Day hike to Point Lobos Natural Reserve near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

A favorite among rail-trail enthusiasts, the Ojai Valley Trail extends about 9.5 miles north of Ventura from Foster Park to the heart of Ojai. Combining this trail with the Ventura River Trail, which extends southward from Foster Park, makes for a memorable, lengthy rail-trail experience.
The smallest city in Ventura County, Ojai is located in the scenic Ojai Valley, surrounded by the peaks of Los Padres National Forest. The city has long been known as a haven for artists, musicians and outdoor enthusiasts. The Chumash Indians were the first known residents of Ojai, and the town's name derives from their word for moon, "A'hwai."--TrailLink

Melanie and I traveled just north of Pasadena to visit Descanso Gardens on Thursday of this week. Descanso has, among other things, the largest collection of Camellias in North America and, lucky for us, they were blooming. 

Within its 150 acres are a Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Oak Forest, Ancient Forest, the aforementioned Camellia Garden, and some great hiking trails to traverse. We spent most of the day there taking lunch at their on premises restaurant. Nice way to spend some time.

It's Friday. Not just any Friday because it's Valentine's Day. To make things worse, it's also Presidents' Day Weekend, meaning a three day weekend.  We need to move camp, but don't have a reservation. Oops. Flying by the seat of your pants is great, but sometimes..., you need to pay closer attention to details.

I ask if we can stay on where we are, but no, they're booked. Sorry. My bad. The ranger does, however, give me a sheet with other regional parks on it to check out.  The first on the list besides one that's closed is Orangeland RV Park.

I call them and, yes, they have an opening. Whew, we're in for the whole weekend.

Orangeland is close to Disney Land, Los Angeles Angels baseball and Anaheim Ducks hockey. It's also within blocks of the Santa Ana River Trail that runs west for 14 miles to the Pacific Ocean.

Orangeland is well-maintained. The sites are asphalt and pretty close together with strips of grass between them. There's a pool with a hot tub close by. The showers are very nice and spacious. The laundry room is more than adequate for a park this size. There's a camp store stocked with incidentals. You're also within walking distance to a number of restaurants and a movie theater. 

We've very much enjoyed our stay here. Oh, and there's free fruit for the picking. Oranges, lemons and limes.

Well- maintained regional park near Santa Margarita, O'Neill Regional Park is basically dry camping with some sites offering water. Clean showers, gravel pads, fire rings, picnic tables, and freshly paved roads. Nice spot for $20.00 a night. Verizon coverage was spotty for streaming video, but good enough for calls, texting, etc.

Rancho Jurupa Regional Park is located in Riverside, California. Choose the Cottonwood campground. Near a portion of the Santa Ann River Trail for cyclists. 

One of the nicest parks we've at which we've stayed in California. Located about 5 miles from the tourist town of Julian, California, William Heise is a gem. We stayed in site # 39 which I believe to be one of the best. Most all sites are well-spaced and give enough privacy from neighbors.

We were camping in Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. A friend suggests since we're pretty close by we should make a day trip to The Salton Sea. Some time ago I'd read a campground review by someone who camped along the shore. Dead fish smells is what I remembered of the review, but after reading a little history, Melanie and I decide a day trip to see a dying sea is in order.

During the time we were discussing our trip, a high school friend asks me if I'd visited Slab City. I remember reading about it and had a vague recollection of it being a kind of squatter's camp in the desert. The location was close to The Salton Sea and might work nicely into our day trip and besides, Salvation Mountain is located there. 

We spent an hour or so looking around and making a few images. Another slice of Americana.