Secret Walks #44, Del Cerro Park, 4.88 miles.

A 38-mile drive down the 405 took us to Palos Verdes' Del Cerro Park and the Burma Road Trail entrance to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. Usually, the history of the area Barbara and I hike excites me as much as the scenery, but today the dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island took center stage. The first photo was taken from atop the Burma Road Trail with our destination centered in the distance—a bluff perched high over the ocean and facing Santa Catalina "26 miles across the sea." A hot day without shade, we hiked to the bluff and back through a web of trails including the Eagles Nest Trail, Water Tank Trail, the Vanderlip Trail, and the Peacock Trail. We were serenaded by peacocks and peahens screeching "kee-yaw," entertained by a mid-air fight between a red-tailed hawk and a crow, and accompanied by lizards through expanses of wild mustard, California poppies, fennel, and wheat. A popular hiking area (for good reason), the camera doesn't come close to doing justice to the real thing. You'll have to see for yourself! A killer hike with an unforgettable view.