Laurie, our walk planner extraordinaire, had a great 8 mile trek planned for our second visit to Palos Verdes, beginning at Del Cerro Park. The trail was more of a hike than a walk with an elevation change of nearly 1000 feet. With the prospect of hills in San Francisco, this was set to be a great training event. Well…best laid plans…often turn into…something even better.
We started at on the top of the cliffs with an amazing view. Carol was a bit freaked out by the name of the trail.
Rattlesnake Trail…No One Told Me About This!
Our route down was a bit steep, which was fine, it was the thinking about the journey home that was the most treacherous! Beautiful scenery, good company and alternative paths that looked much worse, made it easy going.
This hike is no problem…said about 300 feet into the journey. 🙂
The way we COULD have gone….whew!!
Fog cover is our friend.
These were next to a property protected by barbed wire. Do you think they needed it?
Into the woods…..
Yes, there was a “babbling brook”. (A pretty small one.)
Not another soul in sight.
Throughout the walk, we heard this distant wailing. A cross between a baby’s cry and cat’s meow. We realized that below us, there were peacocks, very talkative peacocks and lots of them it turns out. Halfway to the bottom of the hill…(squirrel) something caught our eye. Turns out this lovely remote neighborhood called Portuguese Bend was having a multi-household garage sale. So, the dilemma –walk in the baking sun over a dirt path surrounded by dry vegetation or…shop and stroll around a shady neighborhood with custom mid-century ranch homes featuring eclectic architecture and landscape. No need to think twice. 🙂 And, our choice even came with a map!
Our first stop was three house in a row.
This place had hundreds of plants and succulents as well as peacock feathers, which we couldn’t resist.
We didn’t hit all the sales, but did do some damage that required a car trip back to pick up our treasures.
Voted number one for best landscape.
Drought tolerant as well.
We came across a hidden picnic with some of nature’s most loveable creatures.
This wall is where old pots and sculptures go to die. But in their afterlife…they provide a fascinating hardscape.
We thought this could be our official mascot. 🙂
Absolutely stunning countryside, just a few miles away from the beach.
And awesome hospitality. These kids were true entrepreneurs offering sweet or sour lemonade. 🙂
After our wallets were emptied, we headed back up the hill…at least for a short jaunt. The sun was blazing and the 800 foot elevation back to the top, without switchbacks, was truly daunting. Our noble navigator helped us find an alternative route with shade and a gentler climb up the hill.
Laurie and her trusty iPhone.
However, her attempts at finding an alternative route, were all for naught, there simply didn’t seem to be a way out. No roads, no short cuts that didn’t include trespassing. Turns out we were stuck – 800 feet below our cars!
But there is a good end to this story…revealed in our next blog!
Info on Portuguese Bend Nature Reserve
The Pink Bra-Gade 