This past weekend, I did another “short and sweet” semi-local trip! We saw so many waterfalls thanks to the recent three days of rain, some mountain views, lots of cool boulders and rocks, and peaceful old-growth forests. On top of…
Paddle Irondequoit Bay
Irondequoit Bay is a bit of a fixture on the northeast side of Rochester, New York. It’s a favorite with marinas, pleasure-seekers, and amusement park-seekers (due to Seabreeze right up the hill). It’s also famous because of the so-called “Bay…
Exploring Corkscrew Canyon
I read about Corkscrew Canyon on the internet. There was an old mining area, they promised, and a slot canyon. There was no trail, but it was pretty easy to walk up an old road. Alas, more research told me…
Trip Report: Cuyahoga Valley & New River Gorge
Would you believe that there are national parks within a few hours of my childhood home that I’ve never visited? They just never seem to fit into any trip: Too far away for a day trip, too close as a…
Covert Arch
Arches National Park has over 2,000 arches within its borders. Some arches – like the Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, etc. – are famous, while others – like Ring Arch – are off the beaten path. Covert Arch…
Cornwall Preserve
Last summer, I had the great opportunity to take a spontaneous hike. Actually, we planned it about 10 minutes before we left, so it wasn’t completely spontaneous. While bicycling on a scenic but not-quite-local road, we’d run across a sign…
Kid-Friendly Hikes in Grand Teton National Park!
One of the great things about taking children to Grand Teton National Park is that there’s so much kid-friendly hiking available! Some of it is short and sweet for little legs and others are longer for those of us who…
Joint Road Chesler Park West: Finish the Chesler Park Loop!
After you’ve enjoyed the spectacular views near Elephant Canyon, wandered among the spires of Chesler Park, and explored the further reaches of The Joint, it seems the Chesler Park Loop wouldn’t have much more to offer. However, at The Joint…
Paddling Irondequoit Creek – Ellison Park to Irondequoit Bay
Last fall, I had the opportunity to kayak down Irondequoit Creek. It was fun, not too hard (as creeks in the Rochester area go), and we got to see quite a bit of flora and fauna along the way. It’s…
Views of Rainbow Canyon from Father Crowley Vista
Father Crowley Vista, also known as Rainbow Canyon Overlook, is little more than a nice parking area and a couple of primitive restrooms on the Darwin Plateau between the western border of Death Valley National Park and the Panamint Valley. …