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Week of August 13th – 19th, 2026
Photo by local photographer: thiswanderingraccoon.com Miners Lettuce Miners Lettuce is everywhere right now, presenting itself as weeds you may want to pull out of your walkways or along fences. Consider adding it to your salad instead of tossing it in the trash or just popping it in your mouth as a snack. It’s very high…
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Week of August 6th – 12th, 2026
Sacred Datura – Photograph by Gary Leva Cafe Aroma History In the 1940’s, small vacation houses were being constructed everywhere in Idyllwild. Along North Circle, nearing the Fern Valley corners was one such little house that eventually grew up to become Cafe Aroma. Here is its’ story. In the late 1980’s, after having served as…
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Week of July 30th – August 5th, 2026
Rare White-headed Woodpecker – Photograph by Jim Brock Stinging Nettle Like its name implies, it does sting (or itch) if brushed up against. But unlike Poison Oak or Poison Ivy, it only lasts several hours…not several days. (By the way….we do NOT have Poison Ivy buy we can, although rare, have Poison Oak). Stinging Nettle…
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Week of July 23rd – July 29th, 2026
Mule Deer Buck – Photograph by Gary Johnson Mule Deer Here in Idyllwild, we have mule deer, so called because their ears are large like those of a mule. Their ears are actually about three-quarters the length of their head. They are a common sight around Idyllwild. Only the bucks have antlers. They grow a…
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Week of July 16th – July 22nd, 2026
Photograph by Al Matta Hollywood in Idyllwild Logging in our area was just starting to trail off when Hollywood discovered Idyllwild. Having the proximity to Hollywood, and the look of the wild west, The budding filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille in his directorial debut filmed parts of the very first feature length silent film “Squaw Man”…
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Week of July 9th – July 15th, 2026
Lemon Lily – Photographer unknown Logging in Idyllwild One of the first industries in Idyllwild was logging. There have been 18 identified sawmills around Idyllwild, as far down as the edge of Garner Valley to Fuller Mill Creek towards Banning. They span in time from 1875 – 1928. With the onslaught of pioneers moving west,…
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Week of July 2nd – July 8th, 2026
Photo by M.P. Wilie How did our town get named Idyllwild? After the Cahuilla lived in these mountains for about 2000 years, European settlers began to come through after the Civil War homesteading the west. The first Europeans were ranchers grazing their cattle in the cooler mountains and miners during the California Gold Rush looking…
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Week of June 25th – July 1st, 2026
California Quail: Photo by Jim Brock Bluebirds of Idyllwild Have you heard the saying…”Where Bluebirds sing, happiness lives”? Well most of you would admit our little town is pretty darn happy most of the time; and we have our share of beautiful bluebirds here in Idyllwild. Here are the 3 that you may have come…
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Week of June 18th – June 24th, 2026
Photo by: Frank Colosi Summer Solstice Because of the tilt of the earth as it circles the sun (which takes 1 year where we live in the Northern Hemisphere), the earth is exposed to the sun for shorter and longer times during the year. Solstice comes from combining the Latin words sol for “Sun” and…