A great pit stop for senior road trippers. As I've aged I've noticed that I sometimes need a…read morerestroom break more urgently than I did 10 years prior. BUT you're not interested in my challenges, so let's talk about Buckman Springs Roadside Rest Area.It is great spot to pull over for a nap, to stretch your legs, enjoy a picnic or visit the restroom. Ive always found it to be clean and well maintained.

First it was great to have a baby changing station! Everything felt safe, facilities seemed clean…read more Toilets flushed, there was soap and air dryers. TP could have been softer, but at least there was some! Nice alternative to using a gas station restroom of which there really weren't any nearby.

I usually stop here when I drive down to San Diego to visit my daughter. I pass by this rest area…read morefrom time to time. This rest area has a lot of potential to be really wonderful, with its amenities, a nice park like atmosphere, and an ocean view. Outside, there is a place where you can buy drinks, and there is also plenty of parking. Inside, it is quite clean for a public restroom facility. It's just a simple stop along the way, but it's comfortable enough when you need a break on the road.

Whether you are being screamed at, "Are we there yet?!" by young children, need to use the rest…read moreroom/stretch your legs or are hungry for a snack: your saving grace when on the road are rest stops. Although these are more abundant in other parts of the country than the state of California; some of these roadside angels pop up here and there. The distance between Los Angeles and San Diego may not be exorbitantly long but I am in the, "I drink a lot of water" - camp and needed to use the rest room plus walk around. I was getting quite cranky and testing my boyfriend's patience but luckily the Aliso Creek Rest Area came to the rescue. The Aliso Creek Rest Area sits on the southbound side of the I-5 freeway near Oceanside/Aliso Viejo and welcomes road warriors with a large parking lot, grassy knolls, several bathroom buildings (I mean 'severa'l!) and concession snack outposts. But this isn't your typical rest stop, folks. This place is nnnniiicccee! The Aliso Creek Rest Area is shockingly clean: this isn't a rest stop out of a horror movie and instead delights bycombining nature with architecture. Trees, brights flowers/vines and plants are found plenty at the Aliso Creek Rest Area with a soundtrack of Starling birds singing/chirping their impressive vocal ranges bringing peace and serenity to your drive. What looks like hundreds of ground squirrels roam free with no fear of humans and happily accept food out of your hands (I fed one ground squirrel plenty of almonds which he/she happily shoved inside cheeks) and some parking sea gulls also try try their luck at snagging lunch. The Aliso Creek Rest Area is rejuvenating to the soul.  I have a weird fear of public bathrooms/toilets (well, toilets in general but this is not a therapy session) and the beautiful Spanish architectural style buildings at the Aliso Creek Rest Area are straight out of Architecture Digest while the bathrooms are clean and well stocked. I generally hate public bathrooms and expected roadside restrooms to be terrifying but these weren't bad at all! Trust me if I approve - it means something!  Looking for a snack or to feed those squirrels? The Aliso Creek Rest Area features several vending machines with dry snacks (chips, nuts, cookies, candy/chocolate), a sandwich machine (not sure if I trust that, though) and of course beverage machines with water, soda, Gatorade and coconut water; accepting both cash and card. My only complaint is that these machines need some healthier options and gluten free snacks for us Celiac folks. The closest thing were almonds and granola bars and it would be nice to have other options but I suppose I am expecting too much from a rest stop. The Aliso Creek Rest Area is a clean and inviting rest stop offering bathrooms, snacks and a nature respite to refresh and get you back on the road while in between Los Angeles and San Diego. Check it out for yourself next time you are on the I-5 southbound!

Disgusting. Noisy. No shade…read more I stopped for a quick nap and did not like this rest area at all. I hope it's not a sign of how bad California does highway rest areas! First, no shade. Okay, that's livable if you can park at the right angle. I was able to line up with the back doors into the Sun so it didn't get hot inside. Second, no deceleration ramp. People we're zipping into and out of this rest area and that's an accident waiting to happen. Third, it was noisy. Right next to the highway with no barrier from the road. Loud trucks going past and some of them using their engines to break. Not a good experience. After the nap, I thought I might use the restroom. It was disgusting. Papers on the floor, graffiti and worst, unflushed toilets full of waste. Do yourself a favor and drive a few miles west to the Love's Travel Stop. Big parking lot, clean bathrooms, a much better experience.

It's a rest stop. Sadly it's not in great shape. It needs some cleaning attention. You're in the…read moremiddle of the desert so aren't expecting a five star resort atmosphere but sheesh!

I would give it a one star, but thats not an option. I most likely don't need to go into detail,…read morebut I would highly recommend you going to the bathroom before you get here. The second option would be to wear a hazmat suit with a full respiratory system, option three, go into the Pacific or four, just soil yourself. Good luck. Updated: Just head south to Tijuana, most likely much cleaner.

Having access to hiking and mountain biking so close to the major urban center of San Diego is a…read morehuge benefit to everybody who lives here that enjoys the outdoors. Right now through March is the best time of year to visit in my opinion. Everything is beautiful and green and the flowers are starting to come out. I just hiked there this past weekend and it was spectacular. Over the course of the years when we have had super blooms, the mountainside on South Fortuna gets covered with poppies. We only saw a couple puppies here this past weekend but super exciting! With a little bit of rain in the near future forecast, the wildflowers are going to explode. So many different choices of trails to hike, but the south Fortuna Mountain is definitely my favorite. There's a kick ass section of over 200 stairs that goes straight up the hillside. That's the hillside where the poppies come out and it's one hell of a workout. It does get incredibly hot out here in the summer months. I would proceed with caution, if choosing outdoor activities here at those times. Tons of water, early morning or late evening start time for activities and adequate sun protection are a must. There is very little shade on these trails. I would also recommend always going with a buddy, just in case there's an emergency, and using the AllTrails app so you don't get lost.

I've been wanting to go to Mission Trails for the longest and finally had the opportunity to go…read morerecently. It was a typical beautiful day...I thought why not enjoy it at Mission Trails Regional Park. It was easy to get to and plenty of available parking...choice of lot or street. That's greaaat parking is not an issue whatsoever! Our goal was to see the dam. We had a pleasant walk...basking in the sun...listening to nature...reading park info displayed and signage. Along the way, we realize there were pipeline work being done for what appears to be for waste. We weren't sure for how long this work was going on. When we almost arrived at our destination, we were disappointed to find out the road to the dam was closed due to construction. I wish this sign was at the start of the trail. We could've taken another trail instead. It's all good though. We enjoyed looking at the open areas with rugged hills and valleys while taking in the nature surrounding us. Overall, it was a good outdoor experience. We'll be back :-)

The waterfall is awesome. Getting there is not so awesome - be prepared to go down windy one lane…read moreroads for quite some time. After you get there, there's a short easy-to-moderate hike to the waterfall. If you are feeling brave, you can go down the first waterfall for a much closer view of the main waterfall. If you choose to do this (which I do not recommend), please be careful - one minor slip and you're falling dozens of feet onto rocks. Each time I have come here, I found a tick on myself - be warned that they are abundant in this area.

Great adventure for a sunny Saturday afternoon. The path to the top of the falls is more of a trek…read morethan a hike, due to the slow accent and being covered by trees and brush for most the journey you are not exposed to the hot sun making for a pleasant experience. For most the hike will take only a half an hour to reach the top, and about the same to descend. The path is not well marked, and hopefully you will encounter others along the way to keep you on the right trail. Now the drive to the base of the hike is another animal! Narrow, rough, uphill, downhill, washed-out paved road with some extremely deep potholes, and trenches making for a long slow drive of about 3.5 miles with opposing traffic that requires you to make way for passing very often, and blind curves to contend with. But....the pain was worth the pleasure we experienced once we reached Tenaja Falls. The view from the falls was breathtaking, and the water was cool and refreshing to sit beside and bathe my toes! I would assume that this is the best time to visit because the temperature is moderate, and the actual presence of rushing water to enjoy. Next visit I will pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy an extended stay. Highly recommend.

We tackled Volcan Mountain Trail with an eight-year-old, so we didn't make it the full way but it…read morewas such a nice experience. We also brought along our dog as it is a dog friendly trail as long as your dog is on a leash. The trail starts out pretty steep, but it's well-marked with clear paths throughout. One thing I really loved was all the signage explaining local plant life and animal tracks so it made the hike feel educational and engaging. My kiddo was really into looking at the different animal paw prints. This trail is great for hiking enthusiasts and beginners alike but just know your limits and pace yourself if you're newer to hiking. I would definitely say if it's sunny to make sure you bring plenty of water with you, but there are a lot of shady spots on this trail so that is a nice change from the hikes that are closer to coastal San Diego.

It's a good hike to pair with a trip to Julian. My husband and I picked up sandwiches in town for a…read morepicnic on the trail. Parked next to the road and knew we were in the right place because of all the other cars. We made our hike a loop as we went up the mountain, taking the 5 Oaks Trail, and then came down using the Vulcan Mountain preserve trail. The 5 Oaks Trail has more of a view. There are a few seats to stop, sit (catch your breath) and enjoy the view. Sadly, we haven't had rain so it wasn't as green as I'm sure it would be on a normal January. Nevertheless, a great hike to work off all the apple pie you eat in Julian.

Nice place for a quick rest take the dog out let the kids run around. Little education of the wild…read moreanimals that live here rabbits, snakes squirrels. This time there was some construction going on here.. there was also a few working cleaning up around 2:45pm.

Icky rest stop area. Keep going and find something up ahead or stop at the summit which is just 15…read moreminutes more up the road.

This place continues to be my preferred spot for gas on my way to Idyllwild or Palm Springs. The…read moreprices for convenience items inside are quite expensive but you can't beat the price for gas. I was thrilled to see gas under $4/gallon - almost .40 cheaper than in Temecula - on Christmas Day. Continues to be clean and well maintained. I used the restroom this trip and those are the cleanest gas station bathrooms I've ever seen!

I went in to order food for the 1st time. A tall Caucasian middle aged man with glasses, asked if I…read morewanted to order. I said umm...and hes all "no u dont want to order that'. I thought he was being funny but his female co worker told him he was on break (or something) and moved him out of the way. He kept saying I shudnt order that. Weird. Anyways....female employee was extremely nice. She did get a line as the cashier has to also serve food?? And ahe waa the only cashier...Thank God for gloves as cash handling is gross. Finally a cook, I believe, came out to help. Kinda weird with an employee saying no u dont want that. And the food stand shud be separate from the cashiers. Like Pit Stop in Santa Rosa. Again, food was decent, female cashier beyond nice....just a weird set up....

If you are a San Diego hiker and haven't done this hike- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???…read more And for those of you who see these photos and think damn I need to go do that, please be aware of the temperature because it is dangerously hot down there at lower temperatures than in other areas. The hike goes down into a canyon and the heat settles down there. Even if it's not as hot as you think coming up can be extremely dangerous. Every year I hear about somebody dying from heat stroke on that hike so don't take it lightly. I always check the weather on the actual trail using the AllTrails app. I saw that the weather out there was max 65° that day and I was like hell yeah. The hike really isn't that difficult, 3 miles down and then 3 miles back up. Lots of nice switchbacks, and there are a few sun shelters for shade. The views are gorgeous all along the trail. I've done this hike, probably 20 times over the years. It's the best in the spring and in the fall. In the winter it's way too cold. The reward for this hike is the gorgeous rock bowl and waterfall that the locals call Devils Punchbowl. This past Thursday when we did this hike, there were a lot of young folks at the Punchbowl when we got there. Some of the guys were climbing up and jumping into the water. I would not recommend it, even if the waterfall is still flowing that water is not safe to swim in. In the fall, the waterfall doesn't flow anymore after being dried out over the brutal summer, but the trees at the bottom of the canyon turn a beautiful gold color. One of the few places in San Diego you can actually experience fall.

Having lived in San Diego for so long, I honestly don't know why it took me this long to do this…read morehike. I finally got the permit online (definitely download it before you arrive since service can be spotty) and decided to go for it. I went in early May and started the trail around 8am, which turned out to be a great decision. The trail was practically empty at that time, and the downhill views were absolutely beautiful. I even saw two rattlesnakes before 9am, so definitely stay alert while hiking. At several points I had to remind myself I was still in San Diego and not somewhere in a huge national park. Once I got near the bottom, I did lose track of the trail a little and it was SOS, so having the AllTrails map downloaded beforehand was really helpful. It took me a little over an hour to reach the waterfall, and there were only two other people there at the time, which made it feel really peaceful and private. The water felt AMAZING after the hike down. There were so many fish in the water, and the whole area was honestly so pretty. By the time I started heading back around 10am, I noticed a lot more people arriving at the falls. The hike back up wasn't terrible, but the sun definitely makes it much harder on the return. I was very happy to make it back to the parking lot by around 11:30am. I would definitely bring lots of water, sunscreen, and some snacks.