Colinas Bluff Trail- Laguna Niguel, CA

I should have taken more pictures; this was a beautiful place. The people who live within walking distance from the trail are very lucky! Its another one that backs right up to homes, but its still quiet and has a sort of big feeling, despite its proximity to the neighborhoods and freeways.

This is an up-and-back trail. So you can make it as long or short as you would like. Today we went about 3.5 miles round trip. The full length is about 6.7 miles. There are some big, round hills along the way that offer you beautiful 360 degree views of Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano. Apparently you can see all the way out to the Catalina Island on the clearest of days.

This is quite a popular place for hikers, bikers, and their dogs and many of the pups were off leash on the Sunday we visited. Be observant because some dogs will run right up to yours, ignoring the calls from their humans. Simi is a wary, little guy and rushing up to his face isn't the best way for him to make friends. But luckily most of the dogs we met were quite friendly.

Please excuse this for being an
obvious snapchat screenshot...

To get to the trailhead, I parked my car in the Marina Hills shopping center. Cross Golden Lantern and right to your left will be the entry via a dirt pathway.

There's a Starbucks in the corner of the center and after our hike, we sat for a while in the large patio, the humans enjoying sweet, icy drinks that put back all the calories we had just burned on the hike. And Simi had his orange bowl of water, which he largely ignored so he could stare at a little dog at the table next to us.

I will likely be visiting this trail again soon. It would be a particularly good one for a sunrise or sunset hike, as long as you are perched atop one of the good-sized hills when the sun does its thing (maybe with a hot cup of joe in your hand). Its a near drive from Newport Beach, which makes it all the more appealing to me.

Weir Canyon- Anaheim, CA

After a couple of very busy weeks, Sim and I were able to finally get out on a trail again. On this Saturday morning, we ended up in Anaheim, CA, home to the "happiest place on earth" aka Disneyland.

This trail was a nice loop, just shy of 4 miles. The rolling peaks and valleys make this what I'd consider a moderate hike.

Being summer, the hills were brown and carpeted with dry brush, spotted with an occasional pop of dark green. There was very little shade along the way, but luckily the morning was cloudy. Nothing seems to soak up the sunshine and heat like a little, black dog. So if you ever decided to visit this trail, rub on some sunscreen, pull on a hat, and pack extra water.

The suburban neighborhoods encase the open area of the trail, but its still a little escape from the real bustle and noise of the city life. Its a great place for some morning or evening exercise and it took us less than two hours to complete the loop at a leisurely pace.