San Bernardino Mountains Trip - With Pictures of Highway 18 Included.

Walking in the San Bernardino Mountains can range from a simple stroll to extreme rock climbing, so the recreational choices are wuite unlimited. People who enjoy scaling rocks can do so out on the large boulder at The Pinnacles, but there is also a trail to the top for those who prefer less strenuous hikes. You can also walk on the paved streets up in the San Bernardino Mountains and still get quite a good work out, and witness the spectacular view of the trees around you. I would caution against going out by yourself in the wood though as I did encounter a bear once, and I also saw a mountain lion from a distance. I also saw a donkey and cows, but these animals actually seemed to be a bit more frightened of me than I ever was of them.

Spending a day in the San Bernardino Mountains is doable as it is only 80 miles east of Los Angeles, and you can use Google Earth to get directions there. Yes, I recommend Google Earth for driving directions as Mapquest has not mapped out some of the most rural areas of the San Bernardino Mountains. However, Google Earth has only mapped out the street view of major roads in the San Bernardino Mountains, but at least this tool provide detailed driving directions.

You can also take public transportation to the San Bernardino Mountains on MARTA, and there are many hotels and motels for lodging in the area. Actually, the San Bernardino Mountains have always catered to tourists, but you can only experience the true beauty of the mountain by going up there to see the scenery. Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear offer many wonderful restaurants and shops to check out when you are up there, but I also suggest you explore the hiking and walking the mountain has to offer. However, if you are not able to make a trip to the San Bernardino Mountains, then visiting my photo slide shows is definitely the next best thing!

When I take walks in the San Bernardino Mountains near twilight, I am often captivated by the beauty and the silhouettes creating by the forms of the mountains and the trees. Walking around the mountain is truly spectacular, and in the age of the digital camera there is no reason to keep me from taking as many glorious pictures as I see fit. I take more pictures than less because a few always end up being odd shots or a bit fuzzy, so having a variety to choose from is key. My pictures often later serve as inspiration for the sketches and the paintings I like to create.

There is something magical about the vibrant sunsets of the San Bernardino Mountains that can make adults act like teenage couples. Seriously, one time I had to turn around when I was walking my dog up the street because there was a couple making out while they were enjoying the sunset, and I just felt very uncomfortable encroaching about their private moment, even if it was on a public street. Sometimes being in the mountains near sunset can make you forget about the rest of the world, which is a great thing if you are a couple just falling in love or rekindling the heat. Now if you are walking your dog and encounter such a couple, you might feel more comfortable walking along another street.

Taking pictures in the San Bernardino Mountains in late December is quite pleasurable, especially since there are so many interesting silhouettes of trees to photograph.  Some of the trees are dead due to the fire in 2007, but I truly believe these trees are still beautiful as these house many birds and squirrels.

The diligent reader have noticed that some of the pictures I have taken on the Rim of the World of the Highway are not really ones you would want to take on a walk, but I just had to include this beautiful scenery on the hub so you could see what the San Bernardino Mountains really look like. I believe these pictures give a good depiction of what the mountain looks like when traveling down the Rim of the World Highway.

Even if you are driving up or down the Rim of the World Highway, I highly recommend stopping at one of the turnouts so you can partake of the magnificent view.

It is enjoyable to take pictures of all the beautiful scenery on the drive down Highway 18, and many turn out quite well even though I was in a moving vehicle when I took these photographs.

I always enjoy all the different rocks and vegetation I spot on the hillsides during the drive down Highway 18. That is one of the perks of not driving; being able to take really great photos.

Every time experience the view on the ride down the San Bernardino Mountains, I am reminded of the beauty of the cliff and vistas as seen from this scenic route.