Walkabout With Wheels Blog

Friday, July 7, 2023

Where TV & Movie Magic Is Made: Vasquez Rocks Natural Area in Agua Dolce, CA

Eric searched the internet for local attractions that may interest us.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area

is a fantastic find!

This rugged area, within an

hour's drive from Los Angeles

is a popular hiking area.

Tibeurcio Vasquez, one of

California's most notorious

bandits, eluded capture in

this area in 1874.

After our leisurely drive on paved roads, it's hard to imagine how remote this region of the San Gabriel Mountains was in the 1800s.

The rugged terrain and natural light brought filmmakers to Vasquez Rocks. IMDB.com lists 481 Movies and TV Shows that were filmed here.

This sign lists just a few of

the Movies & TV Shows

that many will recognize...

Movies: The Flintstones, Over the Hedge, Wild Wild West, Rat Race, Young Buffalo Bill, Blazing Saddles, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Holes.

TV Shows: Roswell, 24, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek The Next Generation...

At first glance, I realize that

Captain Kirk's fight with The

Gorn in The Arena Episode

was filmed here.

Vasquez Rocks is a popular

hiking area.

Eric & I skip the hiking trails on

fairly steep inclines because

I am recovering from Achilles

Tendonitis.

Millions of years of sand &

rock deposits created these

Sandstone formations.

The Elkhorn Fault's movements

created these dramatic

uplifted formations.

The outcrop on the left looks

familiar...

Star Trek The Next Generation's

Who Watches the Watchers

Episode was filmed here.

For fellow Star Trek Fans: Vasquez Rocks has its own page on Memory Alpha Fandom Wiki.

A selfie at a famous

filming location

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area is a

Movie & TV Location Gem

available to everyone because

it's a Los Angeles County Park.

Eric notices the swirls in

this rock formation.

Elkhorn Fault also created

folds in the stone.

The forces of wind & water

continue to sculpt the

landscape.

Just past the treeline is

California State Route 14.

Modern-day criminals would have a much harder time evading search parties using technology on the ground and in the air.

Thursday, July 6, 2023

The BridgeS of Soledad Canyon Thousand Trails Campground in Acton, California

During our stay at Soledad Canyon Campground in March 2020 the bridge across the Santa Clara River that divides the Park was being replaced after the previous one was washed away during heavy rains.

The new bridge has many large culvert pipes, tons of fill to create the roadbed, and heavy stones to protect the structure from rushing water.

Eric and I drove over the completed bridge during our visit here in November 2021.

During this stay in 2023, the Campground is again split in two again.

The 2020 bridge was removed. According to Staff, the functioning bridge was temporary. It was removed to build this wooden deck bridge with steel beam supports.

What happened to the culvert pipes and all the fill that was brought here for the temporary bridge?

I wonder if the large rocks at the base of the previous bridge have been saved to protect the base of the newest bridge.

This is the opposite end of the bridge from Section N. It and Section Q have a separate entrance because there is no access from the main sections of the Park. All the amenities - Swimming Pools, Mini Golf, Horseshoe Pits, Volleyball, Basketball, Pickleball Courts, Lodges, Laundry Rooms, and the Campground Store are located in the lower sections of this Campground.

I hope this is the bridge that will permanently unite Soledad Canyon Campground.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Driving West to Acton, California

Eric and I are spending our summer in the Western US after visiting Hawaii, The Big Five National Parks in Utah - Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion; and the Grand Canyon in Arizona.