A friend and I met in Poway this morning and hiked up Iron Mountain and over to the Ramona overlook.

I joined one of my Meetup groups for a hike, and scramble, up Lawson Peak in Alpine. It was -5 in Spirit Lake, ID this morning so no complaints about the weather.

I stopped by Balboa Park on my way to lunch. Highlights were the Trees for Health Garden (medicinal plants from around the world), the Fire Alarm Building (from 1928-1970 the home of the city’s fire alarm telegraph communications center), and the El Cortez Hotel which used to be the tallest building in the city.

After lunch I walked around Vacation Isle in Mission Bay. I started at the memorial to hydroplane racing legend Bill Muncey. It is located next to the Ski Beach boat ramp which is still the staging area for hydroplane races.

The wind and an early-morning rain scared off most of the group, but those who showed up had a nice hike.

One of the highlights was spotting tadpoles in one of the vernal pools (seasonal ponds).

My day began at Lake Poway with a hike to Mt Woodson.

And ended with the sunset at Mission Bay.

Back to Mission Trails Park to hike Cowles Mountain and Pyles Peak.

Torrey Pines State Park Extension was created in the 1960s after an uproar by the community following the bulldozing of some Torrey pines. The 200 acre park has several miles of trails and is home to sandstone bluffs, rock formations, wildlife and indigenous plants.

Today it was back to Santee for a hike around the lakes and lunch.

This morning I went hiking at Daley Ranch (northeast of Escondido) with a new Meetup group. We passed Mallard Lake on our way to the ranch house.

Today I walked along the bay to Pacific Beach.

Last weekend we had coastal flood warnings. There was a lot of sand on the boardwalk and the end of Crystal Pier was closed, but there didn’t seem to be any major damage.

The sunset was great!

The community of Old Town is home to Old Town State Park, Heritage Park, Presidio Park, Bazaar del Mundo, plus homes, churches, and businesses.

Heritage Park contains seven restored Victorian buildings from the 1880s-1890s – six homes and the first synagogue.

Presidio Park is where the fort and mission were established in 1769. The mission moved four years later.

Then, I returned to Old Town. My visit ended with a folklórico dance show and another hand-made tortilla.

Bazaar del Mundo was the last stop before heading home.

This afternoon, since I was already in the neighborhood – and the coast was under a flood alert – I walked at Lake Poway. The trail I took was to Lake Ramona.

Lake Poway Hike

Lake Ramona Hike

Morning Adventure:

This morning I visited the Rancho Bernardo Inn for the 14th Annual Life-size Gingerbread House Experience.

The Inn offers a self-guided tour of their imported fountains. Several fountains have their own “rituals.” Five fountains have holiday traditions and the concierge hands out small bags containing objects for them.

Views of the lobby and grounds.

Afternoon Adventure:

Liberty Station, developed on the site of the old naval training center in San Diego, has museums and galleries, shops, housing, and several parks.

My Meetup group walked through part of it before stopping for lunch.

Today I met a Meetup group for a walk along the San Diego River Trail.

Today I joined a Meetup group for a hike along some of the paths in Beacon Hill Bike Park.

Winterglow

Lights around town.

This morning I joined a Meetup Group in Spokane for a hike.