The Alabama Hills are like no where on earth, not even Alabama. But this makes since the area was not named after a place but a thing… a warship, the CSS Alabama. Today we walked Mobius Arch Loop Trail (I refrain from saying ‘hike’ since it is only 0.6 miles long). This trail couldn’t be …
Not too far from our campsite we explored what is known as the South Loop of Alabama Hills (south of Movie Road and Witney Portal Road). There are definitely less people in this area but still plenty of things to see and do. We found interesting rock formations, a creek with countless dragonflies and a …
The Alabama Hills are situated in Owens Valley at about 5,000 feet elevation. It is one of twelve wildflower hotspots in the Eastern Sierras. More information can be found on page six in this great wildflower guide to the area.
Camping in the Alabama Hills in popular. There is no worse time to look for a campsite in the Alabama Hills than a holiday weekend, which is unfortunately when I have time to camp. After a stressful hour or two of looking for a campsite in Movie Flat, racing other AWD cars from campsite to …
Rancho Guajome is a super well preserved 19th century hacienda. It is a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, yet it is almost always completely empty. I don’t think there is a better location nearby for a quiet picnic.
In 1845, Jose Maria Orozco, a customs agent, boarded a horse-drawn wagon and headed north from Old Town to what is now Valley Center. There he took claim to 13,298 acres of land, a gift from the Mexican Governor of California, Pio Pico, who had handed out 800 similar land grants to other friends and …
A grunion run is a grunion spawning event, when a thin silver fish species swims as far up onto shore as possible in order to reproduce. The females are the first to arrive on the sand, using their tail to dig a nest a few inches deep then depositing her eggs. There can be up …