An Island of Tranquility: Dixon Lake City Park

Salton City, CA

    After spending two nights at a rather crowded Guajome [San Diego] County Park in Oceanside I decided to try another park near Escondido: Dixon Lake. While the rush hour traffic was slow, the drive proved worth it, for there were very few other campers there. In fact, I was the only person on top of the ridge at site #28 in the group area.
    This view is to the west, with the ribbons of lights from commuters on I-15.

 

    Panning to the left, this view to the southwest and is of the Escondido city lights at about 6:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

    Looking south, the size of Escondido, c135,000 in 2005, becomes evident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    At about 9:30 I tried two more photos, with the first roughly to the west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    And this shot in the dark approximately to the south.

 

 

 

    The next morning provided an example of the equation "smoke + fog = smog." [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.] Note the large plume of smoke roughly in the middle of this photo; once that combines with fog moving inland from the coast, the result is smog -- unless it warms up fast enough inland to burn off the fog.

 

 

    Dixon Lake, which at one time contained a largemouth bass called "Dottie," who weighed c25 pounds but succumbed to old age in 2008.
....
    Dixon Lake City Park is indeed an isle of tranquility in a sea of urban sprawl.
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Links:

• Dixon Lake City Park website.
• Wikipedia article on Escondido
• San Diego County Parks
  

M 30 Jan Actual Route: Guajome County Pk - Oceanside - Guajome County Pk

T 31 Jan Actual Route: Guajome County Pk - Oceanside - Escondido - Dixon Lake Park

W 1 Feb Actual Route: Dixon Lake Park - Oceanside - Encinitas - San Ysidro - Chula Vista

Th 2 Feb Actual Route: Chula Vista - San Diego Mission - Santee - El Cajon

F 3 Feb Actual Route: El Cajon - Ramona - Dos Picos County Park

Sa 4 Feb Actual Route: Dos Picos County Park - Ramona - Santa Ysabel - Juian - Powder Wash (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)

Su 5 Feb Actual Route: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - Ocotillo Wells - Salton City

M 6 Feb Actual Route: Salton City - Coachella - LaQunita - Lake Cahuilla County Park

T 7 Feb Actual Route: Lake Cahuilla Park - Rancho Mirage - Palm Springs - Joshua Tree Natl Pk - Cottonwood CG [CLOSED] - Cottonwood Sprs Rd

W 8 Feb Actual Route: Cottonwood Sprs Rd - Indio - Mecca - Salton Sea Rec Area (Corvina Beach)

Th 9 Feb Actual Route: Corvina Beach (Salton Sea) - Bombay Beach - Red Hill Marina

F 10 Feb Actual Route: Red Hill Marina - Calipatria - Brawley - Wiest Lake County Park

Sa 11 Feb Route: Wiest Lake - Brawley - Wiest Lake

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life or Woodalls for including links to their free campground lookups.