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I Finally Made it to Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree was one of my dad's favorite places, right along with the High Sierra and the Grand Teton. I grew up hearing him talk about this strange land in the desert, but despite it being only about two hours away from where I grew up I never had the pleasure of experiencing it with him.
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5 places you need to visit when you come to Oahu, and 2 you should skip
I am by no means a Hawaii expert, but I did live there for nearly three years and in those three years I would like to think I transitioned (somewhat) from a wide eyed tourist to someone who called Oahu home. During my time on the island I had the opportunity to try a lot of the "touristy" things Oahu has to offer. I also had the wonderful chance to find my own favorite places on the island. As family and friends of all different ages, with varying interests and desires for their Hawaii vacation came out to visit me I was able to see what they really enjoyed and…
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Camping at Davis Camp
Last summer I went camping for the first time and I loved it. Every time we stayed at Davis Camp in Bullhead City, Arizona and probably in part due to my deep connection to the river and part reasons I will never understand, it is now one of my absolute favorite places.
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Bryce in the Snow
My entire life I have had to spend a good amount of time in Utah. When I was younger it was to go see my grandpa. Then in 2014 my mom moved up there. Now my mom is back in California, but we still have her place to watch over. Lucky for me, thanks to all this, over the last couple years I have been lucky enough to explore several of the national parks in Utah. So far I've been to Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef. All of them are gorgeous in their own special way, but Bryce in the winter is by far my absolute favorite.
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Apple Picking Adventures
Fall is my favorite season, in theory. I love the changing leaves and the chill in the air. There is nothing I enjoy more than wrapping myself up in blanket on cool nights. I think I'm much cuter in sweaters, scarves, tights and boots, than in bikinis, shorts, and tank tops. And, I can start breaking out the eggnog (pumpkin spice can kiss my ass). But, I live in Southern California and that means my fall season is really more of a faux fall season. (Don't get me wrong its way more fall like here than it was in Hawaii, but compared to the majority of the country, it's barely…
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Bridge to Nowhere
Bridge to Nowhere is hands down my absolute favorite hike anywhere, ever, thus far in my life. It is an approximately 10 mile round trip hike up Azusa Canyon to a bridge that leads to literally nowhere. Along the route you have a couple deep water crossings which keeps the long hike up and back fun and interesting. And, despite being fairly long the terrain makes the hike more accessible then you might think to hikers of different skill levels, just be sure to give yourself enough time and pack in plenty of water and food.
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Hermit and Sturtevant Falls
One of the many trails that begin at Chantry Flats in the San Gabriel Mountains, Hermit Falls and Sturtevant Falls are individual hikes that can be tackled independently or together in a little over 5 miles long loop. Me and my hiking partners decided to tackle the loop.
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Switzer Falls
Switzer Falls is one of the most visually exciting hikes I have done here in Southern California thus far. At a little over 4 miles round trip, the trail travels up and down a narrow valley in the Angeles National Forest. At some parts of the trail you will see remnants of old roads, other parts you will be traveling casually along a stream, and the next moment you will be climbing up high above the trees. Although a tad strenuous this trail will keep you intrigued the entire way.
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Etiwanda Falls
Etiwanda Falls is a short, easy, miserably hot hike to a gorgeous waterfall in Rancho Cucamonga. At just around 3.5 miles (round trip) most hikers can reach the falls in under an hour. But I must warn you, it is a long, hot hour up a rocky un-shaded hill. According to AllTrails we completed the entire trail with a moving time of just under 90 minutes.
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Stairway to Heaven
One of the last hikes I attempted while on Oahu is also one of Oahu's most infamous and talked about hikes. It seems like everyone has heard of, or at least seen pictures of, Oahu's Stairway to Heaven (also known as the Haiku Stairs).
