Santa Cruz Island is just about 23 miles off the coast of Ventura, California and accessible by boat. Island Packers is the National Park Service concessionaire who offers daily service to the islands. With the recent rainstorms in southern California, the Channel Islands are alive with waterfalls and blooming flowers. Hiking through the islands allows... Continue Reading →
The Death Valley Ubehebe Crater
Death Valley National Park's northern roads are much less travel these days since Scotty's Castle has been closed for the past couple of years (and will remain closed at least until 2019). The castle was closed due to severe mudslides during an intense rainstorm several years ago. There are still several features In northern Death... Continue Reading →
Keane Wonder Mine: Death Valley Golden Treasure
The Keane Wonder Mine at Death Valley National Park is open once again after a 10-year closure for safety concerns. Visitors are allowed to hike once again up this steep hillside to explore the mine ruins. The trail, which is approximately 2 miles long, is difficult to follow, due to the lack of use over... Continue Reading →
Death Valley National Park: Winter Camping
We are coming up on our annual winter trip to Death Valley National Park. This has been a destination for our family for several years. This year, I will post the highlights of our trip after returning home for all to enjoy and to help plan your trip to Death Valley. First, accommodations are sometimes... Continue Reading →
A Weekender in Cleveland
Cleveland offers a little bit of everything: scenic beauty, rock and roll, history, sports, and fine museums. I had the opportunity to travel to Cleveland for a three day weekender with my son, and we had the opportunity to see a lot in those three days. It was the first time there for both of... Continue Reading →
The Utah “Mighty Five”- Capitol Reef National Park
It may seem like a silly gimmick slogan, but the Utah "Mighty Five" national parks are some of the most spectacular places our family has ever visited. The parks include Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches. Our visits to the five Utah parks has been broken up overĀ a couple of trips. I... Continue Reading →