I’ve heard about the Blue Ridge Parkway most of my life, but I didn’t have a chance to really enjoy it until last summer when my aunt and uncle took several of us up to “The Parkway” for the afternoon. …
How to Camp in Death Valley – for Free!
There isn’t half enough camping in Death Valley National Park for all of the visitors. That’s frequent in the national parks. But unlike most national parks, which seem to just throw up their hands and say, “figure it out for…
Biking the Hemlock Lake North Trail
Did you know that there are trails along the shore of Hemlock Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York? The lake itself is popular with canoeists and kayakers because very few motorized boats are allowed on the water…
Devils Hole, Whirlpool, and Niagara Gorge Railroad Grade
One of my favorite hikes I did around New York State last fall was the Whirlpool Trail Whirlpool State Park (though it might as well be in Niagara Falls State Park given how close it is to the falls –…
Photographing Sunrise at the Alabama Hills
One of the great things about camping in the Alabama Hills is that you can get up early and see the sunrise from amongst the spires, rocks, and arches. Watching the first rays of sunlight hit Mt. Whitney and then…
Erie Canal: Meridian Center (Rochester) to San Souci Park (Brockport)
For Rochester locals, the Erie Canal Path is one of “the” places to go biking, running, and hiking. I even knew some kids who would hitch up their dog to a sled and go for a ride on the canal…
Biking the Catharine Valley Trail
One day at the library, I got out a book about hikes and rail trails in western New York State. There were quite a few great trails there (including many I’d hiked or biked before), but one that intrigued me…
Fun Hike to Indian Pass & Summit Rock
The last few weeks have been a fun whirl of work and adventures! We never left New York, but we hiked and biked and kayaked old and new trails and routes. One of the new routes was a somewhat random…
Fantastic Blue Ridge Views from Lover’s Leap
Last summer, I had the opportunity to drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway with some dear relatives. On the way up, we stopped by a viewpoint called “Lover’s Leap.” Per me, the views here were better than what we…
A Ramble Through the Alabama Hills
Last November, while I was visiting Death Valley National Park, I decided to take a trip over the mountains to check out the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. One of my favorite EPs from 2020 (actually late 2019, but who’s…