Great Scenic Views in the Cleveland National Forest.
05-15-2016
We spent a little time with a good friend in Eastvale CA. and decided to take scenic HWY 74 through the Cleveland National Forest on the way home. While Lake Elsinore is low you can still get boats out on it.
Since the weather in San Diego is in full “May grey/June gloom” mode we decided to go see a friend for the weekend up in Eastvale where it’s technically in the desert and always hot and sunny. Unfortunately this was not the norm for this weekend. We showed up and it was cool and cloudy as well in the desert. Not sure how that happens but it sure did. We made the best of it anyway. We went to the store and got your standard burgers and hotdogs. Came back and grilled, mixed up a few drinks and chilled in the hot tub. While there we learned how to play a card game called 5 Crowns. It’s interesting and somewhat confusing especially for those of us that are colorblind.
The next morning I got to treat everyone to my signature chili and eggs. I was pretty happy with the results as the chili had, had the time to rest for a couple of days which always makes it taste better. So I fumbled my way around Jay’s kitchen and managed to not completely ruin breakfast for everyone.
After waking up and just hanging out for a while we headed back toward San Diego. It was decided that we would try to take a route through the mountains in the Cleveland National Forest. We were told to be careful as this mountain road had, had more than its fair share of fatalities. But once we got up to the top for a look around the view was really worth it.
Further up the road there is a diner at the top called Lookout Roadhouse. Which is a great little watering hole that is a popular stop for motorcycle riders like us as well as others that are looking for a scenic place to stop and take a few pictures as well as have a burger and a beer.
We stopped for a short time and talked to a few other riders. One of which was on his way to L.A. all the way from Dallas TX. He also had a Kawasaki Concours 14, but a newer model than we do. It’s always nice to stop and chat with another rider about your ride and the addons that you like or dislike. From the outside dining deck of the Lookout Roadhouse you really get a fantastic view of Lake Elsinore below the cleveland national forest as well as the town. It’s pretty nice that even on gloomy days you can still find great places to go and be rewarded with an awesome view.
A little further down the road in the cleveland national forest there was Hell’s Kitchen, which is a more stereotypical biker bar hang out type of place. It looked really good and is the type of place we’d have to come back to visit. There are various campgrounds along the road as well. They range from day use to overnight to long term camping. We did see a sign or 2 about cougars and other wildlife in the area. So if there is going to be any camping we’re definitely going to make sure that we get at least a canister of bear repellent.
If you get the chance to take HWY 74 through the cleveland national forest I recommend you take it and take your time on the drive to enjoy the views and be careful as well as it can be a little harrowing if you don’t pay attention to the road.
