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Rolling Hills Estates
Rolling Hills Estates
The City of Rolling Hills Estates sits on the northern side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Established in 1957, it was created to maintain the communities rural atmosphere and equestrian lifestyle. The City is characterized by rolling hills, white fences, bridle trails, and vast open spaces. With 30 neighborhoods each with unique architecture and styles, the City maintains a number of parks, 25 miles of equestrian trails, and 10 miles of bicycle paths.
When our children were very young, we used to keep our horse, Lucky, in a corral behind a private home in Rolling Hills Estates. The view from the stable looked out to a group of old wooden box stalls. Many years later, my daughter and I went back to visit the area but the structures were gone and the area developed.
Image shows view of the grounds of the Palos Verdes Stables located at 4057 Via Opata in the Valmonte area of the City of Palos Verdes Estates. Visible to the left are several horses in a corral with bales of hay directly behind the corral. First established as the Palos Verdes Riding Academy in 1925, the Palos Verdes Stables was one of the recreational amenities provided by the Palos Verdes Project. The November 1925 issue of the Palos Verdes Bulletin, refers to it as "one of the most important recreational attractions of the whole Palos Verdes district." By 1929 promotional materials for the Project note that 14 miles of bridal trails had already been completed in the area.
Spring Afternoon on Chandler Preserve
I was thirteen years old when I first rode a horse through Rolling Hills. I didn't have a riding helmet so my friend’s mother made me wear a football helmet. It felt silly at first but I quickly forgot when I started to descend the canyon trail and saw the beautiful landscape before me. It was peaceful and everything seemed right in the world.
Horse-team on the Phillips Ranch, Rolling Hills Estates
Image shows a horse-team feeding on hay on the Phillips Ranch in an area that later became the Palos Verdes Golf Course. Built in 1910 as the second home for the Phillips family, the ranch was located in Blackwater Canyon to the northeast of the present intersection of Palos Verdes Drive North and Rolling Hills Road in Rolling Hills Estates.
On windy days, we walked to the local market, bought kites, and went to a nearby field to fly them. For hours, we lay on our backs, talking about things we wanted to do when we grew up. We were young and all things seemed possible. There were no limitations.
Image shows rolling hills and the site for the permanent Palos Verdes College campus looking north with the ocean coast visible to the left. A cultivated field is visible to the right. A partial view of a home is visible to the left.
