Mammoth Cave sits on the very edge of Dixie National Forest, just eight miles from the cabin we rented in Duck Creek Village. The cave is a lava tube, formed by flowing lava and cooling water just a few thousand years ago. Mammoth Cave is one of the largest lava tubes in Utah (the longest …
Snow Canyon State Park is not covered in snow. Now that that is out of the way, the 3,400 acre Utah State Park is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, which protects the desert tortoise and its habitat. Part of the park contains petrified orange Navajo sandstone (sand dunes that have been cemented into …
Calico Ghost Town is located just three miles off the 15 freeway and is the halfway point between Mesquite (our stop for the night) and Oceanside. This was all of our first times here and we didn’t know really what to expect. What a pleasant surprise! The old West mining town was founded in 1881 …
The San Luis Rey Bridge, which spans over the San Luis Rey River (and terminates right next to our house in Oceanside), was completed in 1925, open to the public in 1926. At that time, it was the largest bridge in the county. Just sixty years later, the bridge was too small and dangerous for …
Living in San Diego County there is no shortage of interesting things to do close by. Banker’s Hill (just west of Balboa Park) has several historic bridges that were calling our name today. The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge (just two blocks away from where I lived in college) was built in 1912. It is amazing …
Leo Carrillo Ranch is 27 acres of LC-branded walkways, artistic homes, and ranch structures. The walking paths are wide and lined with gigantic agave and overgrown cacti. Sixty years ago it was still a 1,700 first ranch/second home of Leo Carrillo, the actor and conservationist. The fact that any of this land remains is a …
Today is the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year). It is also the day that Jupiter and Saturn are so closely aligned that they appear like a single point of light in the sky. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (the planets closest approach) occurs every twenty years, although typically the conjunction isn’t so close. The …
Rancho Guajome Adobe checked all the boxes today; there is lots of space to run around, its close by, its free, and its not crowded. The fact that it is a California Historical Landmark and on the National Registrar of Historic Places is a nice bonus. The 19th century adobe is currently closed, but the …
Day 0.5 of 22.5 days off began observing the sea lions at Oceanside Harbor. I couldn’t help but notice that the kayak/paddle board launch platform was moved from the guest docks to the sea lion floating island, built years ago to give sea lions a special place to co-exist in the harbor with human sea-goers. …
The beach in front of North Coast Village Condos has been our go-to beach this year. There are always less people here than close to the pier (our previous go-to spot). There was supposed to be a big swell today (up to six feet waves) so we went to check it out. Upon our arrival, …
The Cerezo Bluffs tide pools are the closest thing we have to an aquarium close by. It is better than an aquarium in the sense that there is a hunt involved; which wonderful creatures will be found hidden in the intertidal zone today? Low tide time aligned with naptime, which left me with two hands …
We are much too dressed up to walk the tight, cattail lined trails of the Buena Vista Audubon in South Oceanside. But we are not too dressed up for family pictures. Having visited our local Audubon before, I knew we would have the trails to ourselves, giving us an opportunity to take a hundred pictures …
For the past few years we have really enjoyed Oceanside Harbor’s Parade of Lights. It was canceled this year, but there are plenty of boat owners in the harbor that haven’t lost their Christmas spirit, parade or no parade. I just love seeing sailboat rigging covered with Christmas lights. If I owned a boat, I …
Prince of Peace Abbey is a Benedictine Monastery, located in none other than my favorite city, Oceanside. It opened its doors in 1958, but I learned about this place just a few years ago, when I heard an interview on NPR with their bee keeper, Brother Blaise Hueke, who kept bees at the abbey for …
Every year at the beginning of December we patiently await the North Coast Village Christmas lights being strung up, because it starts to feel a lot more like Christmas in Oceanside. We were a little concerned the lights weren’t going to happen this year since the Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights was canceled, and downtown …