The Yorba Cemetery - Yorba Linda, California

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

 Visiting the Yorba Cemetery is difficult since it is only open 2 hours a month.  The Cemetery is is the second oldest cemetery in Orange County, only pre-dated by the mission cemetery at San Juan Capistrano.

The tour is worth your time, especially if you are interested in the history of Orange County.  The tour leader was a descendent of Bernardo Yorba, one of the most famous of the Californios, and the namesake of the cemetery, all the "Yorba" street names and Yorba Linda, itself.  We were also lucky enough to have some other descendants of the Yorba family on the tour.  The tour gives you a great understanding of what early California life was like.

Information on visiting the cemetery can be found at the OC Parks Page.  If you go, wear a hat, it gets mighty hot out there.

Don Bernardo Yorba - One of the Fathers of Orange County, circa 1800's

Florisa Dominguez, died 1894, age 32

Benigna Peralta (1851-1931)

 

Jose Negrete (1876-1929) - Local Laborer That Wanted
to Be Buried Overlooking the Train Tracks

A great grandson (still very old) of Sr. Andres de los Reyes Was On the Tour With Us

Frank Apalategui

The Giant Cross that Used to Project Upward
From Ambrosia's Stone is Long Gone

The Children's Corner

Dennis lived less than 6 months

Hanging Holly?

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Driving the June Lake Loop (CA158)

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

June Lake, California - I can't believe its almost been a year since I took a long "solo" non-holiday weekend to drive across the Sonora Pass.  Ever since moving to California, I wanted to take the drive across the pass, but it is kind of out of the way and closed due to snow for several months a year.  So, it took me 9 years to finally do the drive.  Yet, despite achieving this personal goal, I wrote so little about the trip; though we have offered a large number of photos taken during that trip for sale on our website, especially of the Stanislaus River rapids and dramatic fall leaves at Lake Sabrina. 
  

Leaves Turning at Lake Sabrina

After crossing the pass, there is only one way home; driving down the US395 along the eastern slope of the Sierras. Having done that drive before, from Reno, NV, to Bridgeport, CA, to Mono Lake, to Bodie Ghost Town, to Bishop, and then down the Owens Valley, I did not expect to find any new gems that I had never seen before.  However, I did.  One was Lake Sabrina, in the mountains to the west of Bishop, CA and the other was June Lake Loop.

June Lake Loop is CA-158 in Mono County.  The north and south ends of the 16 mile loop road junction with US395 between Lee Vining and to the north and Mammoth Lakes to the south.

June Lake Loop From the Sky

The loop is at an elevation of around 7621 ft, about 1300 ft above the eastern Sierra valley floor, near Mono Lake.  

While the June Lake Loop encircles several lakes, the most scenic are Grant Lake and June Lake.  Grant Lake is the first lake you come upon when heading south.  Grant lake certainly has that alpine, above the tree line feel about it.

Grant Lake

Grant Lake

Grant Lake

Grant Lake

The temperature drop from the valley floor to lake level is quite noticeable and even more-so when in the shade of the mountains surrounding the lakes.  

In the shade on June Lake Loop

In the Shade of June Lake Loop

The temperature in the area never exceeds 72F.

There is a town of June Lake that acts as the tourist base for the lake.  The town of June Lake's population jumps from 629 to over 3100 during the summer. SR 158 from 3.5 miles north of June Lake to the northern junction with U.S. Highway 395 is closed during winters, typically from mid-December through mid-April.

 

View of the town of June Lake through the Trees

A lucky meet-up for me happened on this drive around the loop.  The government shutdown of 2013 was in progress and this resulted in most National Park and National Forest locations' restrooms being locked up.  Well, when you have to go, you have to go.  You find a place to pull over, run into the bushes and do your thing.  As I turned off the main road, I almost hit this deer that was crossing the side road.  She was a fine specimen and allowed me to follow her for a short while until her and her doe ran off into the woods.

Fawn and Doe

Doe

Pavin' the Way - To the Sky Deck at the West Rim - Grand Canyon!

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

I recently read somewhere that the final portion of Diamond Bar Road between Dolan Springs and the West Rim of the Grand Canyon has finally been paved.  I don't remember where I read it, but an article was published on line by the LA Times and may have been picked up by the OC Register Sunday travel pages (Sunday is my only newspaper day).

We once tried to go to the Skywalk, but never actually made it there.  The unpaved Diamond Bar Road was just too rough to drive.

Views from Diamond Bar Road

                                                            Views of Dolan Springs

 

Though the drive is probably much more reasonable due to the new paving, it is unlikely we would ever try going back.  The reasons being that the West Rim and the Skydeck have bad reputations. The facts that:

1. it is quite expensive to actually go out on the Skywalk; AND
2. you cannot take your own camera or camera phone onto the Skywalk; AND
3. therefore requiring you to buy expensive photo packages if you want a remembrance is just too much for many people to swallow. 

Yes, the tribe needs the money.  Yes, other native American sites charge fees.  Monument Valley, UT charge admission fees ($20/vehicle of 4) and commercial photography fees ($50).  Sky City/Acoma Pueblo, NM, charge for camera permits ($13) whether personal or commercial.  Skywalk prices far exceed these other native American sites.

***
However, if you are in the area, I suggest you taking the Willow Beach cutoff, just south of Hoover Dam on US93.  Just before the road breaks to the right and the parking lots and boat launches, a non-descript turn-off to the left is visible.  Take that turn, fight the rough road, and drive slowly along the wash.  If you are lucky you will get to see bighorn sheep herds roaming around or a lonely burro hiding from the sun.

Good luck!                                    

One Ewe...One?

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

May 2, 2014: So, I drove about 560 miles last weekend, including three separate trips down Zzyzx Road towards the Desert Studies Center, where allegedly a large herd of bighorn were hanging out.  Last year around this time I saw a large herd and got three blogposts worth of photos, including of a lamb.

I saw one ewe and I was darn lucky just to see her.

Dropping Pellets

As this ewe was dropping her load, she reminded me of this lamb from last year.  

May 2013

 ***

Think they are the same gal?

Identify The Animal Pellets?

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)


Pellets from????

 Bobcat?

Domesticated Goat?

Desert Center: What Happened Here? (Part 2 of 3)

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

Desert Center, California: February, 15, 2014:

I walked up to the closed Desert Center Cafe, in ghostly Desert Center, expecting to see cobwebs, a few pieces of paper on the floor, and broken up furniture; signs of a long-closed business.

I looked in the window and was shocked and surprised.

The cafe looks like it was temporarily closed while the owner ran out to run an errand; maybe to the closed post office across the street.

The tables were spotless.  Sugar, salt, and pepper holders remained on the tables as if there was no time to attract bugs or rats.

 

 

Rooster Pepper Sauce looking a little old.

"Closed Temporarily"

OK: There is food to the east and west...Menu looked Good!

Sign looks not that old...

And when was the last time you saw a phone booth, no less a row of three of them?

The ATM machine was the only thing seemingly packed up for the closure.. 


***

A nice man that I met in front of the closed post office told me the cafe had closed "last year."

According to the Cafe's Yelp Site, the Cafe was at least open on April 13, 2013, when the visitor had the "Best Ortega burger ever!" and gave the place 5 stars.  In January, 2013, Kathy from France visited and said it was like a time warp (though she does not actually mention whether it was open).  A Four-Square reporter said that on March 29, 2013 that the place was closed.

A far less favorable review, was from a April 2012 visitor:

On a road trip a couple of years ago, I stopped here to eat. It's the only structure in this "town" that shows any hint of life. I tried the patty melt. It was very greasy, which is not unforgivable for a patty melt. The real problem with it was that the meat tasted old...and also a bit like freezer burn. On a more recent trip I stopped again, this time due to kids who were crying out in desperation for a bathroom break. Upon pulling up in front, I noticed a sign in the window that said something about not having a trash can available for you to use, ending with "take your trash with you!" I've never been a fan of businesses that choose to assail their potential customers with signs admonishing them of all of the things they will NOT be allowed to do while patronizing the place, but nature was evidently calling. As we approached the door, I saw another sign. "Restroom Use $1.00 Service Fee For Non Customers!"

Sigh...that was enough for me. It's only 19 miles to Chiriaco Summit...skip this place.

***

According to Yelp, the Cafe was closed for some time between July and October 2012.   Furthermore, when fellow explorer and former New Yorker, Sandi Hemmerlein of the Avoiding Regret blog was there in 2012, it looks like the cafe was closed.

While there are many reports about older visits to the cafe, there is little on the web, including the cafe's semi official/unofficial site as to when the staff will step back in and start the grill and friers again...

However, I did receive an email on April 4, 2014, from "Suzanne", saying the Cafe can open "at any time now".

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