the address listed on the County’s website. Please note that there were no maps, so make sure you come prepared with a GPS device or a paper map. None of us had any cell service during our hike to see where we were, so we just winged it.

Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve

There are some trail markers, but the brush is too tall to get a good view of the trails up ahead.

Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve

If my google skills didn’t fail me, I think this orange stuff is called xanthoria parietina or common orange lichen. According to Wikipedia, a lichen “is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.”

If you know for sure what this is, please let me know in the comments.

Harford Springs Reserve

Because we didn’t have a map, we went old school and climbed to the highest spot so we could see the trails.

Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve

We went off trail for much of our hike and ended up finding this tiny cave.

Harford Springs Reserve
Harford Springs Reserve

It was a nice day for a hike.

Harford Springs Reserve

From the County’s website:

Harford Springs Reserve

Features:
Located at 21470 Gavilan Rd, Perris CA
Park hours 8AM- Sunset
2000 foot elevation
325 acres
Unique trails for all levels of hikers
Equestrian trails
Beautiful foliage and wildflowers

Think Disneyland will let me live in Star Wars land?

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The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.

When I first heard that Disneyland was going to build Star Wars land (Galaxy’s Edge), I knew I had to go. It just took me a little while.

Back in the late 1970s, my dad took me to see Star Wars at the Big Newport theater in Fashion Island. I was blown away. Back then, there was nothing like this movie and seeing it on the largest screen on the west coast (at the time) made it even more magical. I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since.

My wife and I finally visited Galaxy’s Edge about a week ago and I loved it. If my dad were still around, he would have loved it too.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, here are a few pictures:

Star Wars land at Disneyland.
Star Wars land at Disneyland.
Star Wars land at Disneyland.

This looks like a nice place to live. Maybe Disney will let us move in.

Star Wars land at Disneyland.

You’ve probably already seen a billion pictures of the Millennium Falcon, but wow. My inner child wanted to jump the barrier and run inside, but my inner responsible adult said no.

The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.
The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.
The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.

Well done Disney, well done.

The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.

Star Wars land (officially called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) is much larger than I expected. If you plan to go, here are a few tips we learned the hard way:

  • If you want to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (the newest attraction) you need to use the Disneyland app to join a “boarding group”. We went on a Friday and it was completely booked before we walked into the park. Check Disneyland’s website and learn what you need to do before you visit the park if you want to get on this ride.
  • Oga’s Cantina can be booked 60 days in advance, so plan accordingly. Again, we missed out on this experience because we didn’t plan ahead.

Even though we missed out on a few things, just walking around the place was awesome. A bit too commercial with all the shops, but still awesome.

After visiting Star Wars land, we had lunch at the exclusive members-only Club 33 in New Orleans Square. If you’re not familiar with Club 33, here’s a little blurb from a Disney Parks Blog post:

Envisioned by Walt Disney, who drew inspiration from the executive lounges at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, the club opened in 1967 and has since held a place of mystery and legend among Disneyland park guests.

We are not members and were asked by our host not to post any pictures from inside the club, so here’s a picture from outside.

Club 33 entrance at Disneyland.

Inside, we enjoyed a gourmet four-course meal and received exceptional service. It’s not every day that I have filet mignon for lunch at Disneyland.

It was a unique experience, but once in a lifetime was plenty for us. I’ll stick to the gumbo at Café Orléans and the corn dogs from the Little Red Wagon on Main Street.

Paradise Pier at Disney's California Adventure.

We don’t go to Disneyland very often anymore, and this was our first trip without any kids. We had a fun day, but it was definitely not as magical without the whole family.

Favorite Spots for Breakfast in Riverside County

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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 in Riverside County:

  1. Kountry Folks, Riverside – I owe this place a review because the Hungry Hank omelet is my new favorite.
  2. Cowgirl Cafe, Norco – Friendly service. Best “scrambled” omelet. Good hashbrowns. Drinks come in mason jars.
  3. Brandon’s Diner, Riverside (Magnolia) – Love the small, hole-in-the-wall diner feel. Great pancakes with warm syrup. Good omelets and hash browns.
  4. Corky’s Kitchen, Corona – Open 24 hours. Big menu. Big servings.

Honorable mention: Ed’s Place in Glendora. The best hash browns I’ve ever eaten. This place would be high on my Riverside list, but unfortunately it’s not in Riverside.

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