There's a beautiful time of year, a few days, between the end of the semester and exams. All the grading is done, the exam is written and copied, and I don't have any work to do. I mean I still have work to do, I have to plan the next semester and I have to …
After arriving in Olympic very late and setting up my tent in the dark while a small mammal of unidentifiable variety scampered around startling me, I headed out to do a long stroll through the Hoh Rainforest. If I was an Ewok, this is where I would live. It was like the opposite of Texas, …
After San Francisco I camped for a night in Redwood National Park, and somehow I had decided that I could drive to Crater Lake for lunch and then make it to Olympic National Park in a reasonable time to camp. It wasn't until I was eating lunch and checked directions that I realized I wouldn't …
There is a hidden gem just North of Yosemite. None of the crowds, but all of the beauty of the Sierras: Emigrant Wilderness. When I left Yosemite National Park I drove to San Francisco to pick up Eric, my adventure buddy. If you can find a friend that you can go backpacking with, hold on …
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn" -John Muir Of one thing I am sure, John Muir …
Driving up to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, coming out of LA you drive up a huge mountain with no cover and beating sun. There are all these amazing signs about how to avoid your car overheating, radiator cool off stations, all the kinds of things you love to see when you're driving in …
Joshua Tree was supposed to be an overnight stop before I turned North to head up the coast. As I drove west from Saguaro National Park, the sun got higher and higher, the scenery got browner, route 10 got more shimmery and I watched the temperature tick up. 80....90...100.... I drove through the park, watching …
A little mid week cactus treat for you...I made a quick stop at Saguaro National Park on the way from Catalina State Park to Joshua Tree National Park. Just saw the sunrise, finished my starbucks, and drove off. I am rushing these posts a little bit, but its almost summer and I still haven''t finished …
Catalina State Park made me want to live in Tucson. It was beautiful, and in the morning I drove 3 minutes to a Starbucks for breakfast. I ran into people on the trails who were just taking their dogs for a walk because they live 5 minutes away. This was also my favorite photography of …
I don't have excessive thoughts about my second stop, White Sands National Monument. I believe I was there for 45 minutes. It was sandy. It was white. It was very pretty. It actually would have been nice to camp there and see sunset or sunrise, but I was just doing a stopover on my way.
