So it’s not hard to get to, easy to miss, and maybe not even that impressive. But the I-80 High Point – also known as the Summit Rest Area or the Lincoln Rest Area at Exit 323 between Cheyenne and…
Exploring the Big Crack in Lava Beds
How about a little bit of adventuring? It’s awesome to follow trails, but every once in a while, it’s also really fun to adventure: no trail, no social trail, just a map and a willingness to venture into the unknown.…
An Evening at the Upper Geyser Basin
Last summer, the weather wasn’t working out so well at Mt. Hood, so we were looking for alternative places to visit on the trip home. A couple members of the group wanted to stop at Yellowstone National Park and see…
Cape Perpetua: Where the Volcanos Met the Ocean
If you’re going to visit just one beach in Oregon, I highly recommend it be Cape Perpetua. Why? Well, it’s already overrun, so one more visitor (or ten more visitors) won’t make much difference. Second, you get bragging rights to…
9 Terrific Day Hikes in the Wind Rivers
The Wind River Range of Wyoming is truly spectacular. Snow-capped peaks, jagged cirques, lovely meadows, alpine lakes, it’s a view junkie’s paradise. But day hikes of any reasonable length are hard to come by; the area is known as a…
High Bluff Overlook in Redwood National Park
While we’re on the topic of things hiding in the clouds and mist (last week I talked about hiking to Owl Point to see the clouds shifting around Mt. Hood), let’s visit a view I didn’t know existed until some…
Owl Point in the Clouds
Sometimes there are just those hikes that you really try to see, yet it just never quite works out. Supposedly, the views are great, the trail is fine, and you just can’t wait to see it for yourself. But every…
Enjoying the West Tetons Overlook
If you want to enjoy views of the western (non-tourist) side of the Teton Range, but aren’t thrilled about 8+ mile hikes, don’t despair. Although most hikes into the Jedidiah Smith Wilderness are long by dayhike standards (trails up Table…
Early Morning at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove
I’ve visited the Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwood National Park twice – once on my first visit to the pacific northwest, and the second time last summer. The most memorable part – the one several of us remembered, but…
Views of the Snowy Range at Libby Flats Observation Site
Our goal in visiting the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming was to hike the trail up to Medicine Bow Peak. That was an amazing hike, but looking for a place to eat breakfast early on the morning of the hike,…