Easy 2.7 mile loop. There are nice views of the surrounding mountains and small seasonal ponds…read more Getting lost is almost impossible as the starting point will always be right behind you which is the school. There is no parking available at the trailhead. Signs point to parking at the school. The start of the trail head is at 1951 Tavern Road which is a small road between the school and some private homes. Look for that sign. There is no actual sign from what I saw pointing to Wrights Field.

Fresh air! 30…read moreminutes east of San Diego City in the city of Alpine is this great hiking/walking spot. I-8 to the Tavern Road exit, then continue until you see 2001 Tavern Road which is a school. Parking nearby. Follow google maps up the side street and you'll find an entrance. Directly behind the entrance gate is the only restroom facility in the park, a porta potty. The terrain is predominantly flat. There are a few different ways to go including a moderately wide circular path. Low brush, small slightly rocky inclines and all-around in great condition for walking or hiking depending on your mood. Families, dogs, and people in various states of physical condition including pole walkers today. I found a two-hour walk to be fairly easy. There is little shade or water or restroom facilities so be prepared!

Great overall, a lot of options like meats salsas tortillas fresh daily, dairy and a whole lot of…read moredrink options for all ages

This a nice little neighborhood market located in the community of Alpine. I came in looking for…read moresome vegetables and corn tortillas. I found the zucchini for only .59 per pound, which was not doubt, a great deal. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ranch-farmers-market-alpine?select=RK9bbRRsJJ_CmPxhiF5sNg#-N2syDG6smNPnzUw-guIIw) Also, the corn tortillas were only .99 for a pack of 3 dozen. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ranch-farmers-market-alpine?select=RK9bbRRsJJ_CmPxhiF5sNg#lthP16GuDrfimJq5jPE43Q) I also picked up a few Roma tomatoes, since they were only .99 per pound. I gotta make that salsa.. This market also has a butcher on the premise, who prepares fresh cuts of meats, and also makes special marinades for their house prepared carne asada and pollo asado for your grill. The place is small, but they carry the important basics, and they provide that very important down to earth friendly hospitality. Oh yes, they also have a propane tank exchange program. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ranch-farmers-market-alpine?select=RK9bbRRsJJ_CmPxhiF5sNg#bIURjWx2FOR-rFZKVbw3vw)

It's a challenge to find serenity in San Diego county. And even harder within driving distance of…read moredowntown. But then there's Lake Cuyamaca, a hidden gem. I went on a 6 mile hike with my wife around the lake and also through a couple of spurs off the main trail. There's one spot where you can look down into a valley and see where all the water collects. In those moments I try to use my mind's eye to see all sorts of animals running around thousands of years ago.

I didn't realize how much you could do at Lake Cuyamaca. Look no further if you want a great…read morecampsite with fishing spots and trails scattered around the area! If you're just visiting for the day like us, you'll need to pay for day use which is $10 per car. This fee is waived for campers or if you purchase a fishing permit (which is separate from the California fishing license). We started off at the Tackle Shop where we figured out our day passes and fishing logistics. The worker gave some great recommendations for fishing spots and this is where our group split, with several people fishing and the rest hiking. The Lake Cuyamaca Loop Trail is fairly easy and straightforward. It's about 3 miles total with little to no elevation gain. The trail mostly wraps around the edge of the lake but there was a section through an open field...the lake probably at one point stretched all the way out there but has dried up now. There's only a small section that had shade so for the most part, you'll be exposed to the sun (I got extremely sunburnt). You can use AllTrails if you're worried about getting lost but I thought the trail was pretty clear. We finished the hike in about an hour and just hung out with the rest of our friends fishing. We got lucky and it was such a beautiful day, with clear blue skies. Will definitely be back because I heard you could rent boats to fish off of! Oh and dogs are allowed as long as they're on a leash!

I am writing to express my formal complaint regarding my experiences at Crest Foods. I have lived…read morein Crest for over six years and have always made an effort to support our local businesses, but several serious issues have led me to stop supporting this business. Years ago, I unfortunately suffered from food poisoning after consuming pizza from Crest Foods. While I continued to support their establishment for other services, my recent experiences at the gas station have been even more concerning. I discovered that my credit card was charged for gas that I did not purchase. Furthermore, I have noticed significant discrepancies in gas pricing and volume compared to stations at the bottom of the hill. These experiences have left me feeling that local customers are being taken advantage of. Especially after bringing the issue directly to their staff and being given excuses that didn't make any sense while shifting blame to customers . I wanted to bring these matters to the attention of the community to warn everyone and explain why a long-term local resident will no longer be supporting Crest Foods

Pizza is always great. love the guys that work there. food and gas are super affordable. gas, beer,…read moreand pizza; the american dream.

After spending the day visiting Mount Laguna, my wife and I headed back to the 8 freeway through…read moreDescanso. Just before we got to the freeway, we saw a hand painted sign on the side of the road introducing "El Campito Farm." Thank god that I hit the brakes to investigate them further. Their setup was as simple as can be. The entire operation consisted of a farmer, a few tables covered in burlap, and a respectable display of the freshest, grown on-site, organic vegetables that I have ever seen. We were on our way home to make fish tacos, but all we had was fish and tortillas. We had no fresh ingredients! But that's where Phillip(the farmer) and El Campito Farm stepped in. We picked through their selection and took a bunch of FRESH veggies home to complete our shopping list. They offered up all of the following in the middle of October: multi-colored beets, baby gourmet lettuce, fresh cilantro, green onions, fancy crimson forest onions, trumpet mushrooms, yellow squash, green squash, spherical squash, butternut squash, yellow carrots, etc... It is impressive for any local farm to produce all of these veggies simultaneously, but especially during October. What makes them my new favorite place to get produce, is that they grow sustainable food. El Campito Farm is organic, and they take it a step further. They have a philosophy that demands total respect for the Earth, their harvest, and ultimately, the families that rely on their fields for food. Most important question...How is their produce? It is superior to anything that I have ever purchased in a store. We used their onions, squash, cilantro, and mushrooms to prepare dinner tonight. My wife had to go lay down and relax after dinner. Why? Because the food was so good, that she had eaten the entire massive portion of food that I served her. The veggies were crisp, and maintained their distinct flavors like they should. Excellent! Think about it. El Campito Farm is producing high quality, locally grown, organic food for the community to enjoy. They are providing local jobs. And they are protecting the land by not abusing it. They love what they are doing and it shows. I will be back very soon. Until then, we will tell everyone about what you are doing out in the mountains of San Diego.

Best produce in San Diego county. My wife and I were told about this gem by a good friend and he…read moreraved about it. We weren't disappointed. Extremely fresh, it smells and tastes like it was just picked (probably because it was). Prices are very reasonable compared to some Organic Farms. Can't go wrong here. I give it 5 Stars all the way.

It had been over a decade since I've done this hike -- mostly because dogs are prohibited on this…read moretrail (and usually I like to take my dogs hiking) -- but this week I decided to do it again. The short of it: - The first mile is pretty uninteresting as it is on a fire road. - Then you hit an open dirt plateau, walk straight across to the open path on the opposite side. - The remaining 1.3 miles is really fun -- lots of scrambling up boulders, and then a little challenging rope climb through a chimney to get to the peak where there are fantastic views Things to know: Cell service is spotty up there, so if you are going to use Google Maps to find the trailhead,, start to navigate while you are still in a populated area with cell service. Finding the entrance to the chimney can be tricky. There were three of us that were close to it, but it took us about 10 minutes to find it. To make it easy for the rest of you to find: download the What3Words app in advance, and when you get to the point that you are actively looking for the chimney, put in the words "dreadful.joining.tilts" and hit Navigate / Compass Mode...this should guide you to the exact entrance of the chimney. (( Side note, if you are not familiar with What3Words, watch this cool 5 minute TedTalk by its founder: https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_sheldrick_a_precise_three_word_address_for_every_place_on_earth )) There are lots of holly-like shrubbery on the second half of the trail. Long pants aren't required, but they can definitely help you avoid abrasion. It gets hot there: the high was supposed to be 60 degrees in that area yesterday, but it felt like it was in the 70s when we were doing the hike. This is definitely a hike to do when the weather is cold in San Diego proper. Download the All-Trails trailmap in advance: the latter 1.3mi is not well-marked, and having that GPS accessible trailmap sped up our hike by letting us know if we were getting off the beaten path. For a meal afterwards, I recommend Panchos: we went to Panchos Mexican on Jamacha Rd....huge serving sizes, and very tasty.

Hiked this back in early March. I liked that there were very few people on the trail. It is steep…read morefrom the beginning but not too difficult. Small area to park by the start of the trail which is a yellow gate. Once you get close to the peak there is not much of a trail and you need to pick a path over boulders. I made my way around to the back of the peak on the west side and found the rope. There are some rock and some wooden make-shift steps to help you get up to the top with the cave. Sadly, maybe because I was alone with no one to assist and maybe not strong enough I did not make it up...bummer. It is just under 5 miles and will take 2-3 hrs most likely.

We called this morning to obtain a copy of our receipt and Bosco was amazing at helping us out! He…read morehas great customer service skills and is kind and helpful. Thanks again Bosco, you rock!!!

Established in 1875, this was one of the first Convenient Stores....and as a convenience, they are…read morepriced accordingly. Supply and demand. We drove here after camping in the near by National Forest. Due to the recent fires, the local gas station in Julian had lost electricity. We were happy to pay $4+/gallon for 87 Octane. Liquor and other amenities were over priced, but were available :)

This is a surprising hidden gem!…read more - lots of parking - not terribly busy - restrooms and trashcans on site - extensive trail options - dog friendly - horseback trails - kid/family friendly - good views - shaded picnic-friendly areas I came here with my dog around 11 on a Sunday. It is pretty warm out this way, so definitely more of a winter/early spring/late fall location. There's NICE restrooms on site. The initial trail area has lots of flat and shaded regions for picnics or just sitting to enjoy nature. Multiple trash receptacles. I even saw a sign for drinking water (although I didn't look further into this so I can't confirm if there actually is). There are TONS of trail options and spinoffs. Nearly all trails marked and those listed on the all trails map appear to be well maintained. This is not solely an out and back or loop trail though. I would definitely recommend downloading the map in advance so you don't get lost as directions are not clearly marked once on the trail. It does also appear that they are building some sort of community or information structure. At the main trail section (where all the oak trees and flat area for picnics are) there is also a guided storybook trail for kids, where every 50-100 feet there is a wooden box with a numbered page from a Dr Seuss book to help keep kids engaged and moving along the trail. Views are very pretty, especially if you make the hike up towards the water tower. I would consider this trail moderately busy. Between 11:15 when we started and 12:15 when we ended, we encountered ~6 groups/families of hikers, one person on horseback, and a couple of people with dogs. All dogs were leashed. Once we got out to the main section/incline of the hike though, we encountered far fewer people. All in all, a beautiful spot and I would highly recommend this hike if you're looking for a casual walk or a family nature day!

A fairy tale-like space. We started a hike at the base of the mountain near the Walmart parking…read morelot and stopped here before the summit. There is a small "Hansel and Gretel" house to explore and rocks to scramble. If you decide to hike you get a nice overlook of Escondido.