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Our Picnic

It was an incredibly beautiful morning, and obviously would turn into a gorgeous day -- but hot, a little too hot for our tastes. Somewhere a little cooler and with a nice change of scene was in order

Wrightwood would do nicely. It was close enough, only 30 or so minutes from our inland valley home. Cooler too. The mountain elevation usually dropped the temperature a good 10 or 15 degrees and, it sure would be nice to get out of the smog for the day.

After a drive through the Cajon Pass, past the Mormon Rocks and on to Highway 2, we arrived in Wrightwood. I like the drive. There are no nasty switch-backin'-hairpin turns and the roads are typically uncongested. The sky becomes bluer with every mile and the scenic drama of traveling through the desert ecosystem and into the mountains never fails me.

The food is always great in the village and there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor patio style dining. Today a picnic seemed in keeping with our impulsive mood. So we picked up a couple tasty sandwiches and such in the village and drove off further into the forest.

To the west of Wrightwood is Jackson Lake, but just before it is the Mescal picnic area, we stopped here. We walked across the winding plank bridge and toward a table with an especially scenic view. After a couple minutes having the place to ourselves, we moved over to a table we thought even better.

While setting out our meal we could hear the birds singing to each other and like tiny dare-devils, flitting here and there through the limbs and branches. The chatter of an angry squirrel away in the canyon below added to our amusement. Far off along the chapparel covered ridge to the north, a lone hawk could be seen patiently soaring over its hunting ground.

We finished our lunch and sat hushedly discussing other beautiful places we've visited and sat for a bit holding hands, just enjoying the natural surroundings.

A walk around Jackson Lake was fun. There were some who were fishing and some who were swimming and some just lying about splashing in inflatable rafts. More tables and a puppy on a leash begging clandestinely for potato chips. My favorite were the tow-headed twins laughing and rowing their canoe madly across the lake. We stopped and talked with some. Folks who lived nearby and far away. We were amazed at the variety of people we met and the reasons that brought them there. Everybody was so friendly.

The sun wasn't as high in the sky anymore, we had survived the peak of the heat as we hoped. It was agreed between us, and with big smiles, we would be back -- over and over again.

- by Toby Wilder -


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