April 5th – 6th ~ Aqua Dulce, CA
Vasquez Rocks
It has been a couple of months since we loaded up the RV and hit the road. This time we once again met up with our good travel buddies, Dick and Karen. Our meeting point was in Agua Dulce, which is located about 45 miles north of Los Angeles.
Agua Dulce Winery
For our first night, Dick made the arrangements for us to stay at a Harvest Host location, Agua Dulce Winery. As per custom, we visited the gift shop, sampled a bit of wine and them headed into town to visit a local Mexican Restaurant called Maria Bonita.
Enter here for a great Mexican meal…
If you find yourself anywhere within driving distance, we can all highly recommend giving this place a try. Great meal and well-balanced margarita. In fact, we enjoyed our dinner so much, we returned for lunch the following day where Tim and I split a lunch special of chile rellenos, enchilada, rice and beans for $10.50 and it was plenty to fill us both.
The next morning we explored behind the winery where there is a variety of animals on display. The signs were clear that we could not either pet or feed them, but children might enjoy seeing alpaca, llama, steer, chickens, rosters, ducks, goats, pony and a couple of full-feathered brilliant peacocks.
Not too far down the road is Vasquez Rocks Natural Area. This 932 acre park has several hiking trails where you can check out the rocks exposed some 25 million years ago from a combination of erosion and uplift along the San Andreas Fault.
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area
There is a small visitors center that gives some background information, as well as warnings to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes!!!
Visitors Center
Lucky for us it was a cool day and no snakes were spotted on the trails
Numerous movies and TV shows have been filmed here. The Pacific Coast Trail also crosses through the park.
The four of us on top of the hill
“Vasquez Rocks was added to the National Register of Historic Places (site #72000228) in 1972 because of its significance as a prehistoric site for the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples.” ~ Wikipedia
The Tataviam people were living here when the Spanish arrived and were eventually assimilated. We found some evidence of pictographs (paintings on the rocks).
Pictograph
A tree found a footing amongst the rocks
After a not too strenuous hike, we returned to our rigs, closed up and headed off toward our next destination…
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful to once again be on the road in search of new experiences. We are so fortunate to have the time to explore, an RV to relax in at the end of a long day, and wonderful friends to share it all with.
NEXT UP: Checking out the Super Bloom in Carrizo Plains National Monument.
A Note From Abroad 
Great post as always, Joanne. I think it’s great that such places are so close to LA. Did that also mean crowds? In my youth I used to go dirt biking in the Lake Elsinore area with my cousin who lived in the Southland. I remember it as rustic and beautiful, yet uncrowded. As an aside I had to chuckle at the HUGE name of a county supervisor on the park sign. Her district no doubt. Anything for a little glory when you’re a politician I guess. Carry on….
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Mike, we hiked in Vasquez Rocks mid morning on a Friday and it was not very crowded. I’m guessing that later in the day or especially on weekends that it would be more so.
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Beautiful! Lucky you… youse? Poetry inspiring for sure. It IS National Poetry Month you know. If you didn’t, my blog tell you all about it this month! Safe travels!
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How nice it would be to inspire poetry 💫
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Very nice place. Thanks for the great post.
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Thank you for stopping by!
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You are welcome. Happy travels! 🙂
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🤣😂🤣 when I saw the photo of the “tasting glasses” -I was wondering who would be driving the RV after that. 😃
We were there years ago, with my grandkids when they were young. I smiled when I saw the girl in cowboy boots. I have some similar photos of the little ones climbing. It looks like they are really high up but they were not. It may look like the girl is unsafe but I know she is, the ground is at the bottom of the picture, and she is having a heck of a grand time. It is a fabulous picture of her “in action” and I’m certain having a blast being outdoors, and getting dirty.
Looks like you all had a great time. I think it’s a beautiful place to get energized.
Thank you for the recommendation of the Mexican restaurant. If it’s still there, I’d love to go next time I’m there. I just copied and sent Julia the photo in case she wants to stop there today after her hike today in Vasquez Rocks.
I appreciate the history you shared as well. Love love the pictures! We are so lucky to live near some amazing places that we can go to for a day or half a day trip.
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