After visiting my mother in Riverside, Tori and I drove over to hike to the top of Mount Rubidoux with my brother, Jake, our sister-in-law, Becca, and niece, Nyla. The boulder-covered hill near downtown rises 484 feet over the Santa Ana River that crosses along its base. The riverbed is normally dry but we could see flowing water from the recent rains. As we hiked up the paved trail, we had a great view of the snow covered peaks of the San Jacinto Mountains to the East. Nyla had a lot of fun scrambling through every boulder field we passed.
Two circular paths ring the hillside and as we neared the top, we switched onto the inner summit ring. Circling counter-clockwise, we passed the Peace Tower and Friendship Bridge that were built in 1925 before climbing to the lower summit with the large American Flag. We then crossed the saddle to the highest peak with the Serra Cross that was erected in 1907. The hilltop became famous for its Easter Sunrise Services that started in 1909 and soon spread around the country. Even though the gathering rain clouds prevented a beautiful sunset, we still had great views of the area.
After descending from our 3 mile hike, so we drove over to Tio's Tacos for dinner since my brother's family had never been to the art-filled Mexican restaurant. They must rotate some of the art pieces since I see something new every time I visit.
