3rd Annual Emerald Necklace Tour Highlights Hidden Gems in Redlands

REDLANDS >> On Saturday, Feb. 20 300 members of the community gathered together in the early morning at Heritage Park and the Grove School at to take off on the Emerald Necklace Grand Tour 2016. The tour initially offered in 2014 allows guests to explore the beauty of the surrounding open space, hills, canyons, farms and creeks in Redlands. “There are a couple goals that we have with the Annual Emerald Necklace Tour, one is education. We want people to know about the open spaces we have, to be exposed to our parks and trails. We want people to be aware of the work that creates those parks and trails. So it is an educational effort,” said Coordinator Kathy Behrens. “It is absolutely aiding in the education of people. We always have someone say ‘oh I didn’t know this park was here’ or ‘I lived in Redlands all my life and wasn’t aware of these roads and scene views that we have in our backyard’.” The event additionally serves as a fundraiser for the Redlands Conservatory to aid in maintaining the lands space, sites, and projects around Redlands such as: • San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary • Live Oak Canyon Outdoor Ambassadors • City Kids Go Outdoors • Sunday FunDays • Judson & Brown Preserve • Heritage Trails Alliance • Trails at 10 • Emerald Necklace Trail & Scenic Route • Trail Care “It is a fundraiser for us. An opportunity to raise money which we then ear mark for continued development of our trail system of the Emerald Necklace. Eventually we would like to have signage so that people will be able to go around and know they are on the loop. Things like that to continue and expand on our opens spaces and downtown. We raise funds every year and it is a great party,” said Behrens. The tour originally began as homage to the 1987 Redlands Park and Open Space Plan which allowed for Measure O which went before citizens to vote on. The results were $8.6 million in funds for land purchase which has resulted in in the purchase and maintenance of Redlands gems today. The celebration of the tour began with the city celebrating its 125th anniversary, “I got the idea that it would be fun to use that event and significance to launch the scenic route. A group of us put together the route and decided we wanted to hold a party to announce the scenic route and celebrate our open spaces,” said Behrens. The complete Emerald Necklace Trail and Scenic Route includes 20 “gems”. This year’s tour featured 12 gems, several of them new to the tour. Some of the gems included: • The Orange Street Alley • Caroline Park • San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary • Live Oak Canyon Preserve Overlook • The Overlook on Overcrest • Zanja Trail and Greenway, Orange Blossom Trail • Hangar 24 Brewery • Heritage Trail and Santa Ana River Trail • Israel Beal Park • Heritage Trail and Santa Ana River Trail • Ritual Brewing Company • Escape Craft Brewery • Heritage Park and Barton School House Participants had several options to choose from to view the 38 mile, The 3- to 4-hour tour by bike, car, and bus. Cyclists had the options of three scenic routes including a long route of 35 miles, short route of 20 miles, or in-between route of 30 miles. Drivers had the option to take a self-guide tour at their own pace through designated gem sites. Tickets for the bike and car tour were $50 per person. Another option for guests to enjoy the tour was through a luxury bus featuring goodie bags, champagne and mimosas on their journey. Tickets for the luxury bus were $105 per person. Bus riders enjoyed historical narration from Pete Dangermond, author of the “Original 1987 Emerald Necklace Plan.” Dangermond read quotes from applicants who originally applied to be on the citizens committee that wrote the Redlands Park and Open Space Plan in 1987. “From the beginning it’s always been the citizens, we just helped them flesh out their ideas. They passed the bond issue that helped buy the land and provide the citrus,” Dangermond said. One quote read, “Redlands has great assets and quality of life, and should do so much more to preserve, protect, and expand what we have.” Another stated, “I feel open space is a major priority to be retained for our children and for our beautiful city. Not for five or ten years, but on a permanent basis. Open space should be provided for in service forms i.e active areas, natural hillsides, and passive neutral terrain.” “It is really great that the community gets to recognize the specialness and the idea of this is really super. The appreciation people have for Redlands, it is a unique place and we need to do whatever to preserve it for ‘children and children’s children’,” Dangermond added. As in past participants were able to enjoy the “Chew and View” sites featuring Redlands vendors and chefs whom donate food to the event: • The Living Root Cellar • Augie's Coffee • Three Sisters Farm • Oscar's Mexican Restaurant • Chef Darrell Stephenson and the Orchard on Olive Ave • Klüddes Gastropub & Deli • Bon Appétit University of Redlands • Hangar 24 • Brewcakes • Bricks and Birch • Martha Green's Eating Room • Maui Wowi Coffee • Ritual Brewery • à la minute ice cream • Escape Brewery “Most of our food and supplies are donated. We have a lot of support from the community to make it happen,” said Behrens. “It blows me away. It was amazing to me to have some of our friends in the community the first time I mentioned anything about it say ‘oh my God I want to be part of that.’ We are so very fortunate and lucky to have people in the community that really do support the goals of the conservancy and are willing to offer donation that makes it happen. It is a little bit overwhelming to be honest, but wonderful.” Additionally, according to Redlands Conservancy Executive Director Shirley Leonard the event is volunteer based, “This is a volunteer effort to put together and we appreciate it. We appreciate the food donations and the efforts.” Participants at the end of the tour were able to enjoy after party at Heritage Park with lunch served by Jessie of Street Tacos Catering and lives Jazz music from Citrus Valley High School. Redlands resident Nancy Gould and her daughter Karen Gould Clements participated in the tour together by car. “I grew up in Redlands. I moved away and currently live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. When I saw the tour in the paper I thought that this would be a great way to see the history of Redlands,” said Gloud Clements. “I grew up here and I didn’t know this [Caroline Park] existed. So it is exciting to see that.” “I wanted to see when this [Caroline Park] was built because many many years ago I had a camp fire group and one of the homes on Sunset we met in. This was sort of was still in the planning stages at the time. It’s beautiful to see how far it has come,” said Gould. For Los Angeles resident German Rodriguez this was his first time doing the tour and it appealed to him after having driven by Redlands many times on trips to Palm Springs. “We never had a chance to stop by Redlands and this sounded like an opportunity to visit Redlands and cycle,” Rodriguez said. “There was great weather and beautiful scenery. It was well worth the trip here.” The current tour can be done on one’s own at any time and that is the awareness Leonard hopes the tour event continues to show, “This is an opportunity where they’ll get to know where these gems are, when the event is finished they will be able to still go back and enjoy all parts of the tour whenever. It is always available to them.” For more information checkout a href=' http://www.redlandsconservancy.org/' Redlands Conservatory