On our recent visit to Yosemite, there were a few “must do” hikes on my list along the Tioga Road, namely, Cloud’s Rest and North Dome. Actually, the dome didn’t interest me as much as a photo I had seen…
9 Best Day Hikes in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is definitely unique – sea stacks and tide pools give way to temperate rain forests, which melt into alpine valleys and steep-sided mountains. This is perfect environment for seaside strolls, forest hikes, waterfalls, and high-alpine hiking in…
Hiking Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument
If there is a more beautiful place on the California coast than Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument, I can’t imagine what it would look like. The trail through Point Arena-Stornetta takes day hikers through clifftop meadows of waving grasses and wildflowers…
Hiking a Misty Mazama Trail to McNeil Point
The weather really can make or break a trip or a hike. Last year, visiting Mt. Hood, the weather went from socked in to quite cloudy, to totally cloudy and misty and rainy. The last day we decided to do…
Hiking the Virginia Lakes to K19 Viewpoint
The Virginia Lakes! They are beautiful, especially early in the season when they are surrounded by snow. But at any time of the summer or fall they are a destination well worth visiting – near enough to Yosemite National Park…
Sneak Peak: A California Trip through Desert and Snow
Well, I just got back from a fantastic trip to California! We saw the desert, and we saw snow (lots of snow!), not to mention some truly fabulous views of mountains, cliffs, slot canyons, salt flats, and the beautiful NorCal…
Hiking the Clatsop Loop in Ecola State Park
The Clatsop Loop Trail in Ecola State Park, Oregon, is certainly a trail of diversity. Starting out are views of surfers on the nearby beach, with sea stacks a short distance away. Then the hike winds upward through a true…
Afternoon at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Oregon has its fair share of lovely beachy stuff – cliffs, sand, rock formations, tide pools, impressive tides, sea stacks, and so much more. It even has lighthouses. One that caught our attention – mostly because we took a hike…
10 Best Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain is one of those parks famous for its peaks. Now, I think there are better mountain views in Colorado, but for a classic experience, Rocky Mountain is certainly a good one (especially considering how convenient it is to…
Visiting Redwood’s WWII-era Klamath River Radar Station
Back in 1999, on my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, we stopped in Redwood National Park. In general, I was a bit disappointed with the park overall, but one part of the park left a lasting impression on me. …