Red Rock Canyon State Park

 “Who is that idiot with the helicopter swirling up all the dust, burying my velociraptor?” asked Dr. Grant (actor Sam Neill), as he was surrounded in great clouds of fine silty desert sand.

Dr. Ellie Sattler (actress Laura Dern) responded, “I don’t know, but he is causing quite a problem.”

A huge white helicopter dropped to earth and the rotors slowly ebbed. A grey bearded, white suited older gentleman walked from the craft. “I am John Hammond (actor Richard Attenborough), a ridiculously rich person who has enough money to offer the both of you one gazillion dollars each to do me a little favor.”

“And that favor would be?” Dr. Sattler asked.

“To bring back to life the most dangerous and lethal creatures the earth has ever seen,” Hammond responded.

Grant nodded his head. “What could go wrong with that? Count us in.”

And the rest is history, with the multi-trillion-dollar success of the Jurassic Park film series. 

What could go wrong?

Nothing wrong at all, except for dinosaurs who had not seen the light of day for sixty-five million years suddenly wreaking havoc on humankind.

Spoiler alert, the film should have been called Cretaceous Park, since both the velociraptor and T-rex lived during that period and not the Jurassic era, but why quibble?

Steven Spielberg knew that would not work. Cretaceous Park does not roll off the tongue as does Jurassic Park. In fact, the term Cretaceous sounds as if a person should be seeing a podiatrist about some sort of toe fungus.

And what does all this have to do about traveling? Not much, but as I was examining the flaws in the movie, I suddenly wondered where it was filmed.

Now, I have been to Oahu where big galloping dinosaurs nearly ran over Grant and the kids he was trying to protect in Kualoa Ranch, (I meant the hinterlands of Isla Nublar), but I suspected that some of it was filmed right here in our backyard of Southern California.

Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii

Turns out the opening scene when Hammond meets Grant and Sattler was filmed in the Red Rock Canyon State Park. A mere hundred miles northeast of Los Angeles and one thousand three hundred miles from British Columbia, Canada.

“A trip is called for,” I shared with Laureen.

My loving wife would never turn down a trip of such importance, but she surprised me. “I would love to go, but I made another commitment.”

The commitment was granddaughter sitting for our precious little Jasmine. I was on my own – of course, I love spending time with my beautiful granddaughter, but my editor can be like the soup guy from the nineties sit-com Seinfeld.

“No story - no pay for you!”

Those bosses, sometimes!

I headed out on Highway 14, toward Red Rock Canyon State Park. 

I hate to admit it, but I have never experienced this state park. In fact, there are a lot of national and state parks I have yet to experience. Shame on me – but there are only five hundred days in a year, and the time flies when you are not paying attention.

Per the California Department of Parks and Recreation website, this is a must go place to visit.

‘Red Rock Canyon State Park features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. The park is located where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevadas converge with the El Paso Range. Each tributary canyon is unique, with dramatic shapes and vivid colors.’

That sounded impressive. I had never even heard of the El Paso Range, believing it was in Texas, and here I was about to see it up close and personal.

This range lies in a southwest-northeasterly direction, east of Highway 14. That sounded rather confusing, so I just drove north on Highway 14 from Highway 58 and hoped I would run into the eighteen-mile-long mountain range.

Red Rock Canyon State Park is only sixteen miles northeast of California City, so I figured if I got lost, I could double back and ask for directions. Yes, I sometimes do that – but Laureen does not know this secret.

This whole section of the Mojave Desert was once home to various Native American tribes, dating back as early as three thousand years ago. In fact, the Kawaiisu are believed to be direct ancestors of these peoples and have lived in the area for possibly fifteen hundred years.

It is theorized that many native peoples lived in the Sierra Nevadas, but when a mini-ice age struck the area approximately three thousand years ago, they moved to the warmer climate of the Mojave Desert, where their ancestors made their permanent home.

My trip was looking like it was going to be very interesting. In fact, there are petroglyphs, created by the Kawaiisu in the El Paso Range, showing in graphic detail what life was like for these people.

In 1776, missionary Francisco Tomas Garces, met with a group of Kawaiisu while traveling through this part of the Mojave Desert. The natives found the Garces team rather worn out and hungry, and so they gave the explorers baskets full of meat and seeds.

Pretty considerate folks, those Kawaiisu.

In 1853, the United States government relocated the Kawaiisu from the area, since they were ‘impeding’ settler development in the area. Relations between the natives and the government soured at that point.

Who could have figured that would have occurred? Not very considerate, those government officials.

Both the El Paso Range and Southern Sierra Nevada’s were used by folks moving west from the east. The colorful cliffs and buttes surrounding, what would be later identified as Red Rock Canyon, became a guide for those making their way across the Mojave Desert.

I drove north on Highway 14 and came upon a road sign stating I was now entering the Red Rock Canyon State Park. I was not impressed.

Of course, enjoying a drive through the Mojave Desert is what I truly love doing, but I thought all the hoopla I had researched about the area would have been a little more enthralling. 

Driving on a couple of miles north changed my mind.

“Holy Moley,” I said, and pulled over to the side of the road.

In the near distance stood some of the most majestic, beautiful, and weird looking landscapes I have ever seen.

Tall red, white, and sand-colored buttes seemed to be thrusting out of the desert floor, as if escaping the bowels of the earth. Columns upon columns, intersecting each other gave a vision as if from another planet. These are not the common hills a person sees while driving through the Mojave Desert. No, the scenery was awesome. 

In fact, Hollywood had figured this out decades ago, with the filming of Battlestar Galactica, Andromeda Strain, Capricorn One, Planet of the Apes, and other movies or television series set on alien worlds.

Of course, Hollywood also used the canyons as filming sites for Westworld, The High Chaparral, Laramie, and many other westerns. 

I drove on toward the buttes on the east side of Highway 14, even though both the east and west buttes were towering above the black highway – as if the hills had purposefully created an avenue for gawking visitors.

There is a large visitor parking lot at the base of an extremely impressive butte.

 I parked and was astonished at how many people had done the same thing, with families, couples, and folks on horseback taking advantage of such an awesome natural formation.

Geologists explain how these structures were constructed: ‘Red Rock Canyon began about 300 million years ago when sand and gravel washed down from the ancestral Rocky Mountains to form alluvial deposits which became the Fountain sandstone on the edge of the present location on Manitou Springs. Fifty million years later, shifting dunes of fine sand drifted into the area to become the red Lyons sandstone of Red Rock Canyon itself.’

The geological explanation goes on for another thousand paragraphs but suffice to say – it took a long time and a bunch of different natural events to converge and create what I happened to be staring at.

However these buttes were formed, they were impressive and truly demonstrated the power and patience of nature. Three hundred million years – heck, my patience runs out if I must wait five minutes for my latte at Starbucks.

There are hiking trails in and around the buttes and are a must when visiting. To get up close and take in the view of the tall towers allows a person to feel overwhelmed with how beautiful nature can be.

It was if I were peeking up through tall chimneys into the sky above walking from one edge of a butte to the other.

A chimney view at Red Rock Canyon State Park

The whole experience was other-worldly, and I expected a cryptid or an alien to look out from one the thousands of caves, and tell me to get lost.

Camping is allowed in the Ricardo Campground – not named after Ricky Ricardo, but an old timer who sold goods to miners seeking to find their riches in the area in the late nineteenth century, as well as a visitor center.

A couple of the camp sites at Red Rock Canyon State Park

It is a perfect location for any sort of filming, and a place worth visiting time and again. 

For further information:   https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631          

Thomas Fire - Update

Where the Thomas Fire has and is erupting

On December 19th, J and L posted a blog about Christmas and those who may be missing that special time with their families. Those would be the men and women in uniform protecting our homeland and those closer - the first responders. In that blog entry, we wrote that the Thomas Fire which has been stalking and destroying homes and businesses a few miles northwest of Los Angeles, was the third largest fire in modern California's history.

That changed at 6:30 p.m. (PST). The Thomas Fire is now categorized as the largest fire in California's history.

The 'hell' that has been thrown on California

This is not what we had hoped we'd be saying when we updated this story. And, we would like to emphatically reiterate how much we appreciate the commitment and dedication of those working the fire lines, those assisting those firefighters and the folks who go out of their way helping in any way they can. 

What Christmas - We have a job to do!

Fire doesn't know nor understands political or religious affiliations, or anything else for that matter - this is a real hell of wheels, and people are suffering.

So, during this Christmas season we need to understand what these wonderful people - those losing everything and those working through the holidays - are about. They are about us - the average guy or gal. The homeowners leaving for work and finding at the end of the day nothing left but memories of their former abode. The personnel working day and night to save as much as they can with the knowledge they will not be home for Christmas.

My gift this Christmas will be saving others - the true heroes

These are the people we need to hold an extra candle up in the air during this holiday season. So, when out and about shopping, splash a little extra wide smile to a stranger. Let's make everyone feel better - we never know when we may need that encouragement from someone we don't know. 

And of course, drop a dollar or two into that Santa ringing the bell - that is what makes America Great - the generosity of her people to help those in need.

Give - it is what the season is all about

It may make the difference for a great day or a sad day for someone you don't know.

Is that too much to ask during this holiest of seasons?

May Your Christmas Be Safe

Sometimes during the Christmas season all thoughts turn to bright lights, jingle bells, and fancy wrapped presents beneath a tree. That is good – a time to be joyous is always good for the heart and soul.

It is good to be warm and cozy at Christmas.

But sometimes – just sometimes -- the holiday season means loved ones are away from home. J experienced this during the time he served in law enforcement. Working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the other special times families are together each and every year, but it was his choice. The badge he wore didn’t always allow him the luxury of being warm and toasty on those special moments surrounded by loved ones. No, patrolling dark and cold streets taught him that he, as well as his brothers and sisters in uniform, were needed to ensure as many people as possible were protected from the wolves.

This holiday season is no different for the countless everyday heroes who patrol the streets, fight fires, save lives, and keep hospitals open. This blog is for them – the ones who allow the rest of us to settle down for a hot toddy on a cold winter night.

It is of special consideration being a Californian and seeing the super-human effort in combating the recent and current fires sweeping this state that we dedicate this Christmas blog.

Thomas Fire encroaching onto a neighborhood near Santa Barbara

The thousands of firefighters, hundreds of police officers, and countless other emergency personnel will be giving up this holiday season in the pursuit of helping others. Hundreds, if not thousands of structures have already burnt to the ground over the past few months. Many others are in danger – as of this writing the Thomas Fire burning northwest of Los Angeles and considered the third largest fire in California’s modern times will continue until well after the New Year.

These heroes won't be home for Christmas but they are doing what they do best!

The citizens of Santa Barbara and its richer sister city of Montecito to the south are now being attacked by relentless flames.


It is this area now facing a disastrous Christmas Season but even with the terror-filled anxiety there are heroes doing their best to save as much as can be saved from the flames.

Cory Iverson gave his life trying to save others - definition of a true hero.

A deadly fire – one firefighter, Engineer Cory Iverson, was killed while fighting the Thomas fire and a civilian female, Virginia Pesola, died while trying to escape the flames.

For those families and loved ones this Christmas of 2017 will be hard to revisit in later years.

So, in this season of Hope we at J and L want to take a moment and thank those who give up their personal comfort and risk it all for the rest of us.

This is not acting!

On a side note, even civilians help out when they can – sometimes to the detriment of the professionals but often assisting in very helpful ways. One such example is the actor Rob Lowe who happens to own a home in the Santa Barbara area. Not only did he put it all on the line donning fire protective gear and battling alongside the firefighters but to show his appreciation cooked dinner for a group of firefighters at his home which they saved.

Hungry and tired but grateful for a hot meal prepared by Rob Lowe

And a grateful Rob Lowe with the crew who saved his home.

Christmas is the season for giving, and giving to each other is so much more valuable than a few trinkets covered in wrapping and pretty bows. According to Janice Maeditere, "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts."

It is what the holiday is about - that time when selflessness takes over and only others matter. To step out of our comfort zone to make someone else comfortable and safe. That willingness to give everything and expect nothing in return.

That is the true meaning of Christmas.

J and L wish all those serving the needs of others this holiday season – no matter the career – who will not be home for Christmas a heartfelt thanks.

Merry Christmas to all those deployed - We love you.

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty!

 On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning J and L, along with their friends Richard and Marla Nye, paid a short visit to the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary. This High Desert safe haven for injured and abused animals is a marvelous addition to this part of Southern California and the town of Phelan, where the sanctuary is located could not be better suited. Large open acres surrounded by gorgeous desert with the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains due west makes this location nothing but breathtaking.

Shadow and Richard Nye

The Sanctuary, operated by Joel and Chemaine Almquist, has a long history of protecting some of the most exotic and endangered animals. From tigers, to llamas, to alligators, to tiny furry little marmosets, this place has such a variety it takes hours to experience the wildlife being protected by this family and their host of employees and volunteers. It's no easy matter feeding, caring for and otherwise being mommy and daddy to such a variety of animals but the Almquist's do it for the love of the animals they have in their hearts.

To see animals, no matter the size, purposely injured and abused usually makes ones blood boil but the cooling we felt while walking about the large compound allowed us the chance to feel so much better knowing these animals, who would otherwise most likely be dead, being so well taken care of was amazing.

Laureen and her new friend, Buster

It seemed L's favorite was a little red tailed deer (with the unlikely name of Buster) who was very much interested in trying to 'eat' the shirt right off of L's back while being petted over and over again.

Zorro, patient and stealthy

A large sleek black puma eyed J a few times and then leapt onto the side of it's cage while being fed without making a sound. The image of being the hunted came immediately to mind if one were in the jungle and this cat wanted to get up close and personal. It was a majestic animal but one a wise person would stay away from in the wild.

We were taken on a tour of the enclosures by a very knowledgeable young woman by the name of Megan who joked and spoke about each animal we passed as though they were more like family than a wild species.

Valerie, the young woman who greeted us in the foyer of the sanctuary was friendly, again knowledgeable and told us the history and the planned future of Forever Wild. Plans are in the works to expand the facility and animal enclosures, and there is plenty room for that. The issue is the need for donations since this sanctuary is a non-profit business. The donations they receive often come in the form of cash and anything else which it takes to run such a place, such as bottles of cleansers, bales of hay, etc. In fact, in 2009 the Almquist's were the recipients of an Extreme Makeover Home Edition which eased a lot of concern about upgrading not only their home but the main building to the sanctuary.

As with all non-profits they survive with the shared goodness of other peoples' hearts, but in this case the largest hearts belong with all those who live and work at the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary and we the people must thank them with the support they need to forever keep these beautiful animals safe.If you find yourself in the Los Angeles area (and parts east), stop by and say hello to the kitties -- and remember that your donations help save lives.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit Forever Wild at  8545 Buttemere Road, Phelan, California 92371. Or visit their website at: http://foreverwildexotics.org/

Ava wasn't talking

A final thought: If you are looking for answers to mystical questions, like our place in this world, and our responsibilities to living creatures, you may just find your answer here. But Ava wasn't talking, so we still do not know the answer to the question, "What does the fox say?" Perhaps she'll enlighten us on our next visit.

A Day at the Races

Normally, J and L are not gamblers - not the type to lay down hard earned money on a game of chance but when the opportunity to watch the 'ponies' run at Betfair Hollywood Park we put away our hesitancy and took up the call. An hour from home and a fortune awaiting - one would shudder to think of turning down this dream come true.


Two of our daughters, Erica and Jessica (along with our son-in-law Justin and Erica's boyfriend Brandon), invited us to the horse racing track in Inglewood, California for a Saturday afternoon of placing two dollar bets on various horses in the nine races scheduled for that particular day we couldn't resist. Mint juleps, million dollar horses, celebrities - okay - a beer, homemade sandwiches and sunscreen was the fare of the day.

The Crew - Laureen was the photographer

Oh, what a day it turned out to be watching the real betters pouring over horse racing newspapers all the while jotting down notes after not examining every written stat or word on the horse and rider.

We watched, studied, learned and discussed. We were in the midst of a multi-million dollar industry and would benefit from it.



With names like Salt Tequila Lime, Bugsky, U R My Candy Girl, Include the Cat, and Apostle Paul, who wouldn't want to slap down a couple of dollars and watch these four-legged wonders sprint around the mile and a quarter track? We did and did.

The weather was perfect for such an event - warm but not roasting, little if any wind, a few clouds to make the skyline look like a painting and by mid-afternoon comfortable enough to sit in a booth built for six. Overlooking the grass infield with water fountains, a large man-made lake, and towering trees made the event ever more spectacular.

As once mentioned in an earlier article about a first rodeo, this too was a first for the team from J and L - a horse race. Something we had wanted to do for years but never gotten around to.

It was a great treat.




 Again, being folks who don't throw money away, we were choosy with the horses we bet on. Studying the statistics, looking over the weight differences, if the horse ran better on dry or wet ground, seeing who the jockey was, watching the pros around us - okay - we chose the horse to bet on by their names.

Not exactly scientific but a fun way to bet when you don't have a clue on being a handicapping guru.

Two dollar bets were slapped down on Beautiful Strike, Sensational Niki, Sizzling Gold, Citizen Jane, Scatman Blues, and others with such alluring names.

John R. Beyer with the winning ticket - doubt it!

Laureen Beyer ready to spend the winnings

When the gates opened and the hooves thundered we could imagine the payoffs for some of these 'ponies' with high odds. 15 to 1, 12 to 1 - we were going to make a fortune.

We suddenly learned as the horses sprinted across the finish line why some of them have such high odds.

They can't or won't win.



J felt as though he had been betting on cows. "Stupid cows," was his favorite expression as the horse he bet on labored in lengths behind the lead horses and torn betting chips fluttered to the ground along with the image of winnings.


Overall though, it was an exciting day and J and L would highly recommend that any explorer or traveler take a day out of their lives to spend it at a horse racing track. Friendship, excitement, being outdoors is what life is about - throw a couple of bucks down and enjoy.

And don't forget the hats

Of course, common sense dictates: bet sensibly, wisely and stay away from cows.

Cinematic Trailer from the Novel: Hunted

A few years ago,  John R. Beyer, of J and L, wrote and published a novel called Pursued. It received excellent reviews and limited success, and recently gained the attention of Black Opal Books. They were interested enough in the characters and story to encourage John to revisit Pursued and create Hunted. Those of you who are familiar with Pursued will find much to appreciate in Hunted. Those who are not at all familiar with any of his earlier work, can enjoy this new suspense thriller anew.

 

 

A Little Sip of Hunted

 

 

The Longer Version with a Scene from the Novel

 

 





Snyopsis:

A killer without remorse, burning with pride, and having the time of his life, Zachary Marshall is unstoppable - until Detective Jonas Peters unexpectedly arrives in the midst of one of Marshall's heinous crimes. After a bank robbbery goes from bad to worse and leaves three dead - including a little girl- Marshall finds himself the target of the most intensive manhunt Riverside, California, has ever witnessed.

Detective Peters becomes frustrated and half-crazed as the case falters due to lack of clues and evidence. Ordered to take a vacation from the department before he drives all the other detectives crazy with his constant tirades, he reluctantly agrees. But an innocent remark to the media changes the entire scenario - now the hunter becomes the hunted.

Detective Peters takes this homicide case especially hard, having seen his own young daughter murdered during a bungled convenience-store robbery years earlier. The pain of the darkness is too deep, and the spirits are waiting to remind him; they will not forgive him, and he cannot forgive himself. There will be no rest until Marshall is caught.

Hunted - Release date May 18th 2013 in bookstores everywhere.

The Call of the Wild

The only sounds to be heard during this early morning five mile trek through the San Bernardino National Forest were those of our snowshoes breaking the half inch icy crust which hid the newly fallen two and a half feet of fresh powder. The day was picture perfect, proven by the photographs in this blog, with the sun stretched out in the clear blue sky shimmering on a winter wonderland before us. This is not another tale of snow shoeing but one of enjoying the outdoors where no other human had tramped through in days. Enjoying nature, no matter the season, is an extremely important aspect to living. It is easy to sit in a chair watching television but when one ventures outdoors and sees nature at its finest that is what makes life worth living.

Ah, but I pontificate on the wonders of this earth and there is no need when one only needs to turn their head once in a while and view it for themselves.

 Of course, as with all our blogs this one is special and odd. Friday the 8^th of February we had no intention to going to our cabin in Big Bear but simply enjoy a long weekend at our other home until we heard the local and national news.

There seemed to be a large snow storm coming to the San Bernardino Mountains with expectations of six to eight inches of snow (they missed that call by over a foot) and a killer (his name will not be mentioned since that would only give him credit he does not deserve) who was on the loose in the vicinity of Big Bear.

Hmmm, a blinding snow storm and a murderer on the loose in our neck of the woods (literally). What other enticement did we need to make the hour drive up the mountains from our desert home?

By eight-thirty in the morning of the 8^th we were in the cabin planning on snowshoeing as soon as the weather allowed. It was snowing so hard that we could not keep up with the shoveling of the porch and stairs leading into the cabin. We allowed the dogs, all four of them, to run wild in the street since no vehicles were going up or down our street in this snow storm and they had a ball. But as the sun set with the temperature dipping to the low teens while the snow continued to fall it was time to call it and inside we went.

Saturday the 9^th we were up and out early to clamber over the snow drifts through the national forest. The only other sound besides the breaking of the icy crust of the snow were the regular and suddenly routine sounds of police helicopters above us sweeping for signs of the elusive cowardly killer of a lovely young couple from Irvine and a brave police officer from Riverside.

With this in mind our attention was drawn to fresh animal tracks in the snow near a large Western Juniper. There were little ones seeming to be running for their lives, rabbits probably by the looks of the tracks, instantly followed by larger ones, coyotes to be sure. There were scuffle marks by bushes, escape routes by the looks, and final chases. This is the cruel nature of things but it is nature. Animals need to live and living means finding food sources. May sound cruel but it is the way nature works and in some bizarre way it does. A single female rabbit can give birth to hundreds of little ones (some estimates as many as 800 during breeding season) where coyotes usually produce an average of six pups and only fifty or seventy percent ever see adulthood. So, there are a lot more rabbits to feed the coyote population. It was the way nature was meant to work.

Not some self-proclaimed human bent of destroying those far more valuable than him. As an ex-cop, J of J&L believes this low life killer is the worst of the worst. Cop or ex-cop the term ‘protect and serve’ are not simply decorations on the side of a police unit but a soul-based belief that police officers live by.

We, of course, would not recommend this activity or constant search for adventure to our readers. Indeed, our daughters and friends warned us against this and other intrepid adventures. But being who we tend to be, J&L happens to do such things as a way to explore, understand and to share. These stories need to be written. It is who we are.

And, being an ex-cop, J of J&L would never venture into these situations without the means to defend those who are with him on these adventures.

He packs heat.

Being a non-political blog we will not venture into the hot gun control topic but only state the following – an old cop saying: “I’d rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.”



Nothing will stop the continuing adventures of J and L. In the words of Herodotus, “It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.  Our journey is an adventure through life and no storm, nor darkness of the threat of man will keep us from our day’s journey.