This past weekend, I got to go to a new-to-me part of my hometown – beautiful Mount Laguna. Technically I’d been there before, but it was at night to see a meteor shower, so I saw none of the gorgeous landscape.
Mt. Laguna is at 6,000 feet above sea level, and a mere 40 minutes from my home (at 100 feet). At home, we are still waiting for the weather to look at the calendar and discover it is fall: It was 86 degrees when we left, and it was 68 when we stopped to hike on the way to our room.
I’ve missed hiking. Here, it is a fall-to-early-summer activity, or possibly first thing in the morning in the peak of summer. No long hikes are possible without the real danger of heat exhaustion during our hottest months. That was not a danger at all on our hike on the Wooded Trail loop.
Because of the elevation, we got to see the leaves changing color – something that is not visible down home. With this new location and tons of trails for me to explore, I see my Adventure Pass getting a workout.
The view from our room at the Mt. Laguna Lodge was full of the foliage.
Our room screamed with 70’s awesomeness: we had wood paneling on the walls, these cool lamps, and the best ever minimalist headboard I’ve ever seen!
It was clean and comfy. As much as I enjoy the primitive cabin that Ms. M and I stayed at, The Laguna Mountain Lodge is not camping in any way, except for no room service. It comes with linens and a mini-fridge and microwave, so there was no need to bring a carload of camping gear for a one-night stay. What a convenient getaway destination!
DH2U and I had a wonderful time exploring the town. We went to the Visitors’ Center and petted the animal pelts on open display. We checked out the town’s remarkably well-stocked general store (part of the lodge complex), and we had dinner at the one restaurant there that showed up in a Google Search: The Pine House Cafe.
This was the best Google luck I’ve had in quite a while. They have a regular menu that is always available (burgers, mac and cheese), and they have a specials menu made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, all at an affordable price. There was live music when we arrived for dinner. We ended up going back for breakfast!
This is definitely a trip we will be repeating.
When was the last time you discovered a cool new-to-you section of the town you live in? or Which of my readers also have to travel to see foliage changing colors?
Grown Up, Now What? 