Spent a nice weekend with Steve & Sandy (Marc's relatives from Mesa, AZ).   It was a 100 degree day so when they arrived late that afternoon we drove a half hour up to Idyllwild for coolness and a great Mexican dinner. 

Idyllwild is known as the 'mile high' town (approx 1.6km in elevation).   It has four seasons and only an hour's drive from pines to palms (Palm Springs).   Many homes are get-away cottages for people to get away from the heat of summer in LA & S. Diego.

Local carver has produced amazing carvings; this one depicting the bear, eagle, vulture, cougar, squirrel, woodpecker ... to name a few on this statue (we figure it is carved of redwood).  Oh - and Marc and the two kelpies of course!

Idyllwild has great rock climbing/mt biking and you are amidst pine trees.   Very different terrain from Hemet on the east side of the San Jacinto Mt Range & Palm Springs on the west side.

En route to Palm Desert we saw the most amazing sunset. 

A welcome feeling after having 100+ degrees.

  -  - - at the beach in San Diego - - a doggy/people beach.  

Beautiful, tons of space and pelicans in formation (there were hundreds of pelicans and they flew in a formation - not unlike geese during migration).

Drove along the coast - Oceanside and Del Mar

Blooming trees - have not been able to find out what kind of tree!

Torrey Pines . . . . .  well, THE most famous golf course in the Oceanside/San Diego section!  We did a 'drive-by' so can't claim to have golfed this course!

Happened upon some great cliff diving and airborne chute activity.

Cycles are interesting!