Daley Ranch

Hiking at Daley Ranch in Escondido is always a pleasant escape from, well, Escondido. 

Today Steve and Denise came over for breakfast (frittata and pumpkin muffins) and for a hike at the preserve. This is their first visit to our house and since Daley Ranch is so close, it is part of the tour. 

Thanks for coming over Steve and Denise! You guys are awesome. 

"Kid"

Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid 'n Play

and all of the House Party movies 

was the headliner at Pechanga Comedy Club this evening. 

Pechanga gives out tickets to teachers every so often so my sister and I went, free of charge. 

Kid's mom was a teacher so he often tried to impress the audience with his extensive vocabulary. 

 How cool is it that we saw someone famous entertain!? 
Sure, it is not the 80's or 90's but it is still cool, aiight?

He is so comfortable on stage that you almost forget he is on one. 

We were dying of laughter. This man is hella funny. 

Well, at least we thought it was funny. Part of the fun was looking around to see who was offended or disgusted.

Thanks for being my date Marla!

Cougar Ridge Trail

Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for being born on this day and becoming a prominent civil rights activist so that I could have today off.

Fred and I hiked 6 1/2 miles in the Daley Ranch preserve near our house; focusing on the Cougar Ridge Trail, which we have done only once before. 

The water that gathered on this parasitic plant made it even more beautiful. 

Well, it got a little wetter during some parts of the hike. 

Good thing we are always prepared!

 The extra moisture definitively helped to reduce the crowds so we have no complaints.

Three day weekends are too few and far between!

Cabrillo Tide Pools

Today my friend Megan and I explored the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. 

The rock formations here are incredible. It is as though they were not created haphazardly through the processes of weathering and erosion. 

The layers of sedimentary rocks inspire questions about what treasures (in the form of fossils) may be found within these very rocks. 

We arrived at the tide pools about 3 hours after low tide. I thought we would still be able to examine the different tidal zones, but at this point the tide was too high. We saw some organisms, but I had my sights set on a brittle star!

Shaw's Agave is rare in California.  It blooms from September to May, and is worth seeing.  The flowers are an explosion of color.

Today was just another reminder as to why we are so lucky to be living in San Diego. 

Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail

Since school starts on Monday and Fred worked this weekend, I thought it would be fun to go out to Joshua Tree to visit my friend Jessica. She got a new place out there, 

and she had Friday night free so it worked out perfectly. 

Jessica ended up having to work earlier than scheduled today so I decided to go for a hike by myself before I made the drive back home. 

Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail is a 3-mile round trip hike to a palm tree oasis. This hike would be difficult in the heat; luckily it couldn't have been a more beautiful day in the desert. 

I was on the lookout for bighorn sheep and/or scorpions (I wasn't too picky). Although I spent the entire time looking down and up, and up and down again desert critters were nowhere to be found. 

Winter in San Diego

What wonderfully atypical winter weather we have been having! It is hard to believe that a beach day this time of year would even be a possibility (without being chilly). 

It was 75 degrees at Tamarack today, and Marla, the girls, and I took advantage of it. 

My dad and his friend John met up with us.  But as you can tell from my dad's tan, today was not his first beach day this Winter.

Growing up, Tamarack in Carlsbad was the beach we frequented most. My parents surfed and we played, about three times a week. One of my favorite things about this beach has always been the jetty. There are always organisms in the rocks worth exploring. 

Yep, a perfect day at the beach! 

Homeward Bound-ish

It was nearly impossible not to pull off the freeway on our way home to snap some shots of these amazing Saguaro cactus.  The Saguaro can increase its weight by up to a ton in water storage.  They are incredibly massive.

Teddy Bear Cholla are so cute!

After driving all day Fred thought it would be nice to go for a little hike to stretch our legs. Immediately after his suggestion we saw a sign for the Pacific Crest Trail within the San Jacinto Wilderness. It was a sign (like I said), so we knew right where to pull over.

The Pacific Crest Trail is a pathway extending 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada.  We probably walked a record minimum of it today (way less than some but more than most!).

It is hard to imagine what beauty those who have hiked the entire trail have seen.

Fred and I just can't help but take the scenic route home. 

'Not all those who wander are lost.'