One great thing about living in Southern California is the ease of access to a wide variety of landscapes.  Ocean, deserts, rolling hills, coastal plains, mountains, and valleys all lay within close proximity.  Where else can you go surfing in the morning and by noon that same day you are standing knee – high in snow?  That is exactly what I did last Saturday.  After surfing in Pacific Beach, CA, I decided to visit the beautiful mountain town of Idyllwild, CA located in Riverside County.  The different scenery that I encountered along the way was breathtaking.  I’ll admit, the first half of the journey is somewhat uneventful (freeway driving through mostly urban areas), but the second half takes you through rolling hills into wine and avocado country, through long flat valleys, into high desert and then a zigzag of rocky hills, through a pine-lined valley,  and eventually into a forested mountain area.  It’s a comforting feeling to know that there is still a ton of open land nearby, a place where animals roam free and the natural geology remains intact.   I instantly relaxed as I saw hawks flying up above, meandering rivers, weathered rock formations, towering mountain peaks, and dusty country roads.  I appreciated the break from city living and used it as a time to decompress.  In fact, these little breaks seem to  make me more productive once I return to school and work.  What followed was a weekend of hiking, eating good food, reading books (for leisure, not for school), and simply relaxing.  Here are some of my pictures from the trip: