Jan 29 - Diamond Valley Lake, Hemet, CA

  We spent the day at Diamond Valley Lake, in Hemet, CA.  They have a Science Center and Museum, which showed all of the fossils they uncovered while digging the space for the dams.  There are three dams on this lake.  And, it turns out, there are almost as many fossils uncovered as in the LaBraia Tar Pits.  It holds over a million prehistoric fossils, including mammoths, mastodons, and giant long-horned bison.  They had a movie of the digging of the lake and the coordination with the archaeologists to dig up all of the fossils.  Very interesting.
  The lake has a 21 mile trail rimming the coast of the lake.  We walked the first 2 miles out and then back.  The weather was great, mid-sixties.  Warm in the sun, cool in the shade and wind.  The lake is surrounded by mountains, with a view of the snow-covered mountains in the background.  Walking the trail, I felt so exhilarated!  Sun, water, wind, and mountains.  The air was so crisp and clear.  The energy so expansive and delightful.  Very enjoyable walk.  And, for the entire walk, we were the only ones on the trail.  Go figure.

Diamond Valley Lake photos: