Warner Recabaren is telling me one of the Australian origin stories of the didgeridoo, as he remembers it. It begins with a group of guys sitting around a campfire. One of them throws a stick …
July 27, 2022
Renowned Australian didgeridoo player Lewis Burns finds solace at Alpine ranch
Jay's Southern Café brings BBQ and soul food to the outskirts
Driving around Alpine, it starts to dawn on me that there are a lot more restaurants out here than I thought. Chalk that up to a decade-plus of only going up that hill for beers …
August 2, 2022
Dr BLT: found busking at Steph’s Donut Hole and in Cake’s “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” video
You might never expect a Ph.D, in anything to discover a passion for outdoor sidewalk busking. But for Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen — Dr BLT to the music world — it’s all part of the …
October 6, 2022
Vast views from Viejas Mountain
Viejas Mountain Located in Alpine, Viejas Mountain is a challenging hike and long pants are recommended. With a length of 4.6 miles and an elevation gain of 2000+ feet, the hike will take most people …
Peutz Valley – the fire did not kill our spirit
Alpine's Secret Valley Here we could raise animals and grow a garden, learn the old arts of canning, butchering, milking, and cheese-making. The '70s provided this back-earth movement, and our few neighbors, like my family, …
January 30, 2023
Gonzo Report: Pop wunderkind Debbie Gibson brings Winterlicious to Viejas
Debbie Gibson’s Winterlicious concert at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine was an early Christmas gift bestowed to local “Deb Heads” on Thanksgiving weekend. “That’s Debbie’s name for her core group of fans,” Jenny Corriveau …
December 29, 2022
Bell Bluff project near Alpine creeps into Cleveland Forest
A rural housing project that has been in limbo for decades is worrying Alpine neighbors who found out it may be revived. The 152-home zombie, known as the Bell Bluff extension, was to be the …
January 24, 2023
Why those big rigs are parked on the side of I-8
On February 12, a wind advisory was made on I-8 from Willows Road in Alpine next to Viejas Casino & Resort to the Imperial County line a little past Jacumba, according to CA-17.com. The wind …
February 20, 2023
Loveland Reservoir hit by drought, now closed due to rain
When Sweetwater Authority conducted a water transfer last November, draining Alpine's Loveland Reservoir to dead pool status for the first time ever, lake users thought it was the end of the free recreation program. Then …
February 28, 2023
Loveland Reservoir trail money eyed for bridge, parking lot, fish stocking, more water
Sweetwater Authority officials and Loveland lake users are discussing what to do with a $750,000 state grant the agency has received for trail improvements. In the first workshop this month, which a late change of …
December 26, 2023