Yabba Dabba Dooo, it's Bedrock City

Even if you didn't grow up in the Golden Age of cartoons you know who The Flintstones are.  Many years ago the idea of Flintstone themed roadside attractions came to be.

There were a few across the United States although I believe the one in Arizona is the only one still operating.

I went there as a kid and decided to revisit this awesome place on my way to The Grand Canyon.

Abandoned Mine, Acton CA.

Mining in it's heyday of the 1800's and early 1900s was prevalent across America.  From the high dollar items like Gold and Silver, to minerals and other metals, mines dotted the landscape all over the country.

The problem with mining is that once you've dug out all there is to dig, there's nothing left to do but abandoned the mine. 

These abandoned mines are all over the place. Some still have whole Ghost Towns around them and others are just big holes in the ground. 

I went searching for a mine who's history and origins are still unknown to me, and I found it.  

Please enjoy my trek to find this abandoned mine.

Abandoned Oil Rig

The Santa Clarita Valley is famous for many things.  The history of the valley encompass  everything from railroads, to wagon trails to motion pictures, and oil.  While the oil industry isn't as big in the valley as it used to be,there are still some facilities working hard for those dead dinosaurs.

Placerita Canyon was a hot hotspot for oil drilling many years ago.  While the oil drilling equipment is long since gone there are still some remnants of this industry left for the adventurous soul.

I first spotted this gem a few years ago but it was so overgrown I was having a hard time blazing a trail.  The fires of July 2016 cleared the path for me and this past January I went full force into the wild to find what remained of and old truck and oil rig long since abandoned in Placerita Canyon.

Bouquet Falls Hike

If you live in the Santa Clarita Valley there is no doubt you've heard of the Bouquet Falls. In this time of extreme drought you may think that these stories date back to the olden days and there is no way there are active waterfalls in Southern California.

I recently decided to venture out the this mystical location to check it out for myself. What I found was what appeared to be an abandoned recreational area that at one time appeared to have been the place of many family picnics and barbecues.  Unfortunately these days it is accessible only by foot and no longer appears to be the family friendly area of yesteryear.  The below photos and videos document my findings.

Abandnoned Roadside Rest Stop

As I travel round Southern California I'm always looking for something interesting.  While I've been up and down Bouquet Canyon many times over the years it was only recently that I found this place.

The Los Cantiles Handicapped Picnic Ground was established in 1972. On my visit recently it was blocked off but looked to have been refurbished in the last 10 or so year.  I am not sure why this day use area is currently closed but it is an interesting place.

Check out my video of my exploration of this now abandoned day use/roadside rest stop in Santa Clarita.

Abandoned Structure in Bouquet Canyon

While driving up Bouquet Canyon in Santa Clarita looking for a certain abandoned roadside stop I stumbled across another abandoned roadside structure.

This structure appeared to be, at least my best guess, a stable. I'm not sure how long it has been abandoned or what it's purpose was but I was very intrigued by this when I saw it.

I have driven this section of Bouquet Canyon numerous times but this particular day while looking for something else all together I stumbled across this abandoned structure.

Come with me as I investigate and tell me what you think this was.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

A few years ago my wife took a trip to San Francisco.  While up there she decided to fulfill one of her bucket list items, visit a lighthouse.

She made the trek down to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.  Established in 1870 it is approximately 300 steps down to this magnificent building.  Below is a video montage of the photographs she took on her trip.

Rivendale....gone but not forgotten

Rivendale started as a family home in Towsley canyon in the Santa Claerita Valley back in the mid seveties. At first just a home for a family looking to carve out a life for themselves it soon grew in to more than that.

 An equestrian center and stables which hosted many events over the course of many years were also built. First built to satisfy the desire for a little girl to have a horse it soon became a place where many could enjoy the beauty and serenity of the then quaint and quiet Santa Clarita Valley.

  While the equestrian center had laid abandoned for many years the house is still used by the park. I had long seen the abandoned Equestrian Center from The Old Road and finally, in 2013, I decided to visit this location. 

I'm glad I took that opportunity as well as my camera. Little did I know that I would document for myself a place that only a few years later would be torn down and gone forever, 

Below are the photographs I took on that December day in 2013.  Enjoy and share. 

Fort Tejon Civil War Re-enactment

Fort Tejon hosted an authentic Civil War re-enactment over the Memorial Day weekend.  All participants were in full period authentic outfits and had complete Confederate and Union camps set up.

Fort Tejon on it's own is an awesome historic place and a great experience. Add all the dedicated re-en actors and vendors participating in this event and it made an great day for everyone.

Below are some pictures and video from my visit to this historic site on this day of remembrance.

 

Walker Homestead

I'm fortunate that the Santa Clarita Valley still has some history to be found. While it has built up over the past 20 years you can still find some remnants of what it used to be.

The Walker Family lived in Placerita Canyon in the early to mid 1900's. Frank walker built several homes there throughout the years and the remnants of a few as well as an entire cabin still exists.

I decided to take a trek down to what is left of what is referred to as the "Homestead" to see what was there.  It's a mild hike with some beautiful scenery as well as a really cool historical site.

The site today                             The site in 1910 




Enjoy the video...
















For more information on the Walker family as well as the entire history of the Santa Clarita Valley visit http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/scvhistory.htm

Random Roadside

Throughout my various adventures I stumble upon some intersting things. Some of these things warrant an entire post or video and some are just an interesting side note on the adventure.  The video below documents some of these unique roadside oddities over the past few months

Enjoy

Texas Canyon Rocks and Cave hike

Santa Clarita has a lot to offer for the casual hiker. There are many maintained trails to visit for a nice safe hike. There are also many areas that offer a little more of a challenge and some spectacular scenery if your willing to venture out to less maintained areas.  For those who want to venture off the beaten path here is one location well worth visiting.

Rowher Flats is mainly known for off road, ATV, and Dirtbike trails.  There is one trail however that leads to an awesome rock formation with some small caves.  This hike is moderate to easy and the trail head is easily accessible by most vehicles.  (I drive a Toyota Corolla and I've done this hike twice).

Once you get to the trail head you'll be amazed at how secluded the area looks considering that you are only a few miles from condo's, apartments, and strip malls. This hike is best suited for Spring or Fall as the Santa Clarita Valley gets very hot in the summer.

Below are some pictures and video of  my adventures to this awesome site.

Soledad Cannyon Movie Sets

The Santa Clarita Valley is full of great sites. There are plenty of naturally stunning locations that have caught the eye of the Movie industry.  Due to the remoteness of many parts of the area there have also been plenty of sets built as well.

On a recent adventure up Soledad Canyon me and my son stumbled upon a few of these sets. These were visible from the road but I can only imagine what else may be hidden out of sight.

Check out some video and a few pics from the adventure.