Travel & Adventure
-
My 2-Day Trip to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
For our wedding anniversary this year, my husband and I spent two days in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Two parks neither of us had ever been to and it was so much fun! Now two days isn't that much time, especially to explore two different (although connected parks), but I think we did a pretty good job of seeing a lot, and I want to share with you exactly what we did, in case you find yourself with only a few days to explore these amazing parks.
-
Mount Baldy’s Bear Canyon Made Me Emotional
Because I nearly broke my foot in May, I lost a fight with a 30lb dumbbell, and then spent the entire month of June trying to process the loss of my Tickle, when I set out to do the Bear Canyon Trail in Mount Baldy last month, I was breaking a two and a half month long no hiking streak.
-
Camping Tips: 3 Ways I’m Reducing My Waste This Summer
I'm new to camping. Very new to camping. I'm also new to consciously living more sustainably and making more sustainable life choices. And in fact, both my desire to actively change the way I live to save the planet and my desire to camp came about, at about the same time. But as I quickly learned, even though camping sounds like an eco-friendly vacation choice, if you aren't careful the waste produced from a camping trip can add up pretty quickly.
-
Murphy Ranch – Old Nazi Compound in the Santa Monica Mountains
Did you know there is an old Nazi sympathizer compound hidden away in the Santa Monica Mountains? (Or at least the start of what was to be a Nazi sympathizer compound.) Accessible via a moderately rated 3.4-mile hike in Rustic Canyon, Murphy's Ranch is a peek into some of the bizarre histories of LA.
-
I Finally Went Camping at Joshua Tree
It finally happened! While it took me nearly thirty years to make it out to Joshua Tree for the first time, two years after my initial visit I fulfilled my dream of camping under those big goofy whimsical trees. And it was as magical as I had imagined.
-
Get in the Spooky Mood with Norco’s Pumpkin Rock Hike
Halloween may be less than a week away, but if you live in Southern California and are looking for a unique way to celebrate this spooky season, the Pumpkin Rock Hike in Norco may be perfect for you! I’ve done this hike twice now since moving back to California, right around my first Halloween back, and once this past weekend. The hike is short, just around a mile round trip, and despite the incline (depending on the route you chose) and some loose rock/gravel, the hike is pretty doable by most people in relative shape. And this hike is for the most part family-friendly, as long as no one has…
-
Gould Mesa Road: Angeles Crest Hwy to Paul Little Picnic Site
According to my AllTrails recording this hike was 6 miles round trip and took us a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes, including our short break at the end waterfall. It was a weekday morning that we went and we did encounter a few hikers throughout the trail, but I wouldn't call it busy and for the most part people were polite and did have their masks on them.
-
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.
-
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…
-
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.