Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Palm Canyon Trail

Last Thanksgiving, my husband and I decided to skip the traditional turkey dinner and escape bustling Los Angeles. When I asked my friend to recommend a quiet weekend getaway with nearby hiking, she suggested Borrego Springs, a desert town with a population of about 3,500 located on the eastern side of San Diego County.

The major tourist draw in Borrego Springs is the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, so we stopped by the visitor's center to inquire about the best hikes. A park ranger told us that the three-mile roundtrip Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is the most popular hike in the park, and I can certainly see why.

The trail, which is lined with desert plant life such as beavertail cactus and brittlebush, leads to the third largest palm oasis in California, complete with a small stream and tiny waterfall trickling over large boulders.

Along our hike, we also had the good fortune of seeing bighorn sheep, standing idly on the cliffs. One sheep was perfectly silhouetted against the bright blue sky, and I excitedly took its photo. I wish I had a better camera because my picture would have turned out much better. That aside, I am proud that I have proof of our sighting.

From the trail, I could also see for miles in every direction, and as we hiked, I began to fully comprehend the vastness of the desert and its harshness.
We were directly in the sunlight and even though we visited the park in November, it was still extremely hot, so bring lots of water.

The reward, however, was reaching the shaded palm oasis. While we ate our picnic lunch, we watched children scamper across the rocks and play in the stream. We even splashed around ourselves.

I highly recommend this hike. For more information about the park, visit California State Parks

Amboy Crater

I am always on the lookout for interesting places to visit, and I absolutely love going on excursions to the vast and desolate Southern California desert.

Each time I travel to the desert, I try to scout out a new location. This past weekend, I decided to hike to Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert. The 250-ft. volcanic crater is located off the famous Route 66, a popular road which stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles from the late 1920s to the 1970s.

My husband and I stayed in a hotel in Yucca Valley and set out for the crater in the morning. As we were driving along Amboy Road (just three miles away from the town of Amboy), we discovered Bristol Dry Lake, a salt lake that is being mined today. We spent an hour walking on the lake of salt, which resembled snow and crunched beneath our feet. We took photographs and broke off a salt crystal to bring home with us.




Since the temperature was rising into the 90s quickly, we decided to stop in Amboy for more water.

Founded in 1883, Amboy thrived as a destination point along Route 66 until Interstate 40 was built in 1973 and bypassed the town. Amboy's current population is advertised at 20 people. Radiator Springs, the ghost town featured in the Disney movie Cars, is loosely based on the town.

We went to the only business still in existence, Roy's Motel and Cafe, where they sold Route 66 root beer, which of course, we had to buy.

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From Amboy, we drove 2.4 miles to the 6,000-year-old Amboy Crater, where we ate lunch at a picnic table overlooking the volcanic cinder cone. There is also an observation deck near the parking lot for picture taking.

The round trip 3-mile hike to the Crater takes 2-3 hours. The inside of the crater contains two lava dams and small lava lakes, which are covered with light colored clay. The climb to the top is at an 80-foot incline.

The trail is directly in the sun, so I recommend wearing a hat, bringing sunscreen and carrying lots of water. The Bureau of Land Management says the best times to hike are between the months of October through April to avoid the extreme heat.

We had a great time! Next time though, I plan to download The Rolling Stones "Route 66" onto my iPod for the long drive. That song would have made the day complete.

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley features six hiking trails and is home to thousands of birds including red-shouldered hawks, snowy egrets, house wrens and tree swallows.

I hiked Marsh Trail, a 0.65-mile winding boardwalk that meanders along a marsh filled with dwarf willows, goldenrods, cattail and water cress. I was lucky enough to spy a Northern Flicker pecking on a tree. The woodpecker can be identified by its brown, barred back; spotted chest and black crescent bib.

Marsh Trail leads to Desert Willow Trail, a 0.75-mile route lined with evergreen yerba santa and wild tarragon. There, I came across a Western Scrub-Jay. The jay was not the least bit shy and followed me for quite a distance singing the whole time. I was able to snap some great photographs.

Bird watchers can also meander along Yucca Ridge Trail(0.72 miles), which provides views of Morongo Valley, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountain peaks; West Canyon Trail, (0.84 miles) which gives panoramic views of Morongo Canyon, Mesquite Trail (0.51 miles), where they can observe an ancient gneiss marking the face of the Morongo Valley Fault; or Canyon Trail, (8.34-mile roundtrip) where they can hike along the canyon floor next to a willow-lined stream.

At the kiosk near the front entrance, hikers can pick up a checklist of birds commonly found in the preserve. Open from 7:30 a.m. to sunset, the perserve is free of charge. Location: 11055 East Dr Morongo Valley, CA 92256. For more information, visit Big Morongo.

Temescal Gateway Park waterfall

Since I work in Pacific Palisades, I visit Temescal Gateway Park nearly every day on my lunch break. I find that the 141-acre park, with trails that connect to Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga Canyon State Park, is a nice escape from sitting in front of the computer.

If I have time, I hike the two miles along Temescal Canyon Trail to a seasonal waterfall. It's an easy hike and the trail is mostly shaded by sycamores and oaks. The waterfall isn't too impressive, but it's a pleasant spot to relax.

During my visits to the park, I often see swallowtail butterflies, lizards, squirrels and salamanders (near the waterfall). This past week, I found a nest with two red-tailed hawks.

Directions: Temescal Gateway Park is located in Pacific Palisades, just one mile north of Pacific Coast Highway at the intersection of Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard. Address: 15601 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades

Rose Valley Falls, Ojai

For my birthday, my husband and I visited Ojai because we heard about the great hiking trails in the area.

We stopped by Bart's Books to purchase a map, but ended up whiling away hours perusing through all the used books. There are even books for sale on shelves lining the exterior of the building. Customers are asked to pay by an honors system. A sign reads "When closed, please throw coins in slot in the door for the amount marked on the book."

By the time we decided to head out, it was pretty late, so we settled on the one-mile, round-trip hike to Rose Valley Falls, a two-tiered waterfall that cascades about 300 feet over a sandstone cliff. Apparently, the waterfall, located outside of Ojai, is the largest in the Los Padres National Forest.

We drove the 15 miles out of Ojai on Highway 33 and turned off on Rose Valley Road, continuing another three miles to a road that forks off to the right and leads to Rose Valley Campground. There is no sign for the campground, but the road is located before the Rose Valley Work Camp. The trailhead is clearly marked inside the campground. Along the way, be sure to purchase an Adventure Pass at the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center (all vehicles are required to display it).

We enjoyed hiking along the shaded trail, which follows a creek to the lower portion of the waterfall. I think we chose the perfect time to visit the falls -- in the spring after an especially rainy winter -- because there was a decent amount of water trickling over the mossy cliff.

Griffith Park

Ever since we moved to L.A. four years ago, my husband has wanted to visit Griffith Park Observatory.

I decided to surprise him with a trip to the observatory that combined a hike through the park.

We started at Fern Dell Drive off of Los Feliz Boulevard. Walking away from Los Feliz Boulevard, we followed a man-made creek and crossed wooden bridges to reach the trailhead, which forks to the right. As we hiked up the hill, we took in views of the Hollywood sign and downtown Los Angeles.

Once at the top, we explored the exhibits and saw the planetarium show, "Centered in the Universe." The show explores the big bang theory, black holes and our sister galaxy, Andromeda.

As a hiker and astronomy lover, it was the best way to spend a Saturday.

Sullivan Canyon

The other day, my husband and I discovered Sullivan Canyon trail, which is nicely shaded by willows, sycamore and oak trees and follows a seasonal creek.

As we hiked, we encountered numerous mountain bikers, so we constantly heard "on your left" or "on your right." We even saw a group riding what I would describe as mountain-bike unicycles, which are unicycles with rough-terrain tires.

For me, the best part of the 7.5-mile round-trip hike was finding a tree swing in a shaded grove to the right of the trail in the first half mile, and a rope swing a little further down the trail on the left-hand side. We had so much fun swinging on them that I felt like a kid again!

Directions: From the 405 Freeway, exit on Sunset going towards the beach, turn right on Mandeville Canyon, left on Westridge Road, left on Bayless, and left on Queensferry Road. There is parking, but it is limited, so read the signs carefully.