Sugarloaf Ridge State Park may be the only place where you can camp in a beautiful meadow, close to nice clean hot showers, visit a terrific public observatory, and then hike a trail with informative markers placed to scale to show you the relative distances of the planets from the Sun. Very cool. The Robert Ferguson Observatory is … Continue reading Hiking the Solar System at Sugarloaf Ridge
Serendipity Squared: Tomales Point in Bloom
Serendipity: “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for” according to Websters, which in our case meant deciding to hike the Tomales Point Trail and being unexpectedly overwhelmed with wildflowers! The trail is located in Point Reyes National Seashore. That national park is a treasure, filled with remarkable animals like a subspecies … Continue reading Serendipity Squared: Tomales Point in Bloom
Pinnacles National Park: Much More Than Just Condors
Pinnacles National Park offers a fascinating blend of rich wildlife and complex geology, presented on a background of spectacular scenery featuring 22 million year old volcanic formations.
Hiking in Henry, Camping at Coe
As in Henry Coe State Park, the largest state park in Northern California, covering over 87,000 acre, with a huge number of hiking trails and a varied terrain.
“All-electric is not going to work”: Says Who?
Says the President of the United States (whom I shall be referring to as the “#lyinglunatic” or simply, “the lunatic”) in reference to GM announcing in 2018 that they plan to launch 20 new all-electric vehicles by 2023. Here is what the #lyinglunatic said: “They’ve changed the whole model of General Motors. They’ve gone to … Continue reading “All-electric is not going to work”: Says Who?
Brin Mesa, Sedona’s Roof of the World
I chose this hike almost at random from a long list of many possible hikes in the Sedona area. It exceeded my expectations. Here’s how to do it... To reach Brin Mesa you can start from either the Jim Thompson Trailhead at the end of West Park Ridge Dr or the Soldier Pass Trailhead on Shadow … Continue reading Brin Mesa, Sedona’s Roof of the World
Sedona Hiking: Avoiding the Tour Jeeps at Chicken Point, Sort Of…
Sedona can be a frustrating scene of spectacular rock formations that are so popular it is impossible to enjoy them up close without being exposed to noisy crowds, droning helicopters overhead, and loud jeeps full of chattering people to whom the idea of walking a trail to reach a destination is apparently so novel that, … Continue reading Sedona Hiking: Avoiding the Tour Jeeps at Chicken Point, Sort Of…
The Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness: Hiking Long Canyon
Naming a publicly-accessible wilderness area a “secret” may add an unwarranted air of mystery but the name is otherwise accurate; there are mountains and plenty of red rocks! The Long Canyon trailhead is easy to find on Google Maps. There is a limited amount of parking, but this trail is not nearly as busy as … Continue reading The Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness: Hiking Long Canyon
Missing the Vortex, Maxing the Hiking in Sedona
Sedona is full of “energy vortex” absurdity and noisy off-road Jeep tours. But the hiking is free, and it is spectacular!
Ano Nuevo; Seals, Hiking, and Rain!
Ano Nuevo State Park is home to one of the largest mainland elephant seal rookeries in the world...
