Our last full day in Sequoia National Park was spent in the Sierra foothills, under blue skies and sun. Just a short walk from Potwisha Campground rushes the shallow but mighty Middle Fork Kaweah River. The area was once home to a small group of Potwisha Native Americans, their way of life forever engraved into …
We are in Sequoia National Park not just to see giant sequoias, but specifically to see the general. The General Sherman Tree is the world’s biggest tree; this single organism is 275 feet tall, has a 36 feet diameter at the base, and weighs an estimated 6,167 tons. Luckily our trip to the sequoias involved …
Our first day in the Sequoias began with a stop into the Giant Forest Museum where we gained knowledge about giant sequoias and sought refuge from a spring snowstorm. The museum is located inside the park’s original market. Built in 1928, it was designed by a well known architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who also designed …
Sequoia National Park is just a five hour drive from our home base in Oceanside. The park is home to the giant sequoia, the most massive trees on the planet. The Sequoia National Park sign at the Ash entrance was carved in 1935 out of a slab of fallen giant sequoia. It was meant to …
With the addition of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, the San Diego Zoo just got kid friendlier. The 3.2 acre area (built directly on top of the historic Children’s Zoo) was made possible by donors, who raised $88,000,000. Wildlife Explorers Basecamp isn’t just educational and fun, it is absolutely beautifully designed, using sustainable materials. That pretty much …
Alameda is a city within Alameda County, better known for its most populous city, Oakland. It is just a Park Street Bridge away from Oakland but it seems so much further. The bridge was built by workers of the Federal WPA program in 1935. Part of the celebration on opening day included a wedding of …
Lake Merritt is a tidal lagoon, connected to San Fransisco Bay, formed 10,000 years ago. It is also North America’s oldest wildlife refuge, established less than two decades after Oakland became a city. Our destination today was found alongside the lagoon where, within the Gardens at Lake Merritt (within Lakeside Park), a free, volunteer run …
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) was built in 1939 as a US Army Air Corps emergency landing field. Over the years, limited domestic passenger service was scheduled, more airlines offered flights, and more of these flights became nonstop and year round, including worldwide travel. Although I always check PSP before booking a flight, this is …
Knott’s Berry Farm is an amusement park with its roots in the dirt; it all started as a berry farm. Walter Knott’s berry farm didn’t become famous with his berries but with the fried chicken of Knott’s wife, Cordelia. People waited for hours in line for it, and so Walter created attractions to entertain Cordelia’s …
The San Elijo Ecological Preserve is one of the largest wetlands in San Diego County and it is conveniently located along both sides of interstate 5 in Solana Beach. The 1,000 acre reserve protects the land where Escondido and La Orilla creeks encounter the Pacific Ocean. The most popular hike in the preserve is Annie’s …
No matter the season, no matter the weather, we love the ocean side of Oceanside. Going to the “ocean side” from the farming ranchos inland started gaining popularity in the late 1800s. The name stuck, as did the popularity. Although sometimes you get lucky, and seem to have the ocean side to yourself.