The roads through Yellowstone National Park are closed to road traffic during winter except for two little sections. Today we took a drive on Gallatin Road which takes you through a northwestern portion of Yellowstone National Park. The day we arrived in West Yellowstone a semi-truck driver hit and killed thirteen bison and so there …
Parking on Boundary Street in town immediately guides you into Yellowstone National Park. The roads into the park are closed during winter unless you have a guided tour in a snow vehicle but anyone can access the park by foot. There was a break in the weather so Raya and I donned snowshoes and pulled …
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is a non-profit organization in West Yellowstone, Montana. It opened three decades ago and was accredited with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums a decade later. All of the bears at the Discovery Center were acquired after becoming nuisance bears or cubs of nuisance bears. The wolves are all …
There is no more appropriate name for a town known for its hot springs (albeit not very creative) than Lava Hot Springs. Lava Hot Springs are a system of geothermal mineral springs that have been popular for so long, it was a stop along the Oregon Trail. Because we are in a Subaru and not …
Tracy Aviary is the largest and oldest of only two free standing aviaries in the entire United States. Because it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as is the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert, we get half off the entrance cost. The beautifully maintained aviary and botanic garden has 135 bird …
The tradition on Temple Square Christmas lights dates back to 1965 when 15,000 people gathered to watch as 40,000 colorful Christmas lights became illuminated. Over the years it has grown to over a million Christmas lights. I think this year there are a little less due to the renovation of the gargantuan Salt Lake Temple. …
One of the best things about Salt Lake City is how family friendly it is. For more than 50 years Clark Planetarium has entertained and educated kids of all ages about space and science. The free 10,000 square foot three story interactive museum covers topics from inside to outside our solar system (so pretty much …
Beaver, Utah has a mere population of 3,500 but it has created quite a name for itself with the farm fresh Beaver dairy products sold at The Creamery. (Be prepared to stand in line.) We have been coming here since 2018 when this 11,250 square foot restaurant/ice cream shop/gift shop/play area/educational facility was built right …
The city of Yermo was established in 1902. In the 1950s, when Walter Knott opened Calico Ghost Town, Yermo’s Chamber of Commerce created a name for itself as the “Gateway to the Calicos”. It was also the gateway to Las Vegas. Until the 15 freeway was constructed in 1968, traffic went right through town. In …
King tides are a result of the moon, sun and earth aligning in combination with the proximity of the orbiting bodies (the closer they are, the more of a gravitational effect). It only happens a few times a year but is especially exciting because the extra low tides expose my favorite intertidal organisms to my …
We love this time of year, when the San Diego Zoo Safari Park stays open late, its grounds covered with holiday cheer for their annual Wild Holidays. This year is better than years past (maybe due to the 50th anniversary of the park). There are more lights than usual, more displays, and there are musicians …
Every year Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights is marked on our calendar when it is still beach weather. There is nothing better than seeing Christmas lights wrapped around masts reflected in Oceanside Harbor waters. People are singing, cheering, and playing music while proudly displaying their floating Christmas display. It is one of my favorite events …
The Nutcracker debuted in Russia in 1892. England was the first country outside of Russia to perform the iconic ballet, almost forty years after its premiere. It slowly began making its way across the globe, entertaining San Franciscans ten years later and New Yorkers ten years after that. It did not truly gain world wide …
Southern California winters don’t look too different from any other time of year so we have to go to events like Downtown Oceanside’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in order to evoke Christmas cheer. The tree lighting always lands on Thursday, an extension of Sunset Market, so for us it means starting at Stone Brewery, paired …