|| California expeditions, Frame 100 - 125

 101. Anacapa Channel Islands National Park

• https://californiathroughmylens.com/anacapa-channel-islands-national-park
• National park

102. Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve

• National monument status, spring time has wild flowers
• 1 hour drive into central south area
• https://californiathroughmylens.com/santa-rosa-plateau-vernal-pools-wildflowers-adobes/

103. Irvine Great Park Balloon and Sunday Farmers Market (9/12/2021)

• Great Park lot 3 has the closest parking with the balloon and carousel just right by; lot 6 is also ok with just a bit of walk along the soccer practice fields
• Free, sponsored by FivePoints, sign the waiver online on that day, stand in line after the check point; the the balloon holds about 10 people for one ride; vertical cable holds the balloon vertically launched up and down
• Sunday farmers market has about 10 vendors, all mexicans, not a lot of everything

104. California Science Center (10/16/2021)

• https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit/directions-parking-transportation, $15 parking plus timed entry reservation service fee; one hour, center of LA
• 2 hours trip seeing endeavor space shuttle and the rose garden
• 30min to the eastern Chinese shopping community

105. Whitewater canyon/preserve (9/18/2021)

• 9160 Whitewater canyon Rd; 1.5hrs from Irvine and 2 hours back; 5 to 55 to 91 to 60 to 10 then 5 miles into the canyon road
• 3 ponds and 2 trails; the ponds have beautiful running waters. The one trail going between the driveway and the parking lot, short and a bit rocky
• The 2nd is on the other side of the parking lot, 3.5 miles of a loop of the canyon view, 280 miles to Mexico and 2500 miles to Canada; no shades at all, and inland hot
• The parking lot has high winds and big shades and one restroom.  The park is open from 8 to 5pm.

106. Lake Gregory (6/18/2021)

• Lake Arrowhead direction, 1 hour 17 minutes
• $6 parking fee in the regional park; adult $10 and senior $6; lake is all fened up; lake seems to be small neighborhood size, also not a lot o f shades; on the Lake Rd, there is parking available at the goodwill store, but there is no access to the lake if you don't pay
• Trail is easy 2.3 miles around the lake, but didn't go
• Heart rock trail is close by

107. Buck Gully Trailhead (4/3/2021)

• 4 miles, 400ft elevation, easy trail, close to newport, wetland reserve; 23 minutes via culver road
• Parking - Street Parking on Poppy Ave, or Newport community center, or Cannon watch park, not too popular of a trail
• Partially shaded, these are the hills valleys in the midst of residential areas, not a lot to see.  They connect with San Joaquin and Bobcat trails; overall trails are one-way, 10000 steps, 1.5 hours
• About 20 minutes to drive to the Tokyo Central

108. Amir's garden at the Griffith Park (7/3/2021)

• https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/amirs-garden-griffith-park/; 1 hour and 12 minutes
• Trailhead address: Mineral Wells Road & Griffith Park Drive, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA 90027
• Trail is rated as moderate difficulty, it's sharp incline in two places on very sandy roads, abandoned 
• Griffith park is huge, lots of parking space but mostly already occupied by 8am, long trails all along the main roads with golf courses and such, mostly can do flat straight walks if needed; zoo and museum are close with plenty of parking

109. Rowland heights trail (3/27/2021)

• 14600 Orange Grove Ave, Hacienda heights; 3 parking slots close to the gate and many more in the road ahead of it; neighborhood also offers many parking opportunities
• Deep ascent and descent, needing hiking sticks, 2 hours on the coyote trail in the loop, no shade, and very slippery, 12000 steps on the day
• 40 minutes drive, 15 minutes to the Hsi Lai Temple, 15 minutes to the rowland heights shopping centers

110. Aliso Summit hiking trail (4/10/2021, 2/5/2022)

• 405 exit 90 then drive 5 miles on Aliso highway, turn into highland drive then to ridgeway
• 25minutes drive to Aliso highways, two street parking choices, one at ridgeway and the other at pacific island
• The trail is along the hill ridge where mansions stand and beautiful culturing of wild flowers, about 4 miles round ways; turn right on pacific island to the monarch summit senior center for top of the world of the laguna canyons; 13000 steps in two hours, enjoyable walks but there have been some elevations
• Beautiful scenes overlooking the valleys and Laguna beach peeks in between

111. Eucalyptus trail (5/16/2021, best on Sundays)

• Nice and easy chino hills, 41 minutes drive from home on I5, 57N, 60E then 4 miles on chino hills parkway, free parking set at chino hills community park parking
• Get on trail into the inclines, it's rated as moderate but is manageable with walking sticks; the 2nd half of the road is all flat on paved roads
• Passing horses, sheep, cow, many farms, baseball fields and horse camps
• Then drive 5 minuts to 2948 Thai temple and sunday open market.  Not paved parking, first get tokens then get order, arriving 1015am, ordering 1030am, 1140am getting food at the one-man stand stir fried drunken noodle, also get coconut krom and barbecue chicken skewer.  It's good if there are no other things to do on Sundays

112. Reagan Presidential Library (10/22/2022)

• 1.5 hour drive in the early morning, another 30min past the Getty Museum on 405
• 2 hour drive back in the early afternoon, drive 118E to 210E to 5
• 2 hours walk inside the library and museum exhibition, airforce one, helicopter, on a ranch hill with a large piece of raw / sandy land
• Impressive accomplishment and communicator
• This is the last of a new place that I visit in the California state

113. Wayfarers chapel and Abalone Cove Shoreline park (11/6/2021)

• 1 hour drive to the two places, about opposite the coastway drive, very close to the point vicente lighthouse; chapel was occupied with wedding and didn't allow general guests to go in on this Saturday
• Abalone Cove shoreline park requires parking fee of $6+; not necessary.  There are three free 30min time limited free parking slots just outside of the park entrance, also the chapel has ton of parking space, just need to cross the driveway (one-lane on each way)
• On way to Gardena and Torrance for some good japanese market shopping and food

114. Julian town, in Aug-Oct, U-pick apple, wine tasting (9/4/2021)

• San Diego direction along the meandering CA 78 and CA 79.  I got motion sickness on these dangerous roads
• https://www.daytrippen.com/julian-day-trip/
• Downtown (3 / 4 blocks), old buildings; farm and orchard may have activities to see; vintage market place has things to sell, old mining company, lots of beer and eating places; all trails are moderate difficulties
• Julian pie company, excellent pie.  Main post is in the San Yatz area
• Wynola Flats Produce (a store with high priced organic honey, produce etc)
• From the Julian pie company heading home, miss the old millie way road into the san Pasquel valley road, pass the san Diego safari zoo, then make a left turn at the san Pasquel road to get back to the I15 north into CA 78 west again.  The Mexican stand at the crossroad of San Pasquel valley and San Pasquel road is very good, very cheap.  Tomato one 4lbs bag for $4 and a big mellon for $2.  The stand is called Roadrunner Organics / Hernandez Family Produce

115. Hicks Canyon Trail (2/15/2021)

• 13min drive on culver for 4 miles then turn left into viewpoint road.  On the left, it is the Hicks community park (free parking), drive on to the dead end, it is the entrance to the Hicks canyon and then Peters canyon trail
• Going NB on the Peters canyon trail, one hour to the starting point of the Peters trail head in the Peters regional park
• Going SB on the Peters canyon trail, long and at some point will end at Jamboree
• The side closest to the gated housing community has trees for shades in the morning hours

116. Tustin Citrus Ranch Park (2/21/2021)

• Ran into this little community park in between the hicks canyon trail and the peter's canyon trail
• A few lines of the citrus lemon grove trees, small hill into a gazebo to overlook the mountain views of the tustin city
• Free parking, lots of places; along the Portola and Jamboree

117. Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) (10/29/2022)

• Newly opened on 10/8/2022
• Park at the front of the Watergrill in the SCP (one light before the crossing bridge), cross the busy Bristol road, then walk in the familiar roads, passing a bridal store, a salon, a restaurant, coming to the Art of the something road, then turn left, walk into to get into the glass door
• A small museum, and most exhibitions are on the 1st floor, abstract, very new; 2nd floor has the mezzanine has a special theme; book store is worth visiting
• At the top floor, there are views of the entire airstreams connecting the floors in layers with views across the entire building inside and out
• 45min in total

118. Cedar Grove Park (2/28/2021)

• 15min drive, get past the Portola road, turn right
• Closest community park to the Peters canyon, about 20 parking slots, right in front of the Tustin city irrigation monument
• Drive further on to the Peters Canyon road, street parking to get onto the trail

119. Top of the world Laguna Canyons (4/10/2021)

• Multiple trails leading up to the top of the Laguna canyons
• At the top roundabout, there is a parking lot and street parking seems manageable.  Then it's just 5-10 minutes walk up to the top
• Heavily trafficked trails, some may be moderate with steep elevations and declines 

120. Newport coastal peak park (5/8/2021)

• After the Mariner's Church farmers market, drive on turn left back onto culver then immediately turn left again into turtle ridge, again turn left into newport coast road for 2 miles then drive left into Ridge Park road, in the high end newport residential area
• Park at the Ridge park roadside and hike into the crystal cove state park, take the pacific ridge then no name ridge then trickoton then red then the bommer trail to round up the loop
• There are many trails, most are moderate and hard trails.  The above will take 2 hours.  There are many sharp elevations and descents, better to bring in the walking sticks

121. Idyllwild (11/15/2021)

• About 2 hours one way, visited Lake Fulmor, Idyllwild Garden, Ernie Maxwell trails on a Friday; many parking places require the national forest day use pass or fee required at the nature center
• 243 road has 30 miles of meandering high mountain roads, many turns and twists; should need a good lunch break before coming back driving on road
• The town at the north circle place has many coffee and restaurant places, lunch time is nice at the red kettle; parking is easy or park at the library and fairway market.  Overall a very easy, slow going place to kill a day for; signals are spotty all the time except for when in town
• Ernie Maxwell trail, scenic, but cold, walked around 5000 steps and don't know where it leads to, and how far, turned back after seeing the two peaks with the big trunk laying horizontal
• There was a korean gazebo that I missed on the way to the town; also a big trail with roadside parking that I need to do research; lots of small and good looking inn place

122. Temecula and Wilson Creek Winery (10/30/2021)

• 1hr to 1.5hr drive to the old town then another 20min on the ranch california way to get into the 40 wineries; low altitude, not hilly and relatively more urban
• Temecula old town has free garage parking right beside the civic center or at the parking lot in front of the civic center.  Saturday there is a farmers market, there are empenadas and ceviche and tamales
• Had empenadas at Havana Kitchen, and 1909 is the most crowded restaurant place; old buildings, contemporary eating places, good vibe
• Winery is very crowded, bought one card for one person $25 for wine tasting.  Next time can buy a bottle with ice chill on the lawn; nice vineyard, small walking grounds, can eat the grapes.  Most wines cost $25 for a bottle
• Favorite from the wine tasting, is the almond white, then mascova, then the sparking wines (tried rose and watermelon)

123. Arroyo Pescadero Trail, Colima Rd at the Hacienda Hills (9/5/2021)

• Off the highway then 5 miles on the Colima Rd, make a U-turn after the Murphy Ranch Rd, there are about 15 parking slots; otherwise can park into the heritage parking lot then cross the road; it's not legal to cross but I have seen people doing it
• 2 miles loop on the main loop, then another 0.5 miles on the deer loop
• Relatively flat but some elevations, mostly without shades; overall a good routine
• But it is not close to the Monterey park, have to get on to multiple highways before arriving at the alices kitchen

124. Santa Barbara (6/12/2021, 7/3/2022)

• Chromatic Gate, 137 miles, street parking close to the east beach in the neighborhood; somewhat underwhelming
• Old mission, open at 930am on Fridays and Saturdays, 11am on Sundays; adults $15 and seniors $13 https://www.santabarbaramission.org/; rose garden was all free, very beautiful place
• Santa Barbara courthouse and sunken house, lot 6 or lot 7, parking first 75min free then $1.50 per hour after; impressive architecture, but the buildings were not opening up for public access
• Downtown map and parking guide Map https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=41765
• Hendrys beach, Arroyo Burro Beach County (not not visited) Park https://www.santabarbara.com/activities/beaches/santa-barbara/hendrys-beach/, park may need $10 fee
• Shoreline park, 801 or 1357 1377 Shoreline Dr Parking Lot (lots of walking); this was just an ok place to visit, all fenced up along the walkaway
• Sterns Wharf (tourist place); drive in to the wooden board walk, first 75min was free but it was hard to find parking.  There was nearby parking, first hour $2; overall strategy should be to purchase 2 hours and drive around the various parking lots along the beach area
• La Super-Rica Taqueria for mexican food takeout, order number 16 special, number 1 and 3 are un-marinated beef and pork, all excellent food; arrive at 11am and there were already 10 people waiting in line; street parking, mindful that it the concrete curbside is quite high and could be scratching the edge of the car
• https://passionpassport.com/day-trip-guide-santa-barbara/
• On the way back, it was a gruesome 4 hours drive due to traffic congestion.  Stopped by the Tokyo Central Gardena, a good strategy to destress and potentially get some food and drink.  It was two miles on 91E
• 7/3/2022 - Hendry Beach, very busy but free parking lot on the Cliff Dr.  Can also park in the street at the corner that says not an outlet.  The beach is like a dog beach, tiny, has a boathouse restaurant on site
• 7/3/2022 - Leadbetter Beach, close to the shoreline beach.  Park at the La Marina road on the street for free.  Its a larger beach but kinda ordine, very pretty beach color

125. Descanso Gardens (6/19/2021)

• 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 https://www.descansogardens.org/summer/
• A little over an hour drive, close to Pasadena LA area
• Timed advance ticket purchase required, adult $15 and senior $11; opens at 9am
• Yummy Kitchen, Man Chan Cuisine, GW market in Rosemead, Yung Ho Cafe (soy bean drink and baozi), ended up going to Delicious Food Corner at San Gabriel (good place)
• Max 2 hours of visit, impressive rose garden and everything else is small, petite, hill top garden is steep and dirt road up; Japanese garden is very tiny, overall a good place for children and for the elderly 

|| California Expeditions, Frame 76 - 100

 76. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (1/1/2021, 2/13/2021, 1/1/2022, 11/24/2022)

• San Diego direction https://www.daytrippen.com/torrey-pines-state-reserve-san-diego-day-trip/
• 1-hour drive, a very crowded place
• Parking strategy
• Free parking right before the south entrance on the main road; arrived at 9:20am and there was none available
• Make a U-turn then right turn into Camel Valley road and there are additional free parking and entrance at the midpoint
• Turn around, go back on the main road and look for the hourly parking $3 per hour, and need 3 hours; this is right above the Del Mar place, I think
• Get into the south entrance, flat free $20, drive all the way to the top of the mountain
• Paved steep road up the hill, the bridges and etc, this is probably an hour's walk
• Lots of trails, beautiful beach scenes, not rocky roads but very sunny, need walking sticks
• Visited the north fleming grove, yucca point (part of the beach trail), whitaker garden
• 2/13/2021, walk all the way to the broken hill to south fork to north fork to flat rock to beach trail back to the parking lot, 17000 steps in 3 hours
• 11/24/2022, walk directly to the beach trail down, take the Razor Point direction, passing Red Butte, the meandering sandy roads take us into Razor Point, more quite than the Yucca point, but wonderful top-down views of the hills and plantations at the bottom; walk back up without stopping at Yucca point and down the beach in total for 13.7K steps

77. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (9/4/2021)

• Sand Diego direction https://www.daytrippen.com/cuyamaca-rancho-state-park-san-diego-day-trip/
• 2 hours drive San Diego then east direction, take the 5 or 15 freeways then proceed onto the 8 freeway east until you get to Highway 79, following the signs for Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
• Stonewall peak, moderate; Cuyamaca Peak via Azalea Glen loop, moderate
• Easy trails are Big Laguna trail (13.3 miles); sunset trail to Laguna meadow (8 miles), Stonewall mines and lake cuyamaca trail (3 miles), many trails are easy around the meadow with natural reserves
• https://www.parks.ca.gov/667
• https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/667/files/CuyamacaRanchoFinalWebLayout060917.pdf
• CA 78 and CA79 were winding mountain roads that got me into motion sickness.  The park is widely distributed, charging $10 for parking everywhere
• The lake area is tiny and restricting access, didn't stop over, it's not worth the drive or the money

78. Oceanside California (12/29/2020)

• San Diego direction, https://www.daytrippen.com/oceanside-day-trip/
• September Harbor Days 2-day event
• Mission San Luis Rey Oceanside https://www.daytrippen.com/san-diego-day-trips/
• 50minutes drive to 240 Harbor Street, free parking for 2 hours, note there were several parking lots in the same address, not the boat permit required or anywhere that says pay here
• Walk 20 minutes into the board walk area after the north village; it's a little boring with the vacation homes on one side and the beach / the pier on the other.  The pier is long and made of wood
• The mission stands on highway 76 (4 or 5 miles) at the same exit as the Oceanside beach

79. San Elijo State Reserve (1/16/2021)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/san-elijo-state-reserve/
• A little over one hour's drive to the Lagoon parking lot, address 2710 Manchester Avenue Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA  92007
• https://www.sdparks.org/content/dam/sdparks/en/pdf/BrochuresMiscellaneous/SanElijoBrochure.pdf
• Parking lot is small with just 10 spots, street parking is not too safe because of uneven concrete blocks; can also park in the upstream apartment complex Cardiff community, then take on the opposite side of the road and start on trail
• The roads through the lagoon office leads to an underpass that can lead to the ecological reserve then the Solona beach.  The beach is tiny
• Walk on to the Solona point (can try parking in that location) for the direct access to the Rio's trail.  The trail leads to the I5 highway then back to the Lagoon parking lot, 51 minutes walking but need to get over the construction site with some muddy roads

80. Mission Trails Park (3/6/2021)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/mission-trails-park-day-trip/
• One hour 21minutes, San Diego direction; I5-I805-E52 to local roads; free parking but very limited in two locations; at 9am, there is no spot left; overflow at Jackson Rd turning right into a dirt road lot; no restroom
• https://mtrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MTRP_Trail_Map_Apr_2020.pdf
• Easy trails are visitor center loop (3/6/2021) and old mission dam (3/6/2021), father junipeto, oak grove, Kumey, Deerfield
• Mission mountains in motion, amid houses on the hill tops, having creeks and an old mission dam; old mission dam has separate parking lot, 10 slots, at the end of the trail

81. Life of Tree Nursery, Southcoast Farm U-Pick (6/26/2021)

• 40 minues drive, exit 82 to route 79 then another 7.5 miles then turn left
• Farm site is on the right, drive slowly, with strawberries, corns, tomatoes, $5 to park car and $5 per pound on strawberries
• The Farm also has farm stand for more fresh produce for sale at Dana Point, it's located in a shopping plaza, the selections are very small, not worth the drive

82. Little Saigon Asian Garden Night Market (7/10/2021)

• The address is 9200 Bolsa Ave Asian Garden Mall plaza.  The parking lot was huge at the back end of the building, enter through Bishop street or google map position the auto shop place, there is also street parking spaces
• Weekends at 7-9pm, bought sugarcane plain juice, grilled octopus on the first time
• 6369 Bolsa has a dessert store; overall a family summer fair, very culture-driven, all so pleasing

83. Newport Beach Inspiration Point, CDM (12/5/2020)

• Set direction to Sherman library and garden on Fernleaf.  Street parking only between Dahlia and Goldrop and First street
• The flowery bridge passway connecting the 2nd and the 3rd tier of the rocks of streets are at Goldrop
• Walk into newport CDM beach, into inspiration point and into the Poppy street where things end with a neighborhood public beach access

84. Big Dalton Dam Trail, Angeles National Forest (12/12/2020)

• 45min drive on I5 then 57N then the neighborhoods.  There are multiple parking places, one on the main road (dirt road and busy) or turn in the wilderness park and park several stopping points along the main road of the big dalton
• Four easy trails along the Big Dalton trails, leading to the construction of the dam, then it was closed
• Need the walking stick and good shoes, go the rough road and come back on the paved driveway, 1mile each way, about 6000 steps
• Saw the fall season foliage and many wooden bridges, well maintained and spacious
• Neighborhood is a little strange, it's close to the edge of the mountain central CA area

85. Manhattan Beach (12/19/2020, 6/2/2022, 6/26/2022, 11/13/2022)

• 45min drive on 405 then get into the Manhattan beach blvd for three miles, till the end but find parking on the other side on the street just street parking
• Well developed small town with trendy and active living style shops, sketches, lorna jane etc
• Hilly streets leading to the beach and the pier; vacation villas all along the bike trail and boardwalk on the upper level
• Surfers' heaven with people wearing black sharkskin surfing suits, barefoot and boards walking in and out of the water, active living when you have youth and money
• Walked the north end from the pier, and a good place to explore the south next time
• (6/2/2022) Drive to the end of the Manhattan beach blvd (at pier), see the Von's parking lot, then turn left into the Union Bank lanes.  There may be a few free street parking spots in the neighborhood.  Walked the south part, 10K steps out and back, from the 30xth street to the 10xth street with lots of beach volleyball courts
• (6/26/2022) Parked in front of the Union Bank at 830AM.  Then walked the north past the City of Los Angeles Water and Power Steam Plant, round trip 11000 steps

86. Riverside Fairmount Park

• 40min drive on 91 reaching 60 and 215 at 2601 Fairmount Blvd; 
• Parking situation is unknown

87. 626 Night Market at Arcadia San Anita Park (7/17/2021)

• 48 miles, one hour drive, enter from the east entrance at the sign of gate 5, then park as close to the entrance as possible; advanced ticket purchase 5.75 from website
• The town of Arcadia is close to Pasadena, mountain area, lots of power grids, asian resources but this place feels old
• About four rows of food vendors and food trucks in a spacious playground, no shade, very hot, high wind; food was very over priced, about 50% higher than the usual places, service members are mostly kids from the summer camps, they assemble the pre-made pieces into the finished products; lots of grill, lots of drink places
• Norigamitaco, yakitori-yada, lamb kabob, shin sen yakitori are the four places I've tried food
• Good fortune supermarket is not the place for me, just about 8 minutes drive
• I605 connects I5 and I405, 50min to come back home

88. Angeles Stadium Anaheim for baseball game (7/16/2021)

• Within 30min drive, heavy traffic, stadium holds 45000 people, $10/$20 parking, all unmarked; move the car in the right lane when turning left
• At least 5 gates, suites are located at level 3, lots of food and drink concession places
• The lamp post in the parking lot has some faint marks, so look around and mark where the car is parked
• Suite 23 is under the shade in the 5-8pm hours in July
• It says the stadium may have college football and concert events, but there are non of them going far into the September month

89. Ojai, spring time is the best, sunday for farmers market

• 2 hours drive to the north of LA
• Trail - Ventura river preserve river view; rose valley falls (not that easy) tucked in the Los Padres National Forest this 1.1-mile out-and-back hike is easy enough for the whole family to enjoy – except for small children (it's not stroller or wheelchair accessible)
• If you're looking for an easy place to hike near town, head to Ojai Meadows Preserve for majestic mountain scenery and spring wild flowers
• Ojai certified farmers market
• https://www.planetware.com/california/top-rated-things-to-do-in-ojai-us-ca-564.htm

90. Malibu Rock Pool and Century Lake Trail (12/30/2020)

• https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/rock-pool-and-century-lake-trails
• Easy, 4.4 miles, $3/hr parking fee, max $12, 1.36 hours
• Rock pool, visitor center, century lake, mash site (another 1.1 miles away) and regan ranch (2 miles+)
• The Rock pool and century lake took 2 hours and involved fairly steep climbs
• College kids rock climbing and mountain expeditions

91. Heart Rock Trail (12/31/2020, 6/18/2021)

• 1 hour 19 minute, in the Crestline area; 80 miles
• Easy, 1.7 miles, in the Santa Ana route; the reality is that it's not that easy, requires the hiking shoes as it's dirt road and super dry, very slippery
• Park in Camp Seeley in a small dirt parking lot by the 138 street
• 55N, 57N, 91N, 18, 138, in the same direction as Lake Arrowhead; nested in high mountains, best for the summer season for the high altitude, drive is very winding and use with care
• Turned back on the last day of 2020 as snow covered the main road, realizing the rain system in the monday produced heavy snow and is making the hike very unsuitable
• The trail is not too well marked.  Watch out for when the trail has more rocks on the right side and with a note on it that says so; stand on top of the rocks and look down for the heart rocks

92. The Sign of Hollywood (7/3/2021)

• Set google map to the lake of hollywood park; winding roads, confusing signs, get past that parking sign before the winding roads and uphill to see the lake, then park; park early otherwise the incline will make it even harder to make a turn
• The park is tiny on green grass with the Hollywood sign up small, then walk up the inclining road of traffic to the insbrook trail head; it says no pedestrian beyond this point, but can walk in, just follow the group
• Walk carefully for car traffic, all the way in, until coming to a roundabout, do not turn right, keep straight at the left side, get past several houses (on the left side or fork of roads).  There is a small entry in between two private lanes that is the open access to the trail and the stopping ground with really good views of the sign of hollywood; then return back to car
• Drive 101 then 10E into the san gabriel area for food

93. Vicente Lighthouse at Palos Verdes and Del Cerro Park (2/14/2021)

• 1 hour 5 minutes drive from 405 then 110 south then several local roads
• Del Cerro Park is right on mountain top of the Portuguese bend and requires special permit parking.  The nearby public street parking is always full.  Actually the mountain top trails aren't even interseting
• Instead, turn left into the road to drive down to the cliffs of the point vicente.  The parking lot of the Vicente lighthouse is all free and has plenty of space.  Or two additional places, one, turn into the Oceanfront estate, and then right again into the neighborhood streets, park right there at the mid trail entrance.  Two, park at the shopping plaza right in front of Trader Joe, then walk in
• Two trails, Seacove trail and Goldencove trail, ocean front
• Extremely beautiful scenes, and watch out for additional stop points in the area
• The lighthouse is closed, only open on the 2nd Saturday for tour, the hours are 10-3pm

94. Michael D. Antonovich Trail (12/27/2020)

• 40 minutes drive, San Dimas, California, 6 miles; park at 1100 S Valley street staging area
• Northeast direction has about 1 mile of steep climb to the mountain top gardens; car relic in one side road, crossing 1/2 river streams
• Southwest direction has a lot more, 5 miles of walking and there were river streams to pass as well
• Car hit the wood logs on the parking lot, very displeasing 
  

95. Carbon canyon regional park (12/31/2020)

• 30minutes in Yorba Linda to south parking lot near the redwood trail
• $3 parking fee on the weekdays and $5 on the weekends
• Small grounds with a lake; several trails, carbon canyon trail -> redwood grove trail -> yorba linda trail seems to be able to get on top of the hill and have birds eye view of the area
• Dirt road, mostly flat, is ok without the hiking sticks; park at the redwood grove trail side is a good one

96. Oso Creek Trail, Mission Viejo (1/10/2021)

• 20minutes drive on I5 to exit 88 then get onto Margarite parkway
• Two parking places - 1) High ground coffee shopping plaza directly leading to Oso creek trail head right away in 3 minutes 2) Thomos Potocki art center parking lot, leading to Oso creek trail in about 10 minutes
• Lots of trail exits and roundabouts, 1.5miles to Pavion Park
• https://funorangecountyparks.com/pavion-park-mission-viejo.html

97. Catalina Island (7/23/2021)

• Catalina Flyer, prepaid tickets with discounts and park mobile prepaid permit; an alternative is the Catalina Express, departing from Dana Point or Long Island; look for potentially birthday discounts
• Arrive at least 40 minutes to be in the line for boarding, tail end outside is the best position for seasickness or inside the bottom level towards the middle
• The trip was 1.5 hours between fast speed and slow speed 
• Golf cart rentals are white (weekdays 2 hours plus one hour free) and blue (efficient, good either way); follow the map for returning routes and they time the return for cash returns
• Golf cart ride was very enjoyable, small island place, next time, try the descanso beach club place for eating and beach sitting; also try the other two harbors for visiting
• Hotels are really nice on the hill, full of characters but not sure how they will travel in between the town and the hotel

98. Laguna Beach and Farmers Market (1/30/2021)

• 21min drive from 405 into 133 before Spectrum, then 8 miles, turn left into Lot 11 of the farmers market
• Free parking before 12pm on Saturdays.  Small farmers market, veggies, emphinadas, coffee, bread; good potato and tomato stands
• Walk to the main beach and go left into Heisler park and there are several staircases to walk-downs, really good for picnic, beautiful scenes in the Bird Rock etc
• Drive south for another 1.5-2 miles, about 1.9 miles away from Mission Hospital, right before arriving at the West Street, there may be street parking and there is a "coastal access" staircase, it's steep but safe, leading to a secluded beach place, quiet, but waves could be big and upcoming
• In between west street and back the main, treasure island is around, and try to find parking right outside of the official parking place

99. Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach (10/2/2021)

• Parked at 1416 Hungtington street; lots of street parking for free, 1400s at Oswego and Hungtington, 35min walk into the show at gate A (close to the Huntington beach pier); must arrive at 10am
• $25 ticket may get to the beach and to the main stage views better, but it's not mandatory and in between gate A and the pier is a good spot
• Thunderbirds, Blue Angel, Snowbirds all in one show, rare event
• Pacific airshow website and app

100. Downtown Disneyland District (12/24/2020)

• 2020 Christmas opens up the downtown shopping center and part of the adventure park; follow parking on google map and $10 parking
• It's all around 6000 steps, many shops have separate entrance and exit, also requires waiting in line
• Star wars trade post has the resistance force landing zone with gears etc
• On the way back, visited Trieu Chao restaurant for a pound of beef balls and a pound of fish balls and a bowl of house special noodle

|| 16 Hours of the Ring

At this week's Wagner dedicated MET free concert series, I watched almost 16 hours of the Ring, the epics of the Seigfried, the tragedies of the generations of the gods/the evils/the humans who fell and fought for the power and the wealth of the land.

There was not a single character that is forever good or bad, everyone walks the fine line of moral hazard and making the choices of their standings that seem to be hurting some.  The conflict was enormous, everyone was ridiculous, but they sang with emotions and told stories of their struggle.

|| California Expeditions, Frame 51 - 75

51. Lake Arrowhead (6/18/2021)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/lake-arrowhead-day-trip-things-to-do/
• 1.5 to 2 hours trip, close to big bear
• Also close to Silverwood lake, deep creek hot springs
• In the highlands, drive carefully with turns, about 4000 elevations.  Drive into the village area, lots of shops, sitting areas but the river front side is very limited as the lake is prioritized to the home owners; there's McDonald, and double deck eating area was very nice

52. Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego (12/26/2020)

• National park, this is the 4th pass use.  1.5 hours drive, at I5, exit at 21 to the seaworld drive, pass the mission bay area and getting to the catalina blvd for a few miles to get into the trading post entry
• The upper location has the loma point, the monument, visiting center and whale watching outlook
• The lower location has the tidal pool and sea cove trails, at times steep down on the sandy staircases, need the walking stick
• Beautiful rock formations along the coast line, overlook on the San Diego downtown, naval and air base, submarine base
• 8000 steps and 2 hours

53. Long Beach (1/2/2022)

• 30 miles; drive on 405 then change to go west
• Two parking spaces - Map destination to shoreline village ($6 for max 2 hours); Pier Point landing parking (same parking system but not clear about charges)
• Cross the bridge has the Queen Mary ship and the Hotel Maya (luxury living it looks like)
• Lots of restaurants of national chain brands, mall etc
• Whale watching cruise start on 12pm and 330pm; harbor 45min cruise departs every 30-60min 

54. Sequoia national park (9/6/2020)

• $35 per park entry fee, $80 for annual pass
• https://www.visitsequoia.com/explore/trip-planner/travel-planning
• https://www.visitsequoia.com/explore/trip-planner/maps-and-directions
• General Sherman Tree, the largest living thing on Earth. This gargantuan sequoia tree is only a couple of miles from the Giant Forest Museum. The area is divine with giant tree forest of 3000+ years old, lots of walking, descending and ascending
• Climb Moro Rock.  The parking lot should be right in the front of the staircases.  There are about 350 steps, and you should go up in one breathe
• Also located in the Giant Forest area, climb 400 steps to the top of the massive granite dome for inspiring views of the High Sierra and the Great Western Divide. Drive through Tunnel Log, located just a minute or two further down the road
• Hike one of our shorter hiking trails, like the Hazelwood Nature Trail or the Big Trees Trail
• https://www.visitsequoia.com/~/media/parks/sequoia/files/seki-hiking-trail-map.pdf?la=en
• Didn't visit the hospital rock, the forecast museum or the cave

55. Kings Canyon national park (9/5/2020)

• The deepest canyon in North America, Kings Canyon offers a massive panorama of scenery that, like the big trees up the road, is above and beyond. Many opportunities to engage this national park treasure, from picnic tables to campgrounds and national park lodging, are available
• Valley View overlook, and the Grizzly Falls turnout, Zumwalt meadow, and the roaring falls are worth stoping by
• Grant Grove
• A mixed conifer and sequoia forest surrounds the General Grant Tree Trail at Grant Grove. Other points of interest include the Gamlin Cabin and the Fallen Monarch along the 1/3-mile paved trail. Take the North Grove Loop, a lightly traveled, 1.5-mile trail that leads away from the pavement for a closer look at the big trees.
• General Grant Tree

56. Upper Newport Back Bay (Westcliff, 8/29/2020)

• Galaxy view park, North star beach, both places are petite, they are 15min apart
• Park at Newport Aquatic center at north star beach, dirt and sandy surface
• http://www.newportbeachca.gov/PLN/LCP/Internet%20PDFs/CLUP_Part%203_Public%20Access%20and%20Recreation.pdf
• Big Canyon Nature Park. Big Canyon Nature Park is a passive open space area that provides hiking trails from Jamboree Road to the Upper Newport Bay Marine Park. The mouth of Big Canyon contains natural habitats and the provision of additional public access must be consistent with the protection of these resources
• Try the West cliff Drive, street parking to get back on trail
• Mountain to Sea trail head is right besides the Backbay science center

57. Getty Villa (12/31/2021)

• https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/parking-and-transportation/
• One hour drive, can stop at Torrance, need a reservation, parking is $20 and enter through the right hand side of the parking deck

58. Holy Jim (10/3/2020)

• https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-orange-county/hike-holy-jim-falls-trail/
• 47min drive
• Turning onto the dirt road, there were a few places where you need to slow down and carefully go through the uneven surfaces.  But then, it came to a "do not enter" gate, and this place is closed.  Looks like the road ahead is more uneven and will not be suitable for a sedan car to drive through

59. Holy Jim, Whiting Ranch hiking red rock (10/3/2020)

• https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-orange-county/whiting-ranch-hiking-red-rock-canyon/
• 30mn drive
• This place is very close to the Holy Jim area.  Drive to the hill roads and the park is on the right side with massive parking places, $3 parking fee from the paying machine
• There are clearly marked trails, not too many easy ones and most people are walking on the easy Serrano, Lively Oak trails.  The Serrano cow trail is marked as easy but it's very narrow and there are many crazy mountain bikers flying through the trails, not the ideal for pedestrian walkers
• It is indeed wilderness, and there's not much to see.  The place is marked to have mountain lions

60. Grand Central Market and Downtown LA (7/3/2021)

• Set google map to grand central market garage, first 90min $4 then $2 for every extra 15 minutes, so it's adding up quickly; there are flat rate $10 garages just around the corner but flat and seems to be difficult in parking in
• Busy scenes with many food vendors, all enticing with big traffic; restroom is on the underground floor
• Ate at Villa taco place, very good food and drink; eggslut has super long lines
• Angeles sky cable car is on the back and the last book store is about 4 blocks away; finishing all these activities are $10 so about 2.5 hours

61. Serrano creek park (9/19/2020)

• 15min drive into Lake Forest, park on the street, free parking
• Small park, very quiet, secluded, limited trail between paved paths and horse paths, alongside the creek.  The heritage hill park is blocked during the days
• The other side has the lake forest lake, a private property space

62. Hilltop Conservation Park at Dana Point (9/26/2020)

• 30min drive on 405 then 5 for 15 miles to turn into route 1, get onto the blue street lantern and a few more turns to get a the very top of the hill, roadside parking only
• One short nature walk, one closed trail at the conservation interpretive center, one trail leading to the top of mountain with exits to the main roads
• The hill sits on top of the kiddy pool where paddling boats descend into the waters

63. Newport Civic Center (9/26/2020)

• Turn into San Miguel at the Fashion Island
• Contemporary buildings of the city council, library, senior citizens center
• Desert garden, city central park with statues, sculpture art works
• 20min to get back home from MacArthur, Jamboree

64. Anti mall and the camp, the LAB (11/22/2020)

• In the city of Costa Mesa, just a street apart
• http://www.thelab.com/store-list
• https://www.thecampsite.com/storelist
• The camp is more interesting with a buy and sell store, patagonia and a few eating places

65. Terranea Resort Palos Verdes Trails (11/21/2020)

• Passing the industrial shipyard at Long Beach, drive into the neighborhood roads
• Park at "Trail Parking" by Google map, there are approximately 25 car slots, and plenty of street parking outside the "Ocean" townhomes
• Several trails, paved and dirt road, lots of climbs and declines, so use the walking sticks when possible, easily 10K steps in 1.5 hours
• Beautiful place with clean water with smells from the sea, not crowded at all
• https://www.daytrippen.com/terranea-resort-palos-verdes-day-trip/

66. Pasadena City Hall and Arlington Garden (10/17/2020)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/pasadena-day-trip/
• Gamble house etc tours have been suspended
• 50min drive.  Plenty of metered parking outside of the cluster of buildings, $1.25 per hour
• The cluster includes, church, police hall, supreme court, public library, permit center, Asian museum.  Most are closed for the day
• Arlington Garden is a hidden gem, street parking but easy.  There are many garden trails, tables to lounge and to have a quick drink or bite on things

67. Heisler Park, Laguna Beach (10/10/2020)

• Park at lot 12 at 133South, use the left lane and turn into public parking right before the civic hall, $3 all day during the weekend
• Park lot 2 is closer to the beach, smaller and busier lot inside the commercial strip
• Walk towards the north onto the hill top and all the way, multiple staircases to go up or down and into the Heisler Park, pretty views and rock formations

68. Paso Roble & San Luis Obispo (8/22-24/2021)

• 4 hours drive; four day strategy https://www.slocal.com/blog/post/see-all-of-slo-cal-in-4-days/
• Visited - 
• Stayed at The Kinney San Luis Obispo, Tapestry Collection by Hilton; a hotel zone after the downtown, many of them are old and some have been upgraded; the Splash cafe is just around the corner, excellent for breakfast and a quick bite
• Visited the Pismo beach and reserve, park at 80 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93446; exit at 191B; trail map https://www.lcslo.org/pismopreservetrailmap/trailmapfs.html; splash cafe for a clam chowder and fried fish tacos
• The mission is free to enter with lots of tables; downtown is just ok like a town center; evening hours have a lot of homeless on the plaza
• Downtown - Mission; Farmhouse; Bubblegum Alley is just an alley with used bubblegum, it's ridiculous to see it as a known place to visit
• Terrace open hill is a hard rock steep incline so did't pursue
• Johnson Ranch loop trail is easy and paved, 2.3 miles (orange line and easy) and 2.6 miles (yellow and medium difficulty)
• Restaurant - Firestone grill (barbecue meat); Taqueria Santa Cruz Express (ceviche tostada, carne en su jugo; average quality and environement good for take out); At Bites (Vietnamese); Mistura (Perusian, not that good)
• Also visited - 
• Morro Bay Harbor (20 minutes drive)
• Frankie and Lola breakfast is excellent, right besides the three chimneys and opposite the Morro rock; cool and easy outdoor seating; corned beef hash and pancakes are so good
• Morro rock is inside the state park, can just drive there, there are divers and hikers on the other end.
• The town is quaint and rugged, and love these sentiments
• Also visited - 
• Wolff vinyards $15 tasting and waived if buying a bottle
• Long driven inside the vinyard area, very friendly service, nice seating and shaded
• Hike https://visitslo.com/shareslo-blog/top-15-iconic-views-in-san-luis-obispo/
• Also visited - 
• Cambria, moonstone beach is very rugged on high and low rocks, broad walks etc; almost like the new england coast
• Lots of inns and motels along the drive, all looking very clean but mostly have the senior guests
• The old town is not interesting, very old, antiquated giftshops, nothing modern, nothing contemorary
• Also visited - 
• Paso Robles Bruce Munro's field of light; artwork out of my imagination
• https://sensoriopaso.com/

69. Point Fermin Park and Korean Friendship Bell (8/7/2021)

• 45min drive on I-405 then I-710, passing the industrial and ferry areas, two bridges then coming to the residential area; free parking all trip
• Korean bell was situated on the top of the hill and a basketball court right beside it; the overall neighborhood is probably blue-collar workers, lots of gratifies, lots of trash on roads
• Down the hill from the bell, there are coastal areas with plenty of parking.  Round trip was 8500 steps on the rocks of the coast, nice walks

70. Red rock canyon Trail at the Whiting Wilderness Park (10/24/2020)

• 25min drive on Barranca parkway and Alton parkway into Portola foothill town center area.  The Whiting wilderness park is right besides the Ralph's store after turning into the Market Lane from Portola parkway.  Parking fee is $3 but it's a small parking lot, so will need to park at the Ralphs if needed.  There is warning sign that it's private property etc etc.
• Bortega trail then red canyon trail, both easy, in total 1.7 miles one way and 2.5 hours walk return trip.  It's labeled as easy but requires lots of energy and patience, lots of ups and downs, needing a walking stick
• At the end of the trail, there is the close walkups to the red canyon rocks, similar to the grand canyon, the zion feel of the wildness, and you can touch it
• It's a popular trail, and worth revisiting from time to time

71. Kenneth Hahn recreational area (10/31/2020)

• 50min drive, exit 47 on I405 then 3 miles on La Cienga Rd, turn right into the park area.  $6 cash only parking fee charged at the weekends
• Park at south and north differently, the people look different for where they want to hang out; quiet and spacious, having both dirt roads and paved trails
• Doris Japanese garden is deserted, the waterfall fountain has no water
• City outlook views on the south side of the hill top with many roads connecting to the nearby neighborhoods

72. Topanga lookout trail, Malibu (12/25/2020)

• 1 hour and 15minute drive on the christmas day morning; 9 miles into the PCH 1 north, turn right, follow google instruction, the last 5 miles were extremely dizzying as it went from sea to mountain in 10minutes
• Park on the side of the road, then cross the road to enter into the trail, it was a drive way blocked then turned into rocky sandy roads, use the left fork to follow on to the trail
• It's short 6000 steps but with significant climb at some point, and I gave up on the last stretch to get onto the top
• Art work on rocks and graffiti's towards the end of the road; beautiful views of the Topanga canyon
• On the way forward, was trying to get into the Escondido street for the beach but that was a private road, so turned away
• On the way back, stopped at the Carbon canyon public access street parking place, walked down the beach and walked onto the Malibu pier and the Malibu Farm restaurant.  The food looks yummy veggie and fruity, drinks are very colorful
• On the way back, closer to Santa Monica, could do street parking then use the lawn chair to stop by and enjoy the beach scenes

73. Anza Borrengo (10/9/2021)

• 2.5 hours drive, and close to 3 hours back; 76 highway has numerous traffic lights and move slowly; there are many farm stands along the back half of the journey
• Metal sculptures https://www.visitcalifornia.com/things-to-do/anza-borrego-desert-state-park/; going up and down the S3; drive into the sands to get closer looks
• Walked the trail of the palm canyon campground; need the parking fee $9 senior to go through the gate; nice parking area; 2 hours shorter loop (the alternative trail is much harder than the main trail); dangerous and dry, need a lot of water; trail guide https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
• Map https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/abdsp_Park_Map201704.pdf
• Sculpture https://californiathroughmylens.com/anza-borrego-sculptures/
• Sculpture map http://borregospringsartmap.com/
• There are just a few shops in the town, can be the strategy to freshen up before driving back

74. Huntington Library/Park (11/3/2020, 4/7/2022)

• An hour drive on I5 then some neighborhood drive around
• Get free tickets on the 1st Thursday of the month
• Parking is free.  Enter at the west entrance, turn right into the Chinese and Japanese gardens, on the north it was the Australian subtropical garden; on the east was the jungle and the palm desert garden with a lily pond
• All the gallery and building exhibitions are closed because of covid
• 14000 steps in three hours
• Delicious food corner open at 5-9pm in the San Gabriel location, 8 min drive; also close to the HK VIP kitchen barbecue shop
• Art museum, library open; rose garden in bloom in early April, but cherry blossom is all gone (2022)

75. Aquarium of the Pacific (11/13/2020)

• 37min drive on I405 then follow signs to the aquarium parking lot, it's timed so if we visit more than 2 hours, we can validate to max out on the $8 max charge
• It's during covid, $19 entry without any discount available; the usual ticket price is $35 and use AAA for 20% discount
• Outdoor exhibition was tiny, shark, sea lion, seals, sting rays, birds, one hour time is enough

|| Opera and Solitude

The weekend trips had to stop in the midst of the virus outbreak, and solitude became more than ever when there is no office to go to and back from, when there is no lunch gatherings to laugh and to cry on with colleagues.  The west is like a castaway for me and I said I long to go back to the east, people look so distant even before the social and physical distancing, and this solitude levels the ground for all human beings.

I have enjoyed what the society has provided of us, a rare moment of living less than what it used to, which could be a little bit more for me personally who used to be living with less, the minimalist.  Everyday the MET opera streaming has been heaven in earth, beautiful voices, delicate staging and costumes, raw emotions and connections, and certainly the tragedies, the death, the ending that seems to be too soon after the death.

Art has never been so soothing when too much void has been going on, for a different reason with me, the west and the south but as I have always said, nothing has really left, keep on going for the next, it's really not too hard.

|| California Expeditions, Frame 26 - 50

25. Thousand Steps Beach (2/23)

• Drive 133 south to the Laguna Beach, then 4-5 miles to the 7th street, turn left and park at the Mission Hospital parking lot, weekend is fine and free parking
• Walk to the 9th street to the public access to the thousand steps beach
• Extreme vertical and long stretch on the staircase, beautiful rock formations and trees grown on the rocks
• Peril at end house

26. Nix Nature Center (2/23)

• $3 parking fee, and limited parking
• Look for the Green trails they are easy
• North something and Barbara Lake trails - cross the little sycamore canyon to the other side of the 133 south
• Dirt road and flat, can use the trekking poles

27. San Clemente Beach (2/29/2020, Leap Year; 9/25/2021) and San Onofre Park

• Exit 74 on I5, then use the meter for parking, 10 am-5 pm only, otherwise free; $0.75 for every 30 min; multiple parking lots, one at the pier is busy
• About 2 hours walk on the trail, mostly in dust, no elevation, no shade
• Amtrak trails along the way, beautiful rock formations and endangerment as well
• Peril at end house
• Park at 243 Avenida Lobeiro, Calafia Beach Park for free (didn't try this one)
• (2021 trip) Exit at 73 for 399 Calafia San Clemente State Beach, $6 for two hours parking; but can park at the street, try 2401 at Ave La Costa and Plaza A La Playa.  This is a cul de sac, and go down the sign that says tsunami go up ground stairs to access the beach and the number 4 safeguard station
• San Clemente outlet (4/17/2022 Easter), lots of casual sports shops, flip flog, sun diego; parking lot was used for calvary church easter summons; beautiful setting, people tailgating style or in beach chairs or lawn chairs; big screen and stage

28. Peters Canyon Regional Park (5/23/2020)

• Jamboree Rd north all the way, turn left into parking lot, it's a small lot, $3 for parking from the vending machine, credit card only (Chase works well)
• Need to wear heavy booting shoes and use walking sticks
• Follow Lake View trail, there are several difficult elevations and declines
• Follow the parking lot lane to go directly into the mountain climbing trips, three hill tops, looks difficult

29. Irvine Regional Park (5/30/2020)

• Just a few more minutes after the Peters canyon, $5 park ranger fee per car
• It's a small park after all, numbers are labeled at the parking lot
• P parking at the end of the Santiago trail, and is a good spot to start walking.  Horseshoe is a moderate trail, and is more difficult for us right now
• Lots of picnic tables suitable for families, go early for a table in the shades
• Walk around the park for about 2 hours, 10K steps in total

30. Diamond Valley Lake (6/6/2020)

• 90min drive into the inland, passing 55n-91w-15s-canyon road
• Parking at marina $10 and $3 each person to be on the trail
• Trail has 21 miles around the lake, dirt road, no shades, very long winded around the horseshoe shaped hilltops
• Beautiful lake water with boating scenes, rarely visited by anyone; wild flower trails are for early March only, and currently blocked off; check instagram for wild flower status

31. Turtle Rock Trail (6/14/2020)

• North of turtle rock community park, to the west, past chaparral park, go to the turtle rock viewpoint
• Short concrete steps to climb to the top of mountain vista view, in total 7000 steps for a loop

32. San Joaquin marsh reserve (6/27/2020)

• 10 minute drive, turn right into Michealson drive, pass the gated areas a few times to come to the marsh parking and parking overflows; at the same time, there are two front end parking lots with 7-8 spot each that can park the car, but would imagine will require some walks into the marsh area
• The marsh area consists of a few ponds, some have dried out, these are bird resting and living places, dirt roads with some shades, 1.7 loop of the south pond is probably the largest
• Visitors are typically photographers, taking bird pictures; there are really nobody else

33. Upper Newport Backbay, north bound (6/13/2020)

• 2301 University Drive, 8am entry with probably 5-6 empty parking lot spaces, no fee at all
• In between costa mesa and newport cities, wealthy neighborhood
• Two trails, one dirt road and the other bike road, going north on the bluff west trail and end in constellation trail head inside a small loop in the Santigao drive, one of those smaller lanes

34. Portuguese Reserve Bend, close to Long Beach (7/3/2020)

• The main entrance to Portuguese Bend Reserve is near Del Cerro Park at the end of Crenshaw Boulevard (nearest cross street is Burrell Lane) in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
• https://pvplc.org/_lands/portuguese_bend.asp
• Street parking is available on Crenshaw Blvd. or at Del Cerro Park. Head east to the Burma Road trailhead for the overview of the entire Reserve
• https://pvplc.org/_lands/docs/PBRBrochure2017.pdf
• Easy trail, Ishibash, Toyen, Donor One and Paint Brush Trail Loop is a 3.2 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Rancho Palos Verdes
• Moderate trail, Palos Verdes Bluffs Trail is a 2.7 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Rancho Palos Verdes
• https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/portuguese-bend-reserve
• 60min drive, at end of Crenshaw, there are street parking, need to arrive before 8am to get a spot
• Hard rocky roads, with steep ascend and descend, unbeatable views though

35. Sand Canyon Reservoir (see Quail Hill Trail in the first 25 trips, 6/21/2020)

• start at the quail hill trailhead and walk south on Shady Canyon trail about 1 mile for the best views overlooking the water

36. Upper Newport Backbay, south bound (6/20/2020, 6/26/2022)

• 2301 University Drive, 8am entry with lots of parking lot spaces, no fee at all
• Walking north bound all the way into the East Bluff after the Jamboree bridge from the San Diego creek trail.  There might be parking spots along the street that can stretch further into the other side of the back bay
• Researching on parking at CVS or Ralphs.  The bluffs community blocks all public access.  Go to Park Newport community gate road, at end of road, there are 10 street parking spots that give access
• (6/26/2022) Walk past the Irvine Blvd into Santiago into Galaxy then stopped at the Galaxy view park (can street park in the front of the park), get past that back into Santiago, can turn further and see the little park.  Round trip 11000 steps

37.  Joshua National Park (6/19/2020, 11/26/2020, 2/19/2022)

• 2.15 hours drive without traffic, $30 for parking, park opens at 8am
• The park is suitable for sports, walking, hiking, climbing; no shades, no rest areas, and is about 20 degrees higher than the irvine temperatures; very hot if sporting around after 11am
• Three entrances, the east entrance has the most that can be explored
• Hidden Valley (went in twice now), Barker Dam and Skull rock trail are 1 mile and 1.7 miles, yet to be taking on for adventure
• Turn from Palm 29 into Blvd for 5-6 miles, and turn right at Blvd into Keys view
• Cactus garden is closer to the southern entrance, small and more plain driving roads along
• Hiking trails https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/hiking.htm
• Next stops could be Indian cove, rock of horrors, jumbo rocks and keys views
• 2/19/2022 - Walked Baker Dam and Cap rock and some jumbo rock nature trails.  Also exited on the north;Indian cove is too hot and don't know what it is
• Next time should try echo parking close to the barker Dan, split rock (furthest on road parking)

38. July 4th fireworks at the Heritage Park at Dana Point (7/4/2021)

• Parked at Dana Hill high school, plenty of parking.  Walked to the right hand side to the DP trolley bus station S8, supposedly the bus would arrive every 15 minutes, and it came through the vertical road
• Rode the shuttle to S12 at the bottom of the heritage park but S16 all the way to the uphill right in front of the luxury resort place; sat right beside the big tree and grill station, directly in front of the Doheny state beach harbor area
• Fireworks started at 9am, one boat with 4/5 firing up stations, lasting 20 minutes; at the background, we saw San Clemente fireworks, so it was very unique and pretty
• Walked back in 35 minutes, walked downhill directly to Golden Lantern, all straight uphill roads, a bit tough with two lawn chairs

39. Big Bear, 2 hours drive (8/8/2020)

• https://www.bigbear.com/travel-tools/visitor-center/, 10-4pm
• Woodland trail https://www.bigbear.com/blog/hiking-with-little-ones/
• https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/bear-lake-woodland-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-view-full-map
• https://www.bigbear.com/things-to-do/outdoors-active/hiking/, Adventure Pass https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=STELPRDB5181410&width=full
• https://www.bigbear.com/things-to-do/outdoors-active/hiking/
• https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/alpine-pedal-path-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map&ref=sidebar-view-full-map
• Prepare 2.5 drive in some 7000ft elevation and extremely sharp turns, motion sickness etc
• Arrive at 830am and park the car at the beginning of the alpine pedal path trail, street parking.  The boat docking place has the public restroom and a few cool and shaded places for lunch
• The northern end is more scenic while the southern end has all the commercial and shop places; the summit mountain is on the south
• Cabins can be explored but parking is really hard in the early afternoon time, something around the nine xx area
• Running spring has Saturday farmers market that ends at 1pm.  Two farm stands have vegetables, and I bought things from the girl on the far right end of the two stands.  They accept credit card
• Phil stayed at this airbnb 39219 Cedar Dell Road, Fawnskin, CA 92333, United States
• New Plan
• Bluff Mesa easy trail on the end of the lake
• Need a cabin to stay one night
  

40. O'Neill Regional Park (7/4/2020)
https://www.daytrippen.com/oneill-regional-park-day-trip/

• 35min drive on 405 then local roads passing through industrial area or the San Margarita area
• $5 parking fee, saw three deers in the entrance; turn right after the parking fee booth, passing the creek and stick to Mesa, then park at the turnaround place at end of Mesa
• Mesa trail is easy and less than 2 hours back and forth
• Family party place, high up on top of the valley / canyon

41. Casper Wilderness regional park (7/25/2020)

• 35 minutes drive south on I5 then turn to route 74 north; $5 parking fee on the weekend
• Mesa Loop, 1 mile up and 1 mile down, 10,000 steps, lots of uphills and downhills, need to wear boots and take walking sticks
• Pretty mountain ridge views on the top of hill, very spacious, dirt road, occasionally with shades
• Met two walking humans and one bike riding human, very friendly place
• https://www.daytrippen.com/caspers-wilderness-park-day-use-camping/
• https://www.ocparks.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=59699
• https://www.ocparks.com/parks/ronald/

42. Laguna Niguel Botanical garden (7/18/2020)

• 25min drive beyond the laguna beach 133.  It's free parking and free entry after the Laguna Niguel commonway community park
• Small miniature space, steep inclining to the top of the hills, there are many nature trails up and down.  Vegetation, flowers, plants and features of girl scouts, butterfly gardens etc
• 4000 steps in total, not that interesting, may be going back again in the spring time
• https://www.daytrippen.com/laguna-niguel-regional-park-day-trip/

43. Mile square park (8/1/2020)

• 25 minutes drive via 405 north towards long beach, exit 12, $5 parking on the weekend.  There is really no need to pay for the parking fee, as street parking is quite easy along the mile long four sides of the park
• This is a completely urban park in the middle of city life and city traffic, all paved roads and grassy lands well taken care of
• Golf course runs more than half of the park, archery range, football, lakes, most of the people coming to the park are Asian, more like vietnamese living nearby
• https://www.daytrippen.com/mile-square-park-fountain-valley-day-trip/

44. BBQ Music Festival at Fountain Valley (8/19/2022)

• https://www.bbqmusicfest.com/
• Friday ticket $5; Sat and Sun tickets $13 but Groupon has codes that can get it down to $9; free parking
• Fountain Valley Sports Park, Fountain Valley Sports Complex, 16400 Brookhurst Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708; Entrance is at Brookhurst Street and Heil Avenue
• BARCODE AND QR TICKETS CAN ENTER AT MAIN GATE 1 OR GATE 2 ENTRANCE. WILL CALL BOOTH IS ONLY AT MAIN GATE 1 ENTRANCE.
• Taste and experience firsthand the fiery chicken, pulled pork, tri-tip, pork ribs, sausages... and sides (all available for purchase) that makes barbecue so popular in the USA
• Small venue, half of the facility was just carnival rides, the other half has about 10 vendors of various BBQ from the local communities; bought food from Oak and Light smoke (very good and flavorful tri-tip sandwiches) and S&E BBQ (not very good, 2 hours wait between in-line and ribs, and lacking orders)
• Mostly neighborhood attending the weekend event, it's not a national scale; customers are mostly old and working class; space is very tight

45. La Jolla coves and seashores (11/27/2020, 5/22/2021, 1/29/2022, 11/19/2022)

• 80min drive on I5 then into the La Jolla community; Westfield mall is close by with many upscale brand shops
• Lots of parking space around the area, just need to have patience; Jim's cove staircase needs advanced reservations
• Mostly high end eating places along the coastline, so bring your own drinks and food
• Very beautiful rock formations, sea water, sea lions, birds and etc
• 10K steps from the most northern coastal walk starting point to the southern beach end point; plenty of parking in the not so crowded south place
• Drive further, 15 minutes south via La Jolla Blvd, to the broadwalk via Mission Ave, lots of bars, vendors, piers, surfing, sliding activities; mainstreet fun; parking is tricky but there's big grocery store CVS lot

46. Mount Rubidoux (11/14/2020)

• Drive 55N then 91N for 45min one-way to the riverside community.  Follow signs to the park, after the cemetery, either street parking or at the baseball ground parking, it's free
• Mount Rubidoux has 3 miles of uphill walks with multiple pass ways, easy to follow, at the top of mountain, there is a flag post, church cross, small castles and world peace stone bridge
• It's about 1-2 hours stay, gives a panoramic overlook into the riverside county.  It's a popular place and there are many residents in the area, although there are fences all over the place, not sure about the general security and such

47. Point Dume Nature Preserve (11/28/2020)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/point-dume-nature-preserve-day-trip/
• $8 weekend parking one fee.  The trail has 1.4 miles and 6000 steps but with some rapid climbs and declines and rocky roads (dangerous), but views are amazing and the experiences are unique
• The Malibu state beaches are about the same, endless seas and beaches and sea animals.  Should take drink and food inside the car, and can take the lawn chairs out in the shade and watch the cliff hanging
• 1.5 hours drive, 405 then 10W then PCH for another 20 miles in some tight space between the mountain ridge and the shoreline, amazing views, and cars park alongside the roads

48. LA farm

• https://www.daytrippen.com/los-angeles-farmers-market-day-trip/
• 1 hour drive

49. Palos Verdes Peninsular (11/26/2022)

• https://www.daytrippen.com/palos-verdes-peninsula-day-trip/
• 1 hour drive
• 3 parking lots to consider - 1) Vincente lighthouse parking lot, very large, at the south end 2) middle of the seacove trail (use the Starbucks or Trader Joes at Hawthorne for google destination) 3) the north end (that I didn't take the address for, small lot, for like 10 cars)
• Total 8000 steps from one end to the other; from the south end, there are probably another 5 miles going south in the same views of the Portuguese bend
• Very quiet, very serene sceneries, occasionally with bench; the lighthouse is closed, but the views are breathtaking

50. Dory Fleet (8/15/2020)

•  Two long lines, right for spot prawns, left for crabs, but go in the middle of the line and directly to the back for fish and urchin stands
• $3 per pound for crab, $24 for shrimp, 8 soles for $29, $11 for halibut cuts, $7 for black fish, red rock fish seems to be expensive
• Arrive at 430am, the market opens at 530am, the crab line moves quickly
• Overall things look fresh but they are expensive

|| California Expeditions, Frame 1 - 25

Weekend experiences for the days that are present
https://www.daytrippen.com/orange-county-day-trips/

1. Mission San Juan Capistrano (11/23)
• Park on street in the early hours, free
• $10 entrance fee; walking tour lasts about an hour
• Spanish architecture and culture infiltration as a missionary journey
2. Dana Point (11/23/2019)
• free parking
• a big coffee shop at the center has coffee, craft coffee, and breakfast items
• long stretches of walking shorelines in concrete walkaways
• July 4th strategy, fly over before 6pm https://southocbeaches.com/2021/04/29/dana-point-4th-of-july-2021-celebration-guide/
3. Laguna Beach, best of the scene of where the old money is ... (11/23/2019, 2/20/2021)
• Act V, lot 16 for the shuttle bus; shuttle bus will go back to the canyon road at the side of the wholefood market behind the main beach road
• Slap fish, seafood shack place at the main beach
• Update on 2/20/2021, park at the lot besides the farmers market on Saturday mornings, then walk south into Victoria beach then Treasure Island, round trip 17,000 steps, 2.5 hours
• Or park after Laguna Beach Inn, after Ruby Street, street parking is free then metered again when it gets close to the Treasure island
• There are many inlet roads in between Ruby and Main that give public access to the beach, very beautiful 
• Transit schedule, ends 9/6, lot 16 and 17 to take the transit, take the red line or dark blue line for short and long coastal stops  https://www.lagunabeachcity.net/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=42127.03&BlobID=26918
4. Treasure island (12/11)
• free parking across the street in the strip mall / commercial plaza
• walk the stairs down beside the Montego luxury resort for the boardwalk and sandy beach walk
• beautiful views and walks
5. Victoria beach (12/11)
• park at the meter on the Nyes Pl and costal highway cross-section (meter at Nyes Pl), less than $2 per x minutes ... I think 1-2 hours max you need for this place
• hard to find alleyways, find the Victoria lane, it's right down the overpass bridge then find the public access alleyway in between two houses
• get past the big rocks to see the pirate's tower, get that picture!
6. Newport Beach, sharing the water views with your walker bys (11/30/2019, 7/10/2022)
• the dory fleet fish market is right on the pier
• metered parking all around the pier walks, tight space, and $1/2 per xmin
• balboa islands can take the ferry or park close to the city block right outside of the fashion island mall then walk into the island
• Newport beach is the transition between laguna and the Huntington beach
• 7/10/2022 - set google direction to 5484 Seashore Dr, Newport Beach (58th and Seashore).  Parking lot is free outside of the 8-6pm fee timezone.  Parking along the roads is possible but it has been very full on a Sunday morning 830AM already.  The walk way connects to the south side of the Huntington beach, lots of surfers.  The Newport side of the walk ways are all blocked by vacation homes or private homes as the houses are built on the beach directly, therefore there hasn't been a broad walk provided to the general public
7. Huntington Beach (12/7/2019, 7/9/2022)
• park your car for $15 for a day of sand and beach and nothing else
• Miles of straight and concrete walks, unobstructed views; shops on the other side of the coastal highways
8. Long Beach (12/21)
• plenty of metered parking; park close to the rainbow walks close to the lighthouse; metered for 2 hours max
• the harbor is both industrial and tourist-friendly; lighthouse, aquarium, shoreline village
• take the water taxi to see the queen mary ship 
• Naples island in construction until after Sep 2020; park at the elementary school street parking, then walk into the many islands, almost no commercial shops, similar to Balboa island, there are many architectural homes and designs
9. Santa Monica (12/28)
• plenty of parking, $10; park closer to the pier funfair
• long stretches of walks on concrete away from the sands, with some views of vacation homes
10. San Diego Balboa park (1/18)
• On the way 405 down south, around 30 miles post there is a beautiful vista point, have to stop there because there isn't a point of entry on the way back
• Parking is free and park at inspiration way in front of the activity center, then ride the tram into the center of Balboa park
• Botanical garden, Trin-something art gallery is free; Spanish village and the world village are free to walk around but they are essentially small vendor booths
11. San Diego old town state park (1/18)
• Have to park on-the-street or at the front of an international shopping center, one lane ahead of the main museum street
• Street taco is delicious inside the one cultural garden/restaurant place
• A lot of small museum demonstration houses with people dressed up in history, all free
12. Chino Hill state park (1/25/2019, 3/14/2021, 3/13/2022)
• Use this address for GPS, 4721 Sapphire Road to enter the park; either park downhill for free or drive 1.5 miles uphill to the ranger place for $5 parking
• Aliso Trail is about 2 miles ahead of ranger parking, park on the left on a dirt road pad; it's one way 3.7 miles, not loop
• 3/14/2021 update - spring arrives and the park turned into beautiful resort style mountain hikes with fresh paint of green colors.  Park at the downhill neighborhood area, then walk 20min arriving at the ticketing booth.  There is a trail right on the parking lot, that leads to a mountain path with some elevations.  Or, walk another 1 hour one-trip to the start of the Bane canyon trail, beautiful stops all around with poppy seeds, wild flowers of white and purple.  Turn right on the Bane trail leads to a horse camp that can be explored in the future; overall very enjoyable hikes, 2.5 hours round trip, some elevations but not strenuous 
13. Quail Hill Trail Irvine (1/11/2020, 6/21/2020)
• Park in front of trail or park in the front of the community center, short walk to the trail head
• Going for the short loop on the trail,1.8 miles, not shaded but comfortable; in total less than 2 hours
• Going south on the Shady Canyon trail, and connect with the turtle rock entrance; big climb initially and slow ramp down
14. Shady Canyon Trail Irvine (1/19)
• Park in the turtle rock community center, short walk to the trail entrance, NB will walk towards the Quail Hill, beautiful geology diversity; SB could merge into the Boom head trail; not a loop in my walking distance range
• Not all shaded but comfortable, with some elevation
15. LA board museum (1/18)
• Saturday and Sunday don't require validation in the parking lot
• Walk 30min into the Chinatown, but not worth doing as Chinatown has $5/6 parking, plenty of space
16. LA Griffith observatory (12/29/2019)
• I parked in the union station then took the metro into one of the stations then shuttle bus to the top of hill .... not a good strategy
• instead, just drive into the downhill of observatory, the grass playfield may be opening for busy traffic, but walking up the hill will require a lot of energy
• 5/28/2022
• Greek theatre free parking at lot F, 45min walk from the boy Scott trail of 0.6m on the same side of the drive road, lots of elevation; there is another trail on the other side of the hill, also lots of elevation, passing a golf course
• Paid parking $10 at top of the hill, not necessary, try part at the canyon place after 10am, turn before it reaches the Griffith
17. Anaheim packing district (1/11)
• VC funded hot spot, contemporary design but overall tight space and petite of everything and everything is staged, crafted and lifeless
• Park in front of the no-parking construction site seems to be ok
18. Westminister little saigon (1/18)
• Park at ABC supermarket seems to have lots of parking and there is a desert place right beside the market
19. Crystal Cove (1/4)
• In between Laguna and Newport, lots of rock formation, very sunny place
• Multiple parking places, the best would be on the other side of the coastal highway, walk through the tunnel and walk back on the higher ground on the coastal highway
• Parking is $20, not much place to take a rest, walk on the construction village side
20. Hsi Lai Temple (1/26/2020, 11/12/2022)
• Weekend trips, check the website for parking and shuttling instructions
• The City of Industrial has many Chinese restaurants
21. Corona Del Mar (2/1)
• Little CDM - Drive Culver to MacArthur to Coastal Highway then turn right at before the popey lane, or make u-turn at popey lane to park in one way
• CDM - has metered parking
• Beautiful rock formation, beach volleyball, restroom and etc; no food or drink though
• Inspiration point is in between
22. Bommer Canyon trail (2/1)
• Drive Culver until the new house construction side and turn left into Shady Canyon drive for 0.7miles, you come to the Bommer canyon trail head.  Can also park at the Turtle Rock community park
• At the south bound of the Shady Canyon trail is the walk into the Bommer Canyon.  Nature loop is about an mile, and the Bommer meadow trail leads to some mountain climbing with winding dirt road that shares with the bikers
• A logical stop point will be at the large cactus site in the front of the multiple layers of the green geologically diversified plantations
23. Bolsa Chica Ecological Wetland Reserve (2/8/2020, 1/18/2021)
• North of Huntington beach, park at 18000 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92647. Parking is free parking
• Can also park at the Warner Ave (limited parking), then walk into the wetland highlands, or walk past the PCH into the state park sandy beach area
• Miles long and flat dirt roads with multiple forks and turnarounds, lots of migrating birds in the swamp, no shades
• Park at the end of "Brightwater" road, neighborhood area, limited parking space. Walk around the row houses into the reserve, and can circle back to the PCH parking lot, although a long walk 9000 steps
24. Palm Springs (2/15/2020; 1/15/2022)
• Drive 5N, 55N, 91E, 60E, 10E, 111 to get to palm springs.  Downtown parking lot is close to the museum way and walk of the stars
• Tram, parking lot A is the closest to the tram, need to arrive at the valley station before 9am; parking fee $8; nature trail is flat while the other one needs a good pair of boots
• Indian canyon, Andrea canyon has the easiest walk; close to Murry canyon; Palm canyon is the other turn and has some relatively easy trails as well
• All parking is somewhat easy and the city is full of clean lines of flat design of architectural things
• New trails - (1/15/2022)
• One hour 50min, park on the road as the reservation parking lot was closed; 5 miles out there was in/out burger and gas station
• Thousand palms oasis preserve - Willies Palm and west mesa trail (2.2 miles, half done, looks promising, tight parking space along the road); McCallum trail head (easy 47 minutes, sandy roads, very easy); Pushawalla Palms (moderate to challenging); and Indian Palms (1.2 miles, lost after a while, no signs and not sure where it went to)
• Inka peruvian cuisine; La Bonita's; Loco Charlie's Mexican Grill
25. Nixon Library (2/17)
• Yorba Linda city, lots of parking slots, and overflow goes into a nearby church or on the street, overall an easy and free parking experience
• Half price at president's day and with a slice of cherry pie; lots of people lining up in the morning, but in about two hours, there were none waiting outside and there was still the cherry pie
• Three halls with museum style history story telling, and a birth place to visit
• About two hours visit is enough