Redlands, CA

A very nice week in Redlands visiting old friends and new breweries, Temecula wine and local trails! I spent my high school years in Highland a few miles from here but never explored much of the area as is the case when wrapped up in your teen life;)

A couple of breweries to check out: Hangar 24 and Ritual in Redlands:)

One of our first hikes was in Box Springs Mtn Park in nearby Riverside.  A boulder studded area offering some great views, it unfortunately is a target for taggers and many of the rocks have been marred with graffiti.

 Rural Redlands has several bands of wild donkeys. It was fun to see them and you do have to be on constant look out for them on the roads!

watch out for "wild" donkeys on the Redlands roads

 Notable in Redlands when looking for local hiking, the Redlands Conservancy has several small hikes throughout the city in the hills.  We were able to get 4 to 6 miles out of some of these trails.

I had been to Lake Perris as a child/teen and it was fun to go back there for a nice hike.  The lake is, of course, much lower and the beach much bigger but a very nice area.

This red tail was getting ready for take off!

One huge beach area!  We noted 7 life guard stations.  Yes, there are hundreds of camp sites as well.

A lovely day in Temecula with
friends Cindy and Jim








fall colors in the vineyards were
vibrant!

Wrapping up Buellton, CA

We enjoyed our stay in Buellton.  In addition to doing some more wining and going to Solvang and discovering a brewery, Barrel Works at Firestone Walker, that had 8 lovely sour beers;), we did some decent hiking.  We went to Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area and had a nice day with some awesome views:

I was in heaven here!  8 sour beers!!!!!

We went back to Gaviota State Park and did a short but very nice hike, the Wind Caves Trail:

some of the caves with the Gaviota Tunnel in the background

more caves ahead

we hiked up to the top to check out the "window" you see

I stayed up in the window while Mike took my pic.....and a nice guy we met on the trail, Steve, who sent this to me!

Buellton, CA, La Purisima Mission

We are having a very nice week in Buellton.  Located near Solvang and the ocean and more wine country there is plenty to do!

We did the Gaviota Peak Overlook hike in Gaviota State Park nearby and enjoyed some really nice views of the area:

 In the distance here you can see the ocean and a couple of oil platforms:

 We've been out to Lompoc and enjoyed a walk about checking out the murals:

a painter is refreshing a mural of the Chumash Indians

this coyote posed for me just outside of Lompoc

La Purisima Mission sits on 2,000 acres of what was originally a 300,000 acre mission property.    Built in the 1700s by the Franciscans to convert the Chumash Indians.

Ten of it's original buildings were fully restored by the CCC in the early 1940's and authentically refurnished.

You can wander the buildings and grounds for hours and/or hike on some of the 25 miles of hiking trails.

the top bell was made from wood before the mission could afford metal bells

Mike and I hiking on the mission property are looking down on the mission roofs....

we did not realize this whole area is sand dunes and the hiking was challenging in many places!

beautiful manzanita forests

the two main buildings of the mission

blacksmith shop

fountain detail from the laundry "pool"

the padres business office

indoor bathrooms;)









the Chumash Indians were taught how to weave rugs which were used in the mission and sold for income

the main church