Last summer, I happened to be driving north along the coast of California (it’s a lot cooler than driving I-5, that’s for sure!) The day after our little adventure in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (the Ossagon Trail down to…
Paddling on the Intracoastal Waterway!
The Intracoastal Waterway (sometimes known as the ICW) is a well-known route for yachts and fishermen. But it’s also a great place to go paddling – kayaking or even canoeing. Birds roost in the marshes along the edge of the…
Point Arena Lighthouse Overlook
I’ll admit it, I didn’t pay to see the Point Arena Lighthouse. I’m sure it cool, but I didn’t feel like shelling out $25 (or $7.50/person) to drive in, walk around, maybe climb the tower, and leave. It wasn’t worth…
Solitude at Manchester Beach State Park
Manchester State Park, just north of Point Arena along the California Coast, is so deserted that it’s nearly been shut down – twice. But somehow it lives on, quiet and secluded, a beach with an overabundance of driftwood and excellent…
Cape Kiwanda: Sand Dunes & Rock Formations
It’s crowded, it’s dangerous, it was cloudy, and it’s about as touristy as the Oregon Coast gets. But somehow I totally enjoyed visiting Cape Kiwanda along the Tree Capes Scenic Loop off of US-101 south of Tillamook, OR. Maybe it’s…
Sunset on the Plymouth Jetty
One of my hiking companions has always wanted to walk the Plymouth Jetty. When he first visited Plymouth, MA some 45 years ago as a kid, he wanted to do it…but it didn’t pan out. A couple weeks ago, some…
Holden Beach: The Carolina’s Best Family Beach
We first started vacationing on the North Carolina coast in the mid-1980s, but it would be many years before we found a family friendly, southern-hospitality-flavored beach that we could really enjoy. So many of the beaches in both South Carolina…