Episode 16 of the current series of Kīlauea’s eruptions was a sight to be seen. The eruption was at Halemaʻumaʻu crater within the summit caldera. The lava fountains reached heights of 600 to 700 feet. Hazards included volcanic gas emissions, windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) and tephra, so keeping the visit short and sweet was key. …
Some people say that timing is everything. This couldn’t be more true regarding visiting the tide pools. The lower the tide the more time you have to explore. The highlight today, besides all of the amazing colors, was the octopus. I wish we could find them every time, since you know they are there, watching …
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park is an 8,000 acre preserve in Orange County. They offer pristine hiking trails, perfectly maintained campsites, a nicely designed nature center, a playground with metal slides, and organized star parties. It costs just three dollars per car to enter the park. Since this is our first visit we started at …
Houses of Refuge were designed to offer sailors and travelers a place of refuge after becoming shipwrecked, not having to succumb to the elements of nature after finding land but no food or water. Houses of Refuge were ran by the United States Lifesaving Service during a time when the world was dependent on sailing …
As we wrap up our Oregon adventures and pack up to head down south we had to spend one last day on a lake since lake opportunities near us are so limited. Detroit Lake is a reservoir, built over a road bed of the former Oregon Pacific Railroad. It makes you wonder what treasures are …
Henry Hagg Lake is a 1,113 acre reservoir in Gaston, less than an hour in our all-you-can-pick berry farmHubbard Airbnb. It is one of the largest lakes on the western side of Oregon, the and an ideal place to spend the day paddle boarding and fishing. We didn’t catch anything besides solar rays but I …
Pope-Baldwin bike trail is a 7.2 mile paved trail that runs along the south side of Lake Tahoe, over streams and amongst pine trees, firs, and snow plants. There are some lake access points from the trail, which we took advantage of. There is nothing like biking around Lake Tahoe, breathing in all of that …
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of the Inyo National Forest is home to the oldest trees on the planet. The oldest tree thought to grow here, Methuselah, has been determined through core samples to be over 4,789 years old. Bristlecone Pine trees have the ability to survive very harsh environments, high …
A favorite place of ours to stop as we head north from the 5 to the 395 is Red Rock Canyon State Park. It is located at the southern most tip of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, where it meets the El Paso Mountain Range of the Mojave Desert. Usually we pull off on the …
We are so lucky to live so close to an amazing national park. Desert organisms are incredible because of their resiliency, being able to survive with such little water throughout the year falling in the park, yet their DNA is packed with the genes to make themselves so beautiful. The morning was spent exploring the …
Jumbo Rocks is not an easy place to book a campsite at since it is the most popular campground in Joshua Tree. I lucked out and there was a cancelation that I was able to nab before anyone else (that was attempt three at trying to be the first to book after a cancelation). We …
The Kumiai have been been coming to Jacumba for a soak in the mineral spas long before colonization. In 1919, it became a stop along with train route, allowing anyone easy to access to the mineral water. It was a popular destination for movie stars and celebrities alike until more mineral springs opened up closer …
The southern end of Joshua Tree National Park offers hikes without all of the crowds, especially when you venture off trail. We started on the Lost Palms Oasis trail but quickly created our own, eventually walking in the wash to another palm oasis. We are so lucky to have this national park so close to …
The Alamo is the fifth mission in the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site complex. It is located right off what is now the river walk, but in 1836 during the Battle of the Alamo that killed Davy Crockett I am sure it wasn’t so stroll friendly. For the Alamo being so famous it sure …
Austin is the state capitol of Texas. Downtown is famous for its music scene, BBQ, and its city skyline. We got a little glimpse of it all after flying into the airport for the 2024 total solar eclipse. I could see spending more time here in the future but we will take what we can …