Driving in Hemet

Hemet, CA is a desert town with a population of roughly 50,000+/-. Located in the San Jacinto Valley, it sits between 1500 and 2200 feet above sea level. The San Bernadino mountains lie to the north, and Hemet is seperated from Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley by the San Jacinco range to the east.

I always choose to drive in via the pass that heads south of the 10 at Beaumont, rather than come at it from the west through Riverside. Traffic through the university area sucks at almost any time of day.

I love this drive, even though I might classify these as nothing more majestic than foothills, they are sturdy, brown and meandering.


As I drive closer to my hotel, the sun starts to set in the west...


The mornings are always beautiful here, the air is fresher and has just a trace of the only bit of humidity we will feel all day.


Throughout most of the year, there are cows in this field, athough I am not sure where they are this morning.


In the afternoons, I always pass this horse ranch on my way out of town. Given the lack of moisture in the valley, one wonders how much water it takes to keep this field this green all year around.

Much of the land in the dry, dry valley is used for agriculture. I have tried to research what they grow in these fields, but to no avial. I will have to ask a few humans, the old school research method, the next time I am in town.


My car climbs the hills to the north, headed for the 10 freeway to return to Los Angeles. I will be back soon. Too soon.