Black Star Canyon Falls and Vietnamese Signature Dishes

Happy Presidents' Day!  Today, we will introduce another hidden treasure in Orange County--the Black Star Canyon Falls.  Situated in Silverado, Black Star Canyon is part of the Santa Ana Mountains in the Eastern side of Central Orange County.  Its namesake falls is a hidden gem in the area.  Getting to the falls is not easy and requires hopping over large boulders, but it is definitely worth the effort.  Budget about 5-7 hours of hiking and enjoyment time to take advantage of this beautiful falls. Last Winter, the falls were running in full force after a recent rain.  However, with the lack of rainfall in this Winter season, the falls are mostly running dry. 

Let’s look back Black Star Canyon Falls during a wet rainy winter 2011. Couple photos by Mai and more on  http://goo.gl/0lqLy

http://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/events/17009643/

http://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/events/15801106/

http://www.meetup.com/Viet-Friends/photos/1333790/22486392/

While we are in Orange County, it's worth taking a little time to explore the local culture.  Central Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese American in the United States.  Spending a few hours at Little Saigon in Westminster will give you a taste of Vietnam's food and culture in less than a few hours.

Famous dish of Northern Vietnam: beef noodle soup (phở bò) 

One of the prominent stable foods for the Vietnamese is noodles. There are various other kinds of noodle, dishes of the Central or Southern Vietnam with their own names such as hủ tiếu (seafood with pork noodle soup) and bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodle soup). Vietnamese calls them other names, in the same sense that sashimi cannot be called sushi. More reading and photos credit by

http://www.lovingpho.com/pho-opinion-editorial/vietnamese-pho/

"Chicken Noodle Soup" (phở gà)

Look up yelp for rating to find a decent noodle house or talk to a Vietnamese hiker friend for a reference of where to go. Hope this will warm up a cold winter day and calm you down after a long day adventure in a wet condition. 

http://www.yelp.com/