Carlsbad Surprise
I was expecting to go to the beach when I headed down to Carlsbad for a weekend visit with my friend Sabrina, but instead I found myself on 27 acres of history tucked away a short drive from the ocean.
The Leo Carrillo Ranch Historical Park is a gem that transports you back to a simpler time that's easy to feel part of while wondering around the grounds. Once a thriving 1,750-acre working ranch, brought to life by actor and rancher Leo Carrillo, this treasure was restored to its former glory by the City of Carlsbad and The Friends of Carrillo Ranch, Inc.
Carrillo, famous for playing Pancho in the 1950's TV series The Cisco Kid, purchased the abandoned 1868 Matthew Kelly homestead in 1937, restoring existing buildings, adding buildings and adapting the ranch to suit his family's and friend's need for a weekend retreat away from Hollywood.
Photos of Clark Cable, Carol Lombard and other famous friends are preserved along with memorabilia from Carrillo's various roles. While the retreat was famous for its parties, peacefulness now emanates throughout the ranch with the occasional call of the peafowl interrupting the quiet. Absolutely worth the visit.
I've always been a water person... lake, river, ocean type of gal, so moving to the desert was a bit of a stretch for me. Who knew I'd love it as much as I do? The energy is entirely different than anywhere I've even been before.
I was expecting desolate and bleak, but instead found a vibrant environment full of life and beauty. Yes, it's a different kind of beauty than what I'm used to, but there's a peacefulness and sense of tranquility that I found surprising.
Today I took a drive over to the southern part of Joshua Tree National Park. I took a back way in through Box Canyon and the drive was awesome! If I had stopped every time I was tempted to for photos, I never would have made it to Joshua Tree. I promise I'm going to do that drive again and make those stops and take those photos.
I had planned to hike a trail just inside the park's border, but after arriving decided to venture a bit further in. I made a quick stop at the Cottonwood Visitor's Center for a map before following Cottonwood Oasis Rd until it dead-ended at Lost Palms and Mastadon Peak trail heads. I'm super happy that I pushed further into the park to this beautiful area.
Sadly, I got a late start, so I couldn't do the hike like I wanted. But, I the small sampling I did get of the park has me ready to go back next weekend to do some more exploring. Can you say annual pass? Stay tuned for more Joshua Tree National Park and other desert adventures.
I started this journey solo with a drive from La Quinta, California to Las Vegas where I met up with my family. My gut tells me that a lot of the blogs I plan to write will be day and weekend trips similar to this, although most likely without the family. I got lucky on this one.
My beautiful granddaughter's volleyball team made it to the National tournament in Vegas. We didn't communicate well and ended up only being able to hang out the first day they were in town, and since we only had a day, we decided to make it a full one and head to the Grand Canyon.
Our destination was the Skywalk on the western rim. My daughter-in-law was enthusiastic! I was moderately excited (even though I'm afraid of heights), my son and granddaughter however were not so happy about the part of the trip that took us out on the horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the rim of the canyon. The fact that the 10-foot wide glass walkway is over 4,000 feet above the Canyon floor didn't help their comfort levels at all. But, we all conquered our fears and can say we did it.
I would highly recommend this as a day trip from Las Vegas. It's approximately 120 miles one-way, but well worth the 4-hour plus roundtrip. The picture you see online and on TV will never do it justice.
Make sure you take lots of water if you're going in the summer and plan to arrive early if possible. You have to stand in line to get tickets and then again to enter the Skywalk itself. Think Disneyland lines and you'll be somewhat prepared for the wait. There's also plenty of nature's beauty to enjoy should you choose not to brave the Skywalk making it worth the trip regardless. For more information visit: https://grandcanyonwest.com/things-to-do/skywalk/