This weekend Gerrit & I were blessed with an extra long weekend because of MLK Day, so we decided to spend most of it outside. Being outside and/or going to San Diego is always a good choice (:
Santa Rosa Plateau ~ Murrieta, CA
On Saturday, we hit the Santa Rosa Plateau which is located off of Clinton Keith/ 15 freeway in Murrieta, CA. There are several places to park along Clinton Keith, including the visitor center. If you keep following the road past the visitor center, you will come to two more parking lots, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the right is the one we choose to frequent because they allow dogs on a leash (as well as horses!). Our dogs LOVE coming out here and tend to walk us, rather than the opposite. The trails are fairly flat, but depending on the route you choose, it can get pretty rocky and steep at parts. Our hike on Saturday totaled about 3.5 miles roundtrip. Not bad for a little afternoon hike with the pups!
http://www.rivcoparks.org/education/santa-rosa-plateau/santa-rosa-plateau/
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve ~ La Jolla, CA
Today we made it down to San Diego for one of the most beautiful hikes in southern Ca (in my opinion). Torrey Pines was PACKED with families today, maybe because most, if not all, schools were not in session today. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a gorgeous day that included a hike totaling just under 5 miles. Torrey Pines is located off the 5 freeway and Carmel Valley Rd. If you park in the parking lot at the base of the hill, you can walk/ run up the large hill to start your hike. If you’re not feeling so motivated, you can also drive up the hill and park by the Visitor Center (but we all know it’s better to take the hill!). We hiked down and back on several of the trails lined with beachy shrubs. The trails lead to different view points and one leads down to the beach. Once you make it down to the beach, you can either go back up the trail (which we did) or you can walk on the flat beach back to your car. I highly recommend this hike, especially if you love the beach like I do!
If you have time to take another little trip after, head about two miles south of Torrey Pines Reserve to the Torrey Pines Glider Port. You can sit outside on the deck, enjoy a snack and watch the parachuters take off. It’s pretty neat. And relaxing. And…just go, you’ll see!