February 2008 Issue | Download the
Full Issue
History
of the West Lilac Bridge | Traveling Along...Old Highway
395 | Visit a Tourmaline Mine in Pala
Ways to Protect Your Home From Fire | Growing
Up at Rawhide Ranch
A Look at the Local Real Estate Market | Some
Places to Take Your Date for Valentine's
10 Places in North County to See Before You Die! | It's
AquaTerra Time!
Keyways Krystal Ice Wine Warms Body and Soul | A
North County "Diamond in the Rough"
History of the West Lilac Bridge
The arch bridge soars gracefully over the I-15 freeway, a structure of elegant lines that seems ready to shunt aside the confines of the earth and become airborne.
It is, in effect, a “frame” for the beauty of the groves, river bed, mountains and valleys of the San Luis Rey watershed.
Many locals call it “The Rainbow Bridge,” but the official name is the Lilac Bridge. It carries West Lilac Road over the freeway, which is over 100 feet below. It is located 13 miles north of Escondido and just short of the San Luis Rey River.
As soon as the bridge’s design became known, it began to garner praise. Shortly before it opened in 1980, the Lilac Bridge was the recipient of two design awards.
The jury for one of them, the Prestressed Concrete Institute, wrote: “The designer is to be congratulated for achieving a result similar to that of placing a suitable frame around a superb landscape painting.”
The other award for excellence came from the Portland Cement Association.
The bridge’s designer, a man named Fred G. Michaels, was considered by his colleagues in what was then the Bridge Department of CalTrans as a “talented, even brilliant” design engineer.
The bridge project was part of a massive project undertaken in the late 1970s that made what had been a tortuous trip between Escondido and Temecula much easier.
This stretch of freeway bypassed the steep 7% grade of Shearers Grade, which was just south of Hwy 76, and gave motorists a more gentle 4% grade. Before this stretch of freeway was completed, motorists used to line up behind 18-wheelers with the automobile tail stretching out for dozens of cars.
There were actually three bridges built as part of the three-mile section of I-15. One was to carry the traffic on the existing road over the freeway, another to span the San Luis Rey River and a third was the bridge for West Lilac Road.
The most complicated and time-consuming part of the bridge project was the excavation of the cut. This required blasting and moving more than 11 million cubic yards of rock.
The bridge, which is a true arch, soars across the 695 foot cut to a height of 134 feet before it returns to the roadway. It is buried into the bedrock at a depth of eight feet on either side.
It is properly described as a “cast-in-place, post-tensioned box girder with a reinforced cellular arch rib.”
As Thomas J. Morrow, a staff writer for the Times Advocate newspaper described it in 1979, the contractor “devised a novel way to build a bridge—construct it on the ground, then dig under it.”
This was a less expensive way to construct a bridge and saved the contractor from having to bring supports in to span the roadway while the bridge was under construction.
The designer was as much concerned with the appearance of the bridge from the freeway below as he was with crossing the chasm.
Just as the columns of the Parthenon in the Acropolis of Athens are bowed slightly inward to create the illusion that they are straight up and down, so the West Lilac bridge is aligned in a particular way so that it does not appear “warped” to the motorist below. Instead it appears square to the passing automobile. To achieve this visual affect, the designers were forced to calculate each elevation to an exact degree and for the builders to custom build each concrete form.
According to California Builder & Engineer (Nov. 11, 1977), “The tough part of the grading was excavating a ‘glory hole’ in the middle of the big cut first to enable the bridge contractor to proceed with the structure while the remainder of the cut was being excavated. This meant excavating a narrow section from the lower end of the cut to the bridge site for a haul road and then taking out the full cut section in the bridge area.”
Excavating the area for the bridge at first took as many as 16 big scrapers and 15 bottom dump trucks working at ten-hour shifts a day, ultimately hauling away 3.5 million cubic feet of rock.
But the result was one of the most admired pieces of architecture in San Diego’s North County, a source of pride and beauty at the gateway to San Diego for motorists coming from the north.
Traveling Along... Old Highway 395
The road that connects the communities that this magazine serves is not the I-15, a Johhny-come-lately name, but rather the Old 395, which came into existence before there was even the word “freeway.”
The 395 actually came into existence in 1895 as part of a 14,000 mile network of roads that was recommended to the California State Legislature.
In 1926 it received the federal designation as US 395, thus becoming a federal highway. By 1968 the powers that be had determined that US 395 now ended in Hesperia.
But like a lot of other things that we grow up with, old habits and things learned from our elders seem to stick, no matter what someone in authority tells us.
For me, as it will probably be for many who grew up in Southern California, it will remain Old 395. Not until several generations cycle through the inculcation of I-15 as “the Boulevard” will 395 be relegated to only a memory to be found solely in the history books.
My earliest memories of the 395 were of trips north from the city of Redlands in vehicles that did not have air conditioning—cars just didn’t have that as an option then.
I hate to say it but, back then no one went on vacation when school was in session if school age kids were involved; everyone went when school was out.
Once up and over the Cajon Pass you were in the high desert and the resulting high temperatures were always in the triple digits. Most resourceful adults knew that it was cooler at night and therefore we would leave in the middle of the night to avoid the “heat of the day.” Nice try, but you just can’t quite get to the cooler climes before the heat sets in, at least in the old days.
It is interesting to note that the 395 in most of its original path still exists from Temecula to Escondido.
In Escondido it is known as Center City Parkway and continues uninterrupted north past Circle R Golf Resort and crosses over the I-15 in the Rainbow area.
As you descend down the hill towards Highway 76, the view north across the freeway provides a panorama of new houses that wrap around a water feature—mosquito heaven, I’m sure.
This development is where there used to be a dairy with cowpens radiating out from the barn-like wheel spokes. With all the rhetoric in the media today about the pollution created by “all those cows,” I have to wonder about the impact on the atmosphere of all the cars and trucks on the I-15. Maybe a little organic methane was not so bad after all.
All farmers will tell you that what you are smelling, as you pass the farm, any farm, is “the smell of money.” After all, it took lots of feed to create all that organic material and they don’t give feed away.
Continuing north on the 395 past Hwy 76 takes you past the Pala Mesa Resort and into the southeast corner of Fallbrook. What used to be scenic is now seared on this part of the road. Grass and trees on both sides of the road to homes were consumed in October’s wildfires. Avocado trees are either a strange orange/brown color or just plan burned. It will be interesting to see which trees recover and which start the slow process that Mother Nature uses to recycle her own. With the abundant rains this winter there should be plenty of new green showing anytime now, thus creating new fuel and potential problems.
At the Fallbrook exit from the freeway, the 395 crosses over to the east side of the freeway and continues north through a large nursery.
If you look close there is a dry creek bed that passes through the nursery that the Army Corps of Engineers designate as navigable waterway and as such gets treated as an endangered species. I would love to see anyone navigate this “river” in any type of water craft. Even when it is flowing full tilt, it is maybe 12 inches deep. The road winds its way though mature native oak trees prior to emerging onto the golf course and finally back into the suburbia of Temecula.
The entire trip from Escondido to Temecula does not take very long but does cover a lot of history that is still there to be discovered. This may be our boulevard, but it goes a lot further and can lead to so much more.
If the totality of old 395, end to end is considered, there are countless stories and bends in the road to be explored.
These explorations cover the wide spectrum of old time restaurants and truck stops, fishing holes, and vistas that harken back to another era. A Sunday afternoon ride is a serious road trip. Chances are that this piece of asphalt holds something of interest if you just look.
Visit a Tourmaline Mine in Pala
On almost any Sunday, even in the dog days of summer, you’ll find “fortune hunters” of a sort digging through the tailings of the Oceanview Gem Mine in Pala, in search of treasure.
Treasure of a kind that a century ago, in the form of pink tourmaline, adorned the withered neck and robes of state of the cruel and crafty Dowager Empress of China and her courtiers.
Oceanview is one of the few remaining operating gem mines in Pala, where once the hills were alive with the sounds of picks, shovels and explosives.
These days the prospectors are all ages. Kids, particularly, find it fun. After all, you never know what kind of treasure you’ll find. It might be a piece of pink, green or black tourmaline, or a glistening quartz crystal.
* * *
“OK, you did it your way. Now try it my way. You’ll find that it works better,” said Jeff, one of the owners, speaking to a neophyte prospector (myself).
I had not exactly followed his instructions for separating the pebbles and smaller rocks from the dirt using two different screens, which are metal screens like what you’d find on screen doors, mounted inside wooden frames.
I had washed the coarser screen in a tub of water and then put it directly over the finer grade screen, creating mud. Which is not the effect I was aiming for.
You’re actually supposed to put the coarser screen over the finer screen and shake it before you wash the rocks in the tub of water.
Makes sense when you think about it.
I threw out the muddy rocks and started over again.
I went over to the pile of rocks, took one of the small shovels, and filled a bucket with rocks and sand.
Then I returned to the table where the tub of water was and began prospecting.
The idea is to separate the possible gems from the chaff.
It can be back-breaking, or it can be fairly laid back, depending on how much muscle and dedication you want to put into it.
Most people try for something in the middle.
Folks pay $50 apiece for the privilege of looking for gems, and it’s a very good value for several hours of painstaking detail work.
You provide your own gloves, sun hat, lunch, water to drink, walking shoes and backpack or bucket or wagon to bring home your rocks.
They provide the rocks.
The Oceanvew is a hobby and a passion as much, if not more, than it is a business.
Jeff Swanger, who owns the mine along with Steve & Lisa Koonce, heard that it was on the market about six years ago.
All three had been coming to the area for years, and as youngsters had become familiar with many of the mines in the area.
“When I heard that the Oceanview was for sale, I snapped it up,” Swanger told me.
On weekdays Swanger and the Koonces pursue ordinary lives. Swanger, for instance, is a member of a family that builds and rents office buildings. On Saturdays they work their mine. On Sundays they open the mine to the public.
Although a hundred years ago nearly 80 tourmaline mines were in operation, only a handful are worked today.
In the 1890s the hills were honeycombed by miners who had drifted down from Northern California after the gold mines up there had mostly petered out.
The great majority of the rare pink tourmaline went to the Dowager Empress of China, the monarch during whose reign the famous Boxer Rebellion occurred.
Most of the 77 operating mines sold their holdings in 1903 to the government and Pala Indians. But a few unsold mines remained, such as the Oceanview.
After going through several screens full of rocks it was time for lunch, which we provided for ourselves.
During lunch Steve Koonce came over to give a safety lecture to those who would be visiting the mine itself, which is excavated several hundred feet into the living rock.
Safety is a number one issue, even though, unlike some unlucky coal mines, there has never been an accident in a tourmaline mine. Nevertheless, if you are going to visit one, you have to know about safety procedures, and carry an oxygen mask that you can attach to a pipe that runs through the mine shaft in case there is a cave-in, which, I take from Koonce’s talk, is about as likely as a tsunami.
Nevertheless we all listen intently, and when the time comes to visit the shaft, we put on hard hats and safety boots.
The temperature inside the mine, according to Swanger, remains fairly constant, whether it’s hot or cold outside.
He takes visitors along the shaft, which is lighted by the headlamps in our hard hats. The shaft is bored right into the rock, and its walls look as solid as a cave hundreds of thousands of years old.
Yet the shaft is only a few years old and has been mainly accomplished by drilling directly into the rock.
An oxygen pump at the entrance to the shaft keeps the air sweet and pure. It’s a ventlation system that puts out 3600 cmf per min of outside air into the mine
Looking at the shaft you need to remind yourself of all of the hard work and grit that has gone into creating it.
Towards the end of the afternoon we put all of our rocks into a container to take home with us— to go through with a magnifying glass and the hopes of hidden treasure.
* * *
Oceanview is open Sundays 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 760-489-1566. Ask for Lisa.
You can also visit Oceanview’s Web site at www.digforgems.com or stop by Steve Koonce’s custom jewelry shop in Escondido at 132 W. Grand to see examples of the tourmaline.
Ways to Protect Your Home From Fire
Any of us who have survived the firestorms of the past decade know that one of the primary ways you can protect your house is through creating a “defensible space” around your property.
But there are other things that you can do to make your home less of a target for fire.
One of the more interesting is the Fire Scout fire sensor system that detects fire more than a mile away and turns on sprinklers to wet down the roof and walls of the house until the danger is passed.
Ralph & Maryanna Hicks of Pauma Valley have seen three wildfires go near their home in three years. The last time it came within a half a mile. Each time the Fire Scout triggered the sprinkler system. The last time it happened while they were evacuated. They know that it came on because when they returned the batteries were nearly exhausted.
A basic system without sprinklers costs less than $1,000. Something with sprinklers costs between $2,500–$5,000. However, Hicks got a 10 percent break on his fire insurance premiums.
“You don’t have to rely on Reverse 911 with this system,” says Hicks. “Which is good because the last time we didn’t get a call.”
You can find out more by visiting this Web site: http://www.fire-scout.com
A Similar product is the Foamsafe FireMaster (www.consumerfireproducts.com), although we can’t vouch for it.
George Lucia, a North County fire marshal and fire chief whose volunteer fire department saw a lot of action during the October 2007 wildfires, has seen first hand that a product called Barricade can protect homes from fire.
Barricade is part of a family of gels and foams made by a number of manufacturers that are applied directly to the surface of the house. It can even be applied to shrubs and trees. It provides protection from flames for several hours, and longer if it is moistened from time to time.
According to Lucia, “If you live in an area with enhanced fire danger, a forest, or heavily wooded, far from emergency responders, you need to take an extra measure of prevention.”
Barricade is a product that was discovered from discarded baby diapers! The substance retains moisture. It looks almost like shaving cream and sticks to everything in any weather condition.
You can find out more about it by visiting www.barricadegel.com.
Lucia’s firefighters found that they were able to rewet their Barricade with a fine mist and keep it durable. His department isn’t the only one that swears by the product. So does the Los Angeles Fire Dept.
One resident applied Barricade to his house but not to his garage. When the fire roared through, the garage burned. The house survived.
The product can be applied with a garden hose and a box of it, costing about $500 can do 3,000 square feet.
During the last fire another home owner put out bottles of Barricade and laid out fire hoses so that firefighters could apply the product when they needed to.
In November the Los Angeles Times reported on a Lake Arrowhead resident who during the wildfires sprayed the exterior of his home with a clear liquid product called Safe-T-Guard that he sprayed with a garden sprayer. Homes on either side of him and for a distance around him, burned. But his house was untouched.
There are a number of paints that you can apply inside and out that purport to make the house more fire retardant.
One such product is WT102, also sold by Firetect. It is a latex-based paint that acts as a Class A fire retardant. It can be applied like any paint and lasts about two years before degrading. For more information visit www.firetect.com.
A similar product is Flame Resist, manufactured by Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions of Florida. It will reportedly last about a year and a half before degrading. Find out more at www.hytechsales.com.
You can also alter the construction of your home. If you have a wood shake roof, it’s probably a good idea to replace it with a fire proof substance next time you get a chance. Current county law requires that new houses must have fire proof roofs, which is another reason why newer houses are less likely to catch on fire.
You can also fire proof an existing building by installing cement board on the walls and siding.
California requires the use of fire-retardant materials in commercial buildings, but residences are on their own in determining the wisdom of their use.
But never rely on these products to protect your lives when you lie in the path of a wildfire! Your life is more important than any property, no matter how valuable. When you are threatened by fire: leave as fast as possible!
Growing Up At Rawhide Ranch
Parents often wonder out loud why they can’t get their kids to clean their rooms, but they will enthusiastically muck out a horse stable for Tom and Val Ewan of Rawhide Ranch.
Tom Ewan shrugs and smiles. It’s all in a day’s work for the couple, who are “in the business of growing adults.”
Cleaning up after horses is one of the chores that kids who attend Rawhide Ranch are exposed to in the animal care lessons that are part of the camp experience.
There’s a lot of wisdom to be learned from the saddle of a horse and a lot of growing up to do as you learn how to care for horses and other animals. Besides cleaning up after them there’s feeding, currying, bridling and other aspects of horse science.
Rawhide Ranch is a combination of weekend and summer camp where, on an average day, kids, ages 7–15, receive lessons in western-style horseback riding and vaulting, animal and horse science classes and electives that include archery, rifle shooting, roping, animal care, creative writing, arts and crafts— even country line dancing!
When you enter the property you will see the Old Western town laid out along a dirt “Main Street.” You’ll pass the Olde School House, the Cowboy Club, the Horse Palace, the Stockyard Hotel and the Show Arena. Follow the road around in a circle and you’ll see a collection of Conestoga wagons in a circle that provide sleeping quarters during the summer. Further along is Fort Rawhide, where there’re some more bunkhouses. You’ll then see arenas where horse vaulting and archery and other sports happen. Eventually you’ll make a full circle to the Indian Village, where kids sleep in tepees.
It is a real working ranch where riding, roping and wrangling are all part of everyday life.
The summer program is enhanced with traditional camp programs such as dance, putting out a camp newspaper, swimming, archery, sports and games.
At the end of each summer session the kids put on a horse and animal show where parents come to see what their children have learned.
Rawhide Ranch was founded in the 1960s by the well-known local couple Mary Jane & Clarence Chown. He had a vivid imagination and a fierce love for the lore and legend of the Old West. The Chowns owned Rawhide Ranch until 2000, when they sold it to a company that hired the Ewans to run it. The Chowns now operate a dude ranch for adults in Texas.
The Ewans have extensive experience in camping.
“What camp tries to do with kids is to help them grow,” says Tom Ewan, who worked for the Boy Scouts in Illinois for 20 years, 15 of those years in the camping program. “We are in the business of growing adults.”
His wife, Val, had extensive years of experience as a museum science and technology children’s museum services coordinator.
Rawhide Ranch has one of the more authentic-looking Western Towns you’ve ever seen. It provides a fun backdrop for the three basic programs offered:
1) week long camps offered in winter and spring during the school year, and during summer vacation,
2) midweek camps offered mainly through about 30 schools in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties from Tuesday-Friday, and
3) weekend camps that consist of 95% Girl Scout troops and 5% Boy Scouts, YMCA and church groups.
The riding lessons offered are actual lessons, not the kind where you put the kid on a saddle and lead the horse around a ring.
Classes are also offered in vaulting, which is gymnastics from the back of a horse.
“It’s actually safer than regular gymnastics because it’s down from the back of a slow moving horse and there’s a spotter walking alongside. There’s very few accidents,” says Ewan.
“Our vaulting program is second to none in the area. There are hundreds of camps out there, but not many have vaulting,” he says.
About 7,500 kids pass through the program every year. During the summer there’s usually 190 attending the weeklong camps and about 100 attend the weekend and midweek camps.
Adult chaperones attend with their kids at a ratio of two adults per ten kids.
The ranch has a year-round staff of 30 that is supplemented by another 35 counselors in the summer who sleep with the children in the cabins.
The ranch has 75 horses on its 37 acres. It also has quite a few goats, sheep, a couple of cows, chickens, rabbits and other critters like a pig named “Miss Piggy” and a llama.
Food is a typical camp menu, with nutritious meals prepared by Chef Stuart Cumming. At the end of the camp session the kids can look forward to a traditional camp cookout of hamburgers and hot dogs.
Rawhide Ranch is accredited by the American Camp Association, and last time received a rating of 97%. They are also certified by the Certified Horsemanship Association.
“Being part of these organizations is important to us and to the parents of the kids, because they can see that we have standards that we live by,” says Tom Ewan.
Rawhide Ranch is now accepting reservations for summer camp, which usually fills up by April.
760-758-0083, P.O. Box 216, Bonsall CA 92003, Fax 760-758-0440
A Look at the Local Real Estate Market
Real Estate used to be primarily about buying and living in your own home and raising your family in that home. But, real estate seems to have taken on a life of its own, unrelated to raising your family in your home. First, it seemed like you had to bid against others to obtain a home and now it seems homeowners are almost bidding against each other for buyers. Let’s slow down a minute and just look at the numbers for some of our communities and neighbors.
Bonsall had 68 sales in 2007 versus 89 sales in 2006 with a median of $629,500, up 2.4%. Interestingly, there were 11 new homes sold at a median price of $1,010,000, down 19.7%.
Fallbrook had total sales of 545 in 2007 compared to 661 in 2006 with a median price of $510,000 down 12.8% from 2006.
Vista 92084, which includes Valley Vista County Club, had resale house sales of 267 versus 397 in 2006. The median price dropped 8.2% to $509,500. Including new construction houses and condos, the total number of sales for 2007 was 295 versus 461 in 2006. The median sales price was $501,500 for 2007 down 9.2% from 2006.
Escondido 92026, which includes Hidden Meadows, Circle R, Castle Creek and Champagne Village, had resale house sales of 373 in 2007 versus 491 in 2006 and a median price of $475,000 for 2007, down 7.8%. Including new construction houses and condos, the total number of sales in 2007 was 511 versus 824 in 2006. The median sales price was $430,000 down 9.5% from 2006.
In 2007, there were a total of 127 resale homes sold in Valley Center compared to 179 in 2006. The 2007 resale homes had a median price of $630,000 down 3.8% from 2006. New home sales totaled 22 in 2007 down from 99 in 2006, with a median price of $817,750, up 2.9% from 2006.
Ramona had total sales of 371 in 2007 versus 505 in 2006 with a median price of $508,000, down 6.3% from the prior year.
It is also interesting to take a longer perspective look at prices. According to the California Association of Realtors*, in 1970, the median cost of a single-family home in California was $26,000, and in 1990 the median price of a single family home in California was $194,952. Today, that same house is selling for over $500,000. In San Diego County in 2007, the median resale price for a resale house was $545,000, down 1.8%, resale condos were $370,000, down 5.1%, new houses and condos were $433,500, down 1.4% and all houses and condos were $476,000, down 4.8%.
No one can predict the future, we don’t know if or how much prices might drop, rates are still very reasonable (by historical standards) and people still need to buy and sell homes. Every situation is unique, but, hopefully, you can buy when there are opportunities and get a fair price when you need to sell. Whatever you decide to do, remember there are a lot of great places to live and raise a family along The Boulevard.
*Thanks to Coldwell Banker for providing data.
Some Places to Take Your Date for Valentine's
This time of year you look for that perfect romantic show to take your date to.
The choices are many for the week of Valentine’s Day, but be careful! You don’t want to take your sweetie to a show that will cool her ardor, or, conversely, if you are a guy who is scared of the altar, you don’t want to pick a show that will provoke her into demanding a ring and a service!
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, February 9
The world’s foremost all-male ballet company, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, hilariously brings ballet alive in an all new way. “Trocks,” as the company is affectionately known, has established itself as a major dance phenomenon throughout the world.
For an evening of uproarious irreverence come and see ballet as you’ve never seen it before at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Saturday, February 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $34 to $49 depending on proximity to the performers. Call (800) 988-4253 or visit www.artcenter.org for tickets.
The Ten Tenors, February 10
Leaping to international attention at Germany ’s Eurovision Grand Prix de la Chanson, the attractive Australian Ten Tenors have captured fans worldwide with their clever, virtuosic and humorous lyrics and musicianship. Enjoy this comical evening of harmonic song on Sunday, February 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $40 and $55. Call (800) 988-4253 or visit www.artcenter.org.
Gypsy, February 16
From the first trumpet blast to the last hot spotlight this legendary musical packs a wallop. Gypsy is a big, brassy, energetic, heart-touching and funny musical giant.
Based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, a burlesque stripper, the show depicts an overbearing, quintessential stage mother as she pushes Gypsy and her sister June into life on the vaudeville circuit, forever trying to break into the big time. This has been a classic among musicals since it opened on Broadway in 1959. Saturday, February 16 at 2 or 8 p.m. Tickets range from $22 to $37, can be purchased online at www.artcenter.org or by calling (800) 988-4253.
Welk Resort Theater presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma January 24–April 6
This Welk production will be directed by Ray Limon and stars David Humphrey as Curly and Sarah Bermudez as Laurey. David Humphrey performed in two different productions of Forever Plaid and starred in Carousel for Welk Resorts Theatre. Sarah Bermudez was in the recent Welk production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, featured as Miss Dorothy Brown.
For the romantically inclined, this show includes the romantic favorite, “People Will Say We’re in Love.”
Ticket prices for Oklahoma! range from $44 to $47 for performance only and $58 to $63 to include a pre-show buffet at the Welk Resort’s Canyon Grille Restaurant. Matinee performances are on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 1:45 p.m.
Evening performances are on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. Contact the Welk Resorts Theatre Box Office at 760-749-3448 or toll free at 1-888-802-7469.
The Broadway Theater in Vista, Leading Ladies, February 14-March 1
Just how far will two out of work actors go to make a buck? Will they go as far as dressing up as women to fool a family into leaving them thousands of dollars? You bet they will.
For information check out the theater’s Web site at www.broadwayvista.com/index.htm
Patio Playhouse, Dear Liar, February 8, 9, 10, 14, 15 and 16
The private enchantment of George Bernard Shaw with his actress muse, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, is depicted in this staged reading of their correspondence that spanned over 40 years. By Jerome Kilty. For ticket information visit www.patioplayhouse.com or call 746-4669.
San Diego Opera: Gaetano Donizetti’s Mary, Queen of Scots, February 16, 19, 22 and 24.
A powerful political and religious chess game where death makes the final move, England’s Queen Elizabeth confronts her cousin, the rebellious Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland who is accused of treason. Caught in the middle is the Earl of Leicester, who loves Mary but is desired by Elizabeth. In a dramatic confrontation between the two Queens, it becomes obvious there is no room in Britain for two such powerful adversaries!
Full of melody from the composer of Lucia di Lammermoor, with great choruses and dramatic ensembles, Mary, Queen of Scots is a classic lyric opera in the bel canto style, which simply means beautiful singing.
To buy tickets in person, visit San Diego Opera Patron Services at 18th Floor, Civic Center Plaza, 1200 Third Ave. San Diego. Or phone (619) 533-7000 8:30am - 4:30pm, M-F.
Pala Casino, The Wallflowers
February 10
Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 for this show which is held in The Grand Cabaret.
Valentine’s Day at Fiore
If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day menu, Fiore at Harrah’s Rincon Casino offers a lover’s special:
Puree of White Asparagus With Chervil Butter and Toasted Brioche
Salad of Spring Mix and Champagne Vinaigrette - Red Pear, Black Walnuts, Point Reyes Blue Cheese
Duet of Tenderloin of Beef Tenderloin and Tiger Prawns - Springtime Fiddleheads, New Potatoes and Morel Sauce
OR:
Whole Maine Lobster, Vanilla Cream and Caviar
Strawberry Shortcake Brulee - Fresh Basil Vanilla Crème Brulee, Strawberry-Crème Fraiche Ice Cream.
Valentine’s Day at Black&Blue
Dining at Black&Blue at Valley View Casino is truely a special event. You know you are in for a real treat when they bring you a warm, moist cloth to begin your experience. The options are wonderful and many and the service is top-notch. Be sure to save room for dessert. They are heavenly at Black&Blue.
10 Places in North County to See Before You Die!
You’ve seen the books: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die; 1,000 Movies to See Before You Die. There’s also a board game and calendars, even a poster. There are songs to hear before you die. Books to read before you die. Things to do before you die.
We at The Boulevard thought it would be kind of fun to come up with a list of our own. We could have picked 1,000, but that’s too many. So’s 100.
So this is to be our list and this is our challenge: Ten Places in North County to See Before You Die! As a companion piece, or sidebar, we also plan to include an article called: Five Places to Eat Before You Diet! which will hopefully introduce our readers to where they can find some of the most savory dinners available in the neighborhoods served by our magazine.
But we need our readers to help us identify the “Ten Places” and “Five Places” to experience before surrendering to mortality.
What are the most beautiful spots in Bonsall, Hidden Meadows, Rainbow, etc.?
Let us suggest a few places that we are looking at—if for no other reason than to be told that we are full of prunes!
Certainly the San Luis Rey Valley as it is crossed by I-15 is one of the most beautiful places in the area. The Pala Mission is one of the most serene, reflective places we have visited. But so is the Mission San Luis Rey. The unique San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall is also a candidate.
The Lawrence Welk Museum is certainly worth the visit, although it might not be a destination you’re “dying” to see!
The flowering nurseries of Rainbow are certainly on anyone’s short list of man-made beauty supplemented by nature’s wonders.
But we suspect that there are some unsung jewels that remain to be unearthed, shined and presented to our readers for inspection.
Here are some examples of places outside of our area that you can use as a template: Guajome Park, Oceanside; Temecula Gorge, Temecula; Wilderness Gardens Preserve, Pauma Valley; Agua Tibia Wilderness Area, Palomar Mountain; Buena Vista Nature Center Lagoon, Laguna State Park, Oceanside/Carlsbad; Palomar Observatory.
Here are some ground rules: please don’t suggest your own home! Unless it’s someplace that a lot of people, besides you!, thinks is an absolutely unforgettable place to visit. Nominate places that people can actually go see for themselves without being arrested for trespassing.
Also, please explain why the place you are nominating is so special. Provide photos if possible. It doesn’t need to be an “attraction,” but it does need to be special.
The same holds true when talking of your favorite must-visit restaurant. Explain what dish or entree really turns you on about the place.
With your help we will put together a fun and entertaining list of “Ten Places in North County to See Before You Die” and “Five Places to Eat Before You Diet.”
Send your nominations to: The Boulevard Magazine, P.O. Box 1529, Valley Center CA. 92082 or email editor David Ross at editor@theboulevardonline.com.
It's AquaTerra Time!
The AquaTerra Restaurant and Seafood Bar is a pearl in a string of surprises awaiting you at the Pala Mesa Golf Resort.
The Resort, rated as “one of Golf Digest’s ‘Best 200’ public golf courses in America with a 4.5 star rating from Golf Digest,” is tucked away in the finger-like hollows of the foothills of Fallbrook, between Escondido and Temecula, on meandering Old Highway 395.
Upon entry, the granite serpentine bar, filled with iced seafood delicacies, beckons the discriminating diner to sit back, relax, and enjoy an ice cold microbrew, a glass of award-winning Temecula wine, or one of the many “eclectic signature cocktails,” such as the “Aquatini, a dreamy blue libation that is sure to please.”
Although E.B. White viewed the martini as the “elixir of quietude,” don’t let this subtle, sublime drink fool you. Made with Hpnotiq, Kettle One Vodka and Citronage, this elegant mystery is a terrific accompaniment to fresh oysters, sushi and shrimp, inclined toward merriment and setting the stage for your fine dining experience. Drop in Friday or Saturday night and heighten that experience with a serenade of jazz and blues.
Not to be outdone, a corner enclave adjacent to the oyster bar offers deep oversized leather chairs, clustered around a cozy fireplace. Stacked stone columns stand sentry and mosaic tiles grace the floor.
A quiet place for a moment away, or a happening place for a happy crowd, it is yours for the making. The overall atmosphere suggests casual elegance, fun and sophistication. All this and your dining experience has just begun.
Having whet your appetite you must now choose: outdoor dining beside the waterfall with unlimited views of the greens, or indoors, where the ceiling to floor windows draw the outside in. Either way, diners enjoy the advantage of front row seats on the first hole and the romance of a cascading waterfall.
The menu is impressive. Begin your morning with chicken Florentine, steak and eggs, McCann’s Irish oatmeal, a fresh fruit plate or create your own omelet. Or, perhaps AquaTerra crepes with turkey, scrambled eggs, cheddar, avocado, and basil hollandaise sauce are more to your liking.
In the afternoon, you might be tempted to try Satay Duo, with tangerine beef, balsamic Portobello, mango butter and crispy potato strings. French onion soup au gratin or a strawberry balsamic house salad await you, and a variety of sandwiches such as the Mediterranean chicken wrap, the Kobe beef burger, or the salmon panini may tickle your palate.
But wait, there is more! Four “Big Plates” simmer on the sideboard, and this writer, upon the recommendation of our server, embarked on the adventure of the Cherry Crusted Salmon Big Plate, and enjoyed an incredible olfactory, tastebud trip.
Imagine... a large filet of fresh wild salmon, nestled on a bed of deep green sautéed spinach, served in a large black bowl, simmering in a sea of golden saffron butter. A feast for the eyes.
And the taste. Sublime! The flavors flowed together like an artfully crafted love song, and titillated the senses like a fine wine. But it was over far too soon, and our server, aware of my imminent loss, chose the best possible moment to tear me away from the memory with a suggestion of yet another delectable delight—dessert.
Not just any dessert, but a not-soon-to-be-forgotten Bread Pudding with a delicate Irish whiskey sauce.
Meanwhile, my companion neatly tucked away a piece of Heavenly Chocolate Cake; a flourless creation complete with ganache, raspberries and a delightful artistic presentation.
Redolent with satisfaction, we then had the pleasure of meeting our chef for the day—Sous Chef, Jason Rivas, who was delighted to hear of our pleasurable dining experience.
A graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary School, this young California native was and is serious about food. “Food is my passion. I want people to come in and have an experience.” When asked if there was any one special thing that he would like to convey, a big grin split his face and he enthused, “WE’RE HERE!” I couldn’t have said it better, myself.
Next time you consider fine dining, look no further than the AquaTerra restaurant, located somewhere near you, and as close as the I-15. And did you notice I didn’t cover the dinner menu? That’s for you to discover, but here are some delectable tidbits to get your juices flowing: Consider… Dungeness crab cakes, stuffed tomato and spinach salad, vanilla scented Chilean Sea bass, or how about grilled ostrich medallions or Colorado rack of lamb?
If beef is your passion the certified Angus New York awaits, or perhaps the peppered pork tenderloin is for you. Whatever you choose, I know you will enjoy all this upbeat, upscale restaurant has to offer.
For information call 760-731-6805. Come alone, with a friend, or bring a party! They will be happy to accommodate you with large groups and special events. Set reservations: 760-728-5881 ext. 386, or register online: http://www.aquaterrarestaurant.com
Lunch: 11-2 daily, Dinner: 5-9 Sunday –Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 10, Bar Menu Available 1-5 every day, 2001 Old Highway 395, Fallbrook, CA.
It’s AquaTerra time! WE’RE HERE!
Keyways Krystal Ice Wine Warms Body and Soul
There is something special about a crisp winter evening in Southern California, when a wine that “… warms the soul” chases the nip from frosty fingers and toes.
Krystal Ice Wine, exclusive to Keyways Vineyard and Winery in Temecula, is an exquisite elixir made from 100% late harvest Chenin Blanc, a grape that is slowly making itself known. It’s a wine in its prime, and its time.
This delicious wine owes its vision to owner, Terri Pebley, who purchased the winery in 2004 from Carl Key, the founder of the 13-acre estate.
This former CPA, turned attorney, turned successful commercial real estate broker was ready for something new. The winery filled the bill.
“I always enjoyed taking on new challenges,” she says. “I gutted the whole thing. I closed down for the remodeling on January 1 of ’06. I tore everything out and the only things left were the four walls and that one wall behind the bar there and we started all over again.”
Designer Deborah Daniel helped create a masterpiece of old world charm. A rock wall fireplace draws you to its warmth. Intimate dark woods and mellow golden walls with wrought iron accent pieces and large, lazy, glimmering candles simmer with romance. Cozy deep chairs in heavy leather beckon. Tables invite conversation, and the bar enfolds you into the embrace of friends and fun. Around the corner, an intimate dining room awaits for lunch or dinner, and the menu is a feast in itself.
And what about the wine? Pebley tells us, “I replanted the whole estate, and I planted four different varieties, two reds, a Grenache and Tempranillo, and then two whites, a Viognier and a Roussanne.”
Her first “real” winemaking crop will take place this fall.
But waiting for her own grapes to come to fruition has not stopped this entrepreneurial lady, who is the sole female winery owner in the Temecula region, from creating a signature line of wines.
“When working on my business plan… and thinking, what is going to make my winery unique and distinctive…? I thought… it would be nice to have a woman’s line of wine that is geared towards women, and celebrates women,” she says.
The outcome was her Femina Vita, which in Latin means “a woman’s life,” line of wines.
Her completed $1.5 million dollar project in the “Romantic Side” of the Temecula Wine country is waiting for you. Stroll around the grounds, enjoy a picnic, or schedule a wedding in the pavilion. Enjoy concerts, special events, and the savory country weather and relaxing views of distant hills. Visit at night and see the solar-powered LED lights shimmer and twinkle on the buildings and wink at you from the vineyard.
Because it is located in horse country, guests can ride in on horseback and set a spell, enjoy a glass of wine, or perhaps take a ride in the horse-drawn carriage. Large equestrian groups can trailer in and enjoy the three-hour round-trip ride to and from Vail Lake. Pebley likes to call it “Wine Country Trails,” because the connecting system of trails offers guests access for shorter horseback trips into the surrounding countryside.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone at the Keyways Vineyard and Winery. In particular, Krystal Ice Wine, a white wine that’s perfect for a nippy winter night.
Serve chilled in a glass at 45 degrees (roll an ice cube around in the glass right before serving). Enjoy! Ripe in October and harvested stunningly sweet, frozen in December and January, the hints of green apple and honeysuckle melt warmly across the palate, yet remain mysteriously well-balanced, and finish clean and dry. Sip all you like, because it’s only 9.4% alcohol by volume. Enjoy it with fruit pies, cobbler, chocolate, or as an elegant stand-alone dessert.
Jamie Schmutzer, one of Pebley’s accomplished women in her management team, also reminds us that wine is not just for drinking anymore. Enjoy her Syrup Recipe:
One stick of butter (not margarine!)
Brown sugar and cinnamon to taste
Melt butter to just before the stick is all melted down, and quickly add 1/4 cup of Krystal Ice Wine; blend quickly and pour over pancakes, crepes, ice cream, or the dessert of your choice.
For more information, or to schedule your special event, find Keyways at 37338 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA, 951-302-7888, or visit www.KeywaysWine.com
A North County "Diamond in the Rough"
Castle Creek Golf Course is one on the hidden gems in public courses in north San Diego County; it’s also one of the oldest courses in San Diego county dating back to 1948 when it was originally a nine-hole course carved out of a cattle grazing field.
The front nine, the original nine, is flat and longer measuring 3,015 yards from the white tees. The back nine has much more terrain, requires more shot making and is shorter, measuring just over 2,800 yards from the whites.
I recently took a tour of the course, having not played it for several years.
The very first thing that I noticed is that the greens are in superb condition. The ownership went to great lengths several years ago to improve the greens and they have done an outstanding job with them.
This course gets a lot of both local and snowbird play in the winter months, so make sure you call ahead for tee times. The course offers a variety of tee options from the blacks at 6,688 yards, to the more recently added green tees at just under 4,700 yards.
Although there is not a lot of water on the course—at least that you can see—Moosa Creek does run throughout the course and about half of the holes either have the creek crossing the fairway or running alongside of them.
The trilogy of the first three holes on the back nine—which many feel are three of the toughest holes side by side in San Diego County—can present a real challenge to even the low handicap players, especially from the black tees.
These three holes are narrow, tree-lined, one is up hill, and two are par 5’s. Number 10, aptly named Slingshot, is a very challenging par 4 measuring 419 yards from the whites.
Slingshot has an elevated tee box looking down on a narrow tree-lined fairway. (Castle Creek may have more trees than any course in San Diego County, so if you’re looking for a links type course, this isn’t the one.) If your tee shot is not straight down the middle take advantage of the hill on the left side of the fairway and your ball will slingshot toward the green. Al least that’s what the hole information board says at the beginning of the hole.
A nice touch by the Castle Creek Golf Club is that all the holes have been named, many from historical significance. Information boards on each tee box give a map and grid of each hole with suggested landing areas.
Getting back to number 10. A good tee shot stays away from the right hand side of this fairway. The hole has a slight dogleg to the right and your approach shot will be much better from the left. Don’t get too energetic on your approach; there are real out of bound and lost ball problems closely behind the oval shaped green. There is a bunker on the right in front of the green but if you stay left you take it out of play.
Number 11, turning around and going back up the hill, is a tough 453-yard par 5. You can’t quite swing away on number 11, because as with the previous hole, this is a narrow tree-lined fairway. You must stay in the fairway for any chance of a par or better on this hole. Your approach is to a small postage stamp green, but miss the green and you still are in bounds and have a chance with a creative chip to salvage a decent score on Number 11.
Number 12, Circle R, named after the site of the first tee box in 1948, a 476 par 5, is again an elevated tee with a narrow tree-lined fairway. Accuracy again is the key to success. This hole has a slight dogleg but is reachable in two if you stay out of trouble off of the tee. Again, better to be short on your approach shot into the green than longer, lots of out of bounds beyond the green.
After exhausting yourself on numbers 10, 11 and 12, number 13 is a short 264-yard par 4. This is the hole, as they said in the opening song to the TV sitcom Cheers, where everyone knows your name. Everyone who has passed through the intersection of Old Castle Road and the I-15 frontage leading down to Welk Resort knows this hole, because you almost drive onto the green passing through that intersection. It’s an attractive hole over Moosa Creek. Your drive is the key here, and number 13 is a lot of fun to play because you just might make a par or birdie.
The Number 14 hole, named Hero’s Heart, is a 277-yard par 4 with a real tricky tee shot. Short and you are in Moosa Creek; long and you’re in the pond in front of the green. Number 14 is a dicey little par 4 that will test your accuracy and distance judgments. This hole has it all, view, creek, pond and a nice reward if you get off of the tee safely. It is appropriately the club’s signature hole.
The front is almost a different course. Longer, more forgiving off of the tee, and flat.
The 3rd hole is one of my favorites, a relatively short par 4, only 254 yards from the whites. On this hole you need to travel over Moosa Creek off of the tee, avoid both a cavernous bunker as well as the creek again on the right side of the fairway. This is high risk/reward golf at its best, one of the most fun holes on the course. Aptly named Heaven’s Door, but miss the fairway and it well could be called Satan’s Hole.
Number 7 is entitled Sycamore for the trees of the same name that line the fairway. This par 4, 373-yard hole has water catching wayward tee shots on the right, but is one of the easier holes on the course with a generous landing area off of the tee.
You complete the front nine with Doherty’s Dream, named for the 1948 founder of the course. It is a 370-yard straight up the hill par 4 to the clubhouse.
Playing a round at Castle Creek, a traditional medium length north county course, is one of the most enjoyable things any golfer at any level of play could do.
The course is well maintained. The staff, led by Aaron Kelsey, Director of Golf at Castle Creek is friendly and helpful, and the course rates are attractive.
For more information on Castle Creek’s rates and packages visit their web site at www.castlecreekcc.com or call 760-749-2422.
The Boulevard Magazine
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688