We were delighted to see the Ocatillo still in bloom.  Well, Teri and I were - the boys have that "come on - theres something interesting at the end of this path" look.

Maybe it was lunch.

Our campsite featured one of the old Ramadas, the stone structure you see on the left.  It had an excellent fireplace for dinner, and a friendly mouse that lived in the stones who visited us for dinner.

The next morning it was up early for a hike in to the oasis.

Its serious business as you can tell. 

Its hard to see in the picture, but we were sitting in a grove of palm trees in the middle of the desert - a true oasis.

From there, we headed over the hill, stopping at historic Julian California, where Mason had a chance to commune with the local wildlife.

Down the hill, and we were on the California coast.