Christmas Day 2013
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click photo to enlarge |
On Christmas day we like to do things we could not do when we lived back in
Cleveland, like ride the motorcycle or take a drive in the convertible. This
year it was in the high 70s to low 80s and we went to 3 different parks in the
convertible. The picture to the left is the California Citrus State Historic
Park located in Riverside. I wanted to capture the orange trees, palm trees
and the mountains in the distance. From their web site "This park preserves
some of the rapidly vanishing cultural landscape of the citrus industry and
tells the story of this industry's role in the history and development of
California. The park recaptures the time when "Citrus was King" in California,
recognizing the importance of the citrus industry in southern California". Of
course the actual buildings were not open but the park itself was. The
interpretive center is very well done and informative. |
click photo to enlarge |
The next stop was the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. We have visited
this a few years back on Christmas day and it is very nice. It can be very
crowded in the summer with boaters. This year they even had a ranger there
collecting the entrance fee. But since I donate to the state parks I get a
few free entrances stamps I carry in my wallet. There were a few boaters,
jet skiers and even a few people wind surfing. They have a Regional Indian
Museum that offers a look into the lives of the native peoples who lived in
the area before the Spanish habitation. We have never been here when it is
open so guess we need to go back. |
click photo to enlarge |
Our final stop was a city park in Fontana at the Mary Vagle Nature Center.
The nature center / park is right in the midst of a residential area and it
was fairly crowded. One if the people who was instrumental in setting up the
education programs at Mt. Baldy, where we volunteer, now works here. They
offer a range of programs to meet the needs of regional educators, scouts,
families and community groups. All our programs incorporate a hands-on,
place-based approach to learning. The Nature Center was closed on Christmas
day so we will have to go back on a day when it is open. |
click photo to enlarge |
click photo to enlarge |
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