Lakeside, CA

Lakeside spreads along the upper San Diego River where the El Cajon Valley gives way to the Cuyamaca foothills, east of Santee and northeast of El Cajon. Interstate 8 runs along its southern edge, Highway 67 cuts through on the west, and the granite face of El Cajon Mountain, known locally as El Cap, looms over everything. A land company laid out the town in 1886 and put up an 80-room Victorian hotel beside Lindo Lake. Trains reached it in 1889, and in 1907 Barney Oldfield set a speed record when a racetrack opened around the lake. The hotel and the track came down after 1920, but the ranch culture stayed, and the PRCA rodeo on the last weekend of April now pulls more than 20,000 spectators. Two neighboring census communities share its name and ZIP code. Winter Gardens covers the hills to the south, and Eucalyptus Hills holds the acreage to the northwest. Lakeside proper has the Maine Avenue business district, the lake, Willowbrook's riverside golf course and a wide spread of housing, from horse property to manufactured-home parks. Water and rock shape the weekends. Lake Jennings, on the east side, is stocked with bass, catfish and trout and rents boats and campsites. The Historic Flume Trailhead is out El Monte Road, El Capitan and San Vicente reservoirs sit deeper in the hills, and the climb up El Cap ranks among the toughest day hikes in San Diego County. Albert's Fresh Mexican Food on Highway 8 Business is the takeout stop for oversized burritos, rolled tacos and carnitas. Barona, the resort and casino north of town, adds a steakhouse and buffet to the mix. Everyday shopping runs along Woodside Avenue and Winter Gardens Boulevard, and the nearest regional malls are in El Cajon. Coastal commutes are long, and a car handles nearly every trip. Lakeside still sets its calendar by the April rodeo, and the town's ranching roots show most clearly that weekend, when the arena fills and the parade rolls through.