Bees, Fudge and Forest Make For a Fine Free Day

I had been on Ortega Highway once, winding through the canyon from Lake Elsinore to the coast.

In spite of feeling carsick, I thought the scenery was very pretty. But until I kept hearing people talk about their weekend adventures, which seemed to always take place in Ortega Canyon, I didn't realize there was so much to discover off the road.

So the other day, when neither my husband nor I had work, I put my foot down for a trip to Ortega Canyon, which is part of the Cleveland National Forest. My husband Jordi was reluctant; we had no idea where to go, where to park, if you needed a Park Pass to hike, how much that would cost, or how far we would have to drive before finding something -- if anything.

But I had heard about a good hiking trail behind the Candy Store on Ortega Highway. I figured that was enough information to go on, so I packed our lunch and waters, tossed Jordi the car keys and hopped in the front seat. (Kind of like a dog holding his leash when it's time to go to the park.)

Being the good sport that he is, Jordi followed suit and started driving us off to our adventure. The coastal fog receded as we drove into the Canyon, giving way to a beautiful sunny day. Houses became sparse, and eventually we found ourselves officially entering the national forest.

We finally came across the Ortega Oaks Candy Store and Goods about 20 miles from the I-5 Freeway and located on the south side of the highway. 

Apparently this little store sells day use passes for $5 to park in the National Forest. You hang one in your car and it's good until 10 a.m. the next morning. 

We pulled into the little parking lot next to a simple blue building on the side of the road, with picnic tables and umbrellas outside. We walked through the screen door and into the shop, which felt more like the kitchen and living room of an old aunt with a bad sense of style, a welcoming heart and a talent for cooking fudge.

With bins full of nostalgia-inducing candies (Andes mints and salt water taffy are my favs) and homemade chocolates, we couldn't simply walk off with our park pass, but picked out some dark chocolate almond bark as well.

Trail heads go up from behind the candy shop, as well as from the parking lot across the street. Hiking and horseback riding are allowed on both sides, but mountain biking is only allowed on trails North of the highway.

We opted for a trail that began behind the shop marked "Bear Canyon Trail". From that trail, we ended up doing a loop about five miles long. We stopped along the way to have our sack lunch -- a typical meal of pb&j, carrots, fruit and BONUS: the almond chocolate bark we picked up at the candy store.

Walking back we heard a loud hum, and stopped to see a large swarm of bees who had taken over a tree trunk lying across the creek. I wished I could dip my hand into the fresh honey, but thought better of it and satisfied myself with a picture instead. I'm definitely going to buy some Ortega Canyon honey next chance I get, though!

We finished the rest of the loop in no time, and were back at the car in a few hours, tired and content. Finding some homemade chocolate in the middle of nowhere, purchasing a pass for only $5, hiking in the woods with no one but the birds and bees, and a beautiful, relatively short drive to get there made a great success out of our uncertain outing!

Visit my blog at www.wondersawait.blogspot.com