Pines to Palms Scenic Byway
The Pines to Palms Scenic Byway is the portion of Hwy 74 from Mountain Center to Palm Desert. This pic was taken just south of the turnoff for Lake Hemet.
Mountains
Lower Yosemite Fall
Lower Yosemite Fall is the final 320-foot-drop portion of Yosemite Falls, North America’s tallest waterfall (total height of 2,425 feet). An easy 1 mile loop trail leads to the bottom of the fall with gorgeous views along the way. Begin your hike at the Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead (shuttle stop #6).
Links: NPS previous related post
Titus Canyon
Titus Canyon is the most popular back-country road in Death Valley National Park. The road into Titus Canyon begins its 27 mile journey not far from the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada and passes by the ghost town of Leadfield. The road is one-way, east to west, except for the last 3 miles on the west end.
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Located about 45 miles northeast of San Diego, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park encompasses 26,000 acres and offers over 100 miles of trails to explore. The park includes 6,512 ft Cuyamaca Peak, San Diego County’s second highest summit. The park was heavily damaged in the 2003 Cedar Fire, as evidenced by the blackened tree trunks in this pic.
Links: CA.gov
Haunted Hotel!
One of the interesting hotels in Julian is the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, a national historic landmark, which was established in 1897. Rooms are decorated with American period antiques, including canopy beds, armoires, and quilts. Our room came complete with a journal in which to record any haunting experiences we encountered during our stay. It was fun reading previous guests’ comments, but sadly we had no other-worldly encounters!
Doin’ the Pie Crawl in Julian
Julian is a town of about 1,500 located an hour and a half or so east of San Diego at an elevation of 4,226 feet. The first European settlers arrived around 1850 but the town came alive in 1869-1870 when gold was discovered. During this gold rush era, apple trees were brought to Julian and thus began the tradition of baking delicious apple pies that still continues today. Julian Pie Company, Mom’s, and Apple Alley (delicious gluten-free pies) are but three of the many establishments offering several varieties of pie, so grab some friends and do a pie (not pub) crawl. For great craft brews, try Nickel Beer Co.
Palomar Observatory
The Palomar Observatory’s 200-inch (5.1-meter) Hale Telescope was for decades the largest effective telescope in operation. Owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology, the Observatory is but one of the many things to do on 6,138 foot Palomar Mountain.
Yosemite Tunnel View
Tunnel View is a scenic overlook on State Route 41 in Yosemite National Park that offers that iconic, expansive view of Yosemite Valley including El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall.
Links: Yosemite Viewpoints
Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park, is made up of three falls including Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 feet), the middle cascades (675 feet) and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 feet), for a total height of 2,425 feet, making the combination one of the world’s tallest. The Falls can be seen from many places in Yosemite Valley and an all day hike leads to the top of the falls. Yosemite Conservancy offers webcam views on their website.
Links: Yosemite Waterfalls Webcam
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