Rancho Los Alamitos

We returned once again to Rancho Los Alamitos so my daughter could accomplish her history class report. The ranch, located in a gated community on the edge of the CSULB campus is what remains of a 300,000 acre land grant in the 1800s. The house and surrounding gardens have been preserved and restored, as have many historic structures in California, to give visitors an idea of what life was like during California's formative years.

On our previous visit we had been entranced by the docent giving the tour whose family had lived and worked for the owners back in the early and mid-1900s. She recounted all kinds of stories that only first-hand knowledge would enable. Her tour didn't allow us sufficient time to explore the extensive grounds, so we were back a week later.

The ranch was, unfortunately, being used as a film set for a BBC production, so some areas were closed to the public. This view is a close-up of a rock in one of the gardens we were able to view. We were able to see many of the gardens surrounding the house, but not the cactus garden which we had specifically returned to see. It just means yet another trip to this historic gem.