There is a river in Riverside

Yes, there is a river that runs through Riverside... even in July! I went horseback riding down at the Hidden Valley Wildlife Area yesterday and explored more and actually found the river. Here is the proof that a river does exist.

AMF Riverside Lanes Bowling

Last night we went bowling at the AMF Riverside Lanes bowling alley. This bowling alley isn't close to many other shops, which puts it at a disadvantage. We started out in the Pro Shop because my friend wanted to buy a new bowling ball. Luckily for me they sell socks there because I didn't think about it and wore sandals. We ordered a pizza and a pitcher of beer because we found out that if you wait until after 8pm the price per game goes from like $5 to less than $2. After eating we had a little more time to kill, so we played in the arcade for a little while. They have most of the basic games- a basketball shooting game, a car racing game, a zombie shooting game, air hockey, Dance Dance Revolution, and a punching bag game that seemed to be really popular.

When we'd finally killed enough time to get the discount we decided to play 4 games. We got out lane and set up. It was a pretty basic bowling alley, but I'm not a huge fan of bowling, so I wouldn't know the difference in the actual lane quality. They had a pretty good mix of music that would appeal to most people and was non-offensive. Some of it was current, some from the late 90's, and some from even before that. It was definitely a good place to just relax and hang out with good friends.

Hidden Valley Wildlife Area (Santa Ana River Trail)

This morning I took my horse down to the Hidden Valley Wildlife Area. It is one of Riverside's forgotten parks. It is an amazing place to spend a summer morning. There is the Santa Ana River Trail that runs along the river bottom where people can bike, run or hike. This section of the trail runs from around Yucaipa to Arlington Ave in Riverside, then stops and restarts again around Green River in Corona and goes all the way to the beach.

The Hidden Valley Wildlife Area has a Nature Center that is open on Saturday's. In addition to the paved bike trail there are many dirt hiking and riding trails that go through the river bottom and many of the ponds in the area. When I was riding a coyote crossed my path only about 15 feet in front of me. There were rabbits, squirrels, and many varieties of birds that I saw during my ride. I passed other people on horses, people on bikes, joggers, and hikers. The Wildlife Area is open from 7am-7pm during the summer. I would suggest going early in the morning or later in the afternoon, and bring water to avoid getting affected by the heat.

El Torito (La Sierra)

Last night a group of us went to the El Torito on La Sierra by Kaiser. This El Torito doesn't get as busy as the one in the Riverside Plaza because there aren't any other places in the general area. Their happy hour lasts until 8, which is later than most other restaurants. The service was very slow, but the waitress was sure to get an order in for us before happy hour was over. We left just after 9pm, and the restaurant was already very slow. They do have karaoke, but I'm not sure what nights. This is a good place to go if you want a quiet, not crowded place to hang out.

Gerard's Eve Bistro

Last night a friend and I went to dinner at Gerard's Eve Bistro. I have to admit that I've been here before, but it's one of those places that is definitely worth visiting again. My friend had never been and she loved it. It's a cute little French restaurant near the Tyler Galleria. It's very easy to miss and really doesn't look like much from the outside. Once you go in, it's very cozy and inviting. This is definitely a place to get dressed up for (at least business casual).

We ordered drinks and appetisers. Lindemans Framboise is one of my favorite beers, and Gerards is one of few places that has it. It is a raspberry flavored beer, which takes away the bitterness, but isn't too sweet. While we were waiting for the appetisers they brought us a small cup of blueberry sorbet. Every time I've been here they've brought us something different, and everything has been amazing. Next our appetisers came. I got the escargot, and my friend got the Olive Trio, and the mussels. I love the escargot here because it comes soaked in butter and garlic. The mussels were really good, too because the sauce they came in was a wine sauce that accentuated the flavor perfectly. For the main course I ordered the shrimp scampi and my friend ordered the flank steak (I think that was what it was called). Both came out looking amazing and tasted just as good. They were perfect portions and both came with green beans and seasoned potatoes.

Somehow after all that food we still managed to make room for dessert. :) I ordered the vanilla creme brule, which is a pretty basic desert, but was delicious. My friend ordered crepes with orange carmel sauce that were flambeed at our table. Orange and carmel isn't something I would normally put together, but it smelled and tasted great. The crepes were filled with vanilla ice cream and were pretty basic, but the sauce on top turned them into a gourmet dessert.

Overall it was a great night except that she forgot the leftovers that they boxed up for her. We were both so full that we just went home and relaxed after. Definitely a place to visit.