Social Distance Road Trip: Oak Glen and Apple Country

 

On Thanksgiving weekend we decided to take a day trip, and my first thought was to see some fall leaves. Oak Glen came on my radar, and it turns out that's where Riley's Farm — which Evan visited for a field trip in elementary school — is located. (It also turns out that Riley's Farm is owned by awful people, and I'd advise to steer clear.) We had just missed apple picking season, but that was fine, I was just looking for an adventure.

What was open, however, was the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden. It was free, and a chance to walk around nature and see some fall colors. Located at The Wildlands Conservancy's Oak Glen Preserve, it's right off of the road at 39611 Oak Glen Road, and there's plenty of parking.

Opened in 2014, it's quite a nice oasis showcasing the ecology of the San Bernardino mountains. Per the Conservancy, the Oak Glen Preserve "encompasses 220 acres of wild lands that include oak woodland, conifer forest, chaparral, grasslands, wetlands, springs, ponds and two year-round streams with riparian habitat corridors. Divided into venues, the plant species in these diverse habitats are identified with unique, descriptive botanical markers. Since the Garden opened, twelve new venues have been installed—the newest of which are Hummingbird Hill, Falling Waters, and The Artist’s Palette—and more than 100 native plant species have been marked." More pics below:

Before making it to the garden, we grabbed food at the nearby Angus McGurdy's for tri-tip sandwiches and tri-tip french fries. Then we found some picnic tables near the garden to enjoy.

The restaurant was at Parrish Ranch, which also featured antique stores, a gallery (witness the masked David Bowie above) and... llamas.

Driving back, we came across Wilshire's store and restaurant. And although we missed apple picking season, we did pick up a nice apple pizza for dessert.

Oak Glen is about a 90 minute drive, and a fun way to see a very different part of Southern California.