Hike! Leo Carrillo Ranch

So, I've been here in San Diego for 4 weeks now, and though I'd joined a gym, I felt like I was missing something.... Like - THE SUN!

Well, the other day I met my dad for lunch at a place described as a "cool and nice outdoors area" by an old friend. The place was Leo Carrillo Ranch. According to the google map, it just looked like another housing community, with just a little extra space around it... It looked like that driving up to it too...

The park ended up being closed on Mondays... so we had lunch at a picnic table we found, by a day care just off to the right of the picture above. Afterwards, I was going to go to the gym, but on our way back to our cars we noticed a sign for a trail - saying 2-mile loop. Exercise AND SUN! Perfect! So, I said goodbye and changed my clothes in the car!

At first, I was really confused... You start down this very steep hill, and there are a few forks in the road - but there are no signs telling you which way to go. I took all rights, just to be consistent, which led me to a main road. Again, there were no signs to where to go, so I just headed up the hill to the left, thinking I could loop around eventually. After following the road to the left again (so as not to cross the road), eventually I found another entrance to the trail. At this point the trail was nice, partially paved, partially packed sand/rock. Again though, there were more forks... and not many signs... I actually popped out onto roads many more times, but these times, I just turned around and went the other way on the previous fork.

After 40 minutes, 2.4 miles, and a bit of help from my smartphone's google map app, I found my way back to the entrance. The hills were STEEP, and frequent. There isn't much shade. But its pretty, and though according to the map, you are surrounded by houses and business, you stay blissfully unaware.

I will definitely go back. Its a very nice, varied, workout, with lots of pretty all around. Also, the trail is awesomely dog friendly. Though there were no directional signs, there were TONS of poop bag/disposal stations. Also, parking is super easy. I recommend not going on a Monday, so you can explore the whole area. 

Here's the address:

6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane

Carlsbad, CA 92009

Have fun!

Fish Park

Every morning on my way to work, I pass what looks like a small, run-down view point and parking lot. The place is called Fish Park - its right between Viking Way Poulsbo and Front Street Poulsbo at the point of Liberty Bay. It really doesn't look like much - but, what's that phrase... never judge a book by its cover... totally applies here.

Sometimes, Chad will take me to work on Saturday morning,s and on the days he does, we usually bring Milli with us. I've always known they go on walks after the drive, usually visiting Fish Park, but what I didn't know was anything about it.

Well, last night, I got my chance to see it for myself. I wanted to go pick blackberries. I had our usual spots in mind, Clear Creek, my friend Ashley's house, Island Lake - but Chad said we just HAD to go to Fish Park. I wasn't exactly excited to hear this... I wasn't even sure why we were going to go to the weird little parking lot for berries... I knew he had picked about 8 single blackberries, there the week before - but that wasn't exactly what I was looking for....

Well... again... I can admit it - I was wrong. Fish Park is SO MUCH MORE than a parking lot!! It is a beautiful, well-built, trail system. According to an interpretive sign (one of many) the park spans 20 acres and the trails were built mostly by volunteers and donations. 2/3 of the trail snakes through pretty dense non-pine forest, while the other third goes through a grassland and around a thick part of a creek/stream. I can't find any information about the water way....

While we were there we found TONS of blackberries, snowberries (poisonous), rose hips, apples and pears. We also saw a huge splash in the stream while standing on a lookout, we think it was a river otter or beaver - apparently both live there.

 Snowberries

And, did I mention the crazy wood salmon! It looks like its made of small pieces of drift wood. It's perched at the top of a hill - perfect photo opt.

Really - if you have a dog or are just looking for a nice stroll one evening - try out Fish Park in Poulsbo - its totally worth the trip.