I kicked this one off at Lake Casitas, and honestly it was already an amazing morning before I even pointed the truck toward the falls. It wasn’t quite the same “epic” as my last visit (I’ll link that one where I saw the bobcat and deer), but I still got a couple of those moments that make you grateful you got out the door. No eagles this time, no big crowd in the field either—but I did watch deer sprint across the road and barely miss getting hit, and then I spotted a blue heron up in a tree, which still feels weird to me because I always think of them as shorebirds. From there I drove the extra 66 miles down to Nojoqui Falls Park near Solvang, California—still not 100% sure I’m saying it right. The hike isn’t long, but it’s steep, hot, and with all the rain we’ve had everything was really muddy. I’ll be real: the bear sign got in my head (I hate bears—they scare the heck out of me), so I was moving pretty quick. I only grabbed one photo on the trail with my 58mm, and I kept thinking a 35mm or even a 20mm would’ve been perfect out there. All in all, it’s a stunning area and totally worth the drive—just try it on a weekday if you want fewer people.