Palos Verdes: Frascati Trail

I'm spending some time reminiscing on past memories. Because exciting news and all that coming soon for the future. For now, this experience from the winter of 2013 when Whitney was visiting from Kansas City, MO, and my friend Kelsey was in town and I realized that not every hiking trail in Palos Verdes is worth driving to. Isn't there a quote though that you either win or you learn? #fbf

I spent approximately 30 minutes trying to quickly decide on what our hiking adventure might be. I figured something secluded, somewhere I've never been, something kind of worth the drive, and worth the hike, hopefully with a view and close to the ocean... Palos Verdes is full of trails I still have never been on. Frascati Trail was one of them.

After deciding on this, Kels, Whit and I drove toward our new adventure with high hopes of a worthwhile work-out. I even had a surprise: this trail apparently included a waterfall!

I learned that day that it's important to read the fine print.

The trail was secluded, did in fact have beautiful views, and there would be a running waterfall at the right time of year. We walked past it just as I told them that I had a surprise for them, and then I looked at the rocks there that looked eerily similar to the pictures of the waterfall I saw online — but without the water. No matter, I thought to myself, there's still a river, and a nice hike ahead of us!

Unfortunately the river was pretty much dried up too. We went down a small hill and ended up on the street. Just .3 miles later, Kels asked, "Is this it?" No, I thought. Impossible. What kind of "hike" is .3 miles long? Turns out, it really was .3 miles. According to the sign that was behind us it was actually .33 miles — which makes .66 miles since we turned around there and went back to the car.

I figured we'd make the trip worth it though so I decided we'd go to another place I hadn't been to (until this moment): the Point Vicente Lighthouse! I imagined this trail going to the lighthouse and us going inside, exploring it and taking in the view.

We got to the lighthouse to find that there's a fence going around it and the only view we could get of the lighthouse was from a distance. FINE PRINT: there are tours open only on the second Saturday of the month (or at the Whale of Day Festival!). 

Slightly defeated but sort of amused at the massive failure, I decided that it wasn't all a complete failure. I had never been (and will probably never go again) to the Frascati Trail, and knowing when the lighthouse was open, I was able to go for the Whale of Day Festival this last year. #LivingAndLearning