Carrizo Plain National Monument is fairly new as national monuments go. The park was established in 2001 from land in Southern California that had been a part of the Carrizo Plain Natural Area. When I visited the monument a couple…
‘Round the Rim of Crater Lake
I often write about trails that can be hiked in various parks. However, this week I’d like to take you on a driving tour of Crater Lake—you don’t have to even get out of your vehicle! You’ll enjoy it more…
Straddle the Headwaters of the Mississippi!
What’s your mental image of the Mississippi River? If it’s a huge river filled with paddle boats playing Jazz music, it’s probably similar to most American’s thoughts on the Mighty Mississippi. However, at the headwaters, the “mighty” river is anything…
Highlands of Colorado: The Causeway
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like the Flattops Wilderness in northern Colorado. Ever. This pristine wilderness has some of the most grand views I’ve seen, and the top-of-the-world feeling is simply out of this world. I can…
On to Ingalls Pass!
The Teanaway region of Washington is beautiful (I think I said that in another post, but I’ll say it again here because it’s true…it’s lovely!). However, almost any region has its trails that are really hyped up, but actually don’t…
Yosemite’s Bridal Veil Falls
This week, I’d like to touch on a hike that isn’t very long. In fact, it’s only half a mile round trip! And, the trail is paved! Still, even though it’s a short walk, it is well worth it to…
Reynolds Mountain: Too Pretty for Words
One of the things I’ve realized about Glacier National Park is that they don’t tell you about all of the trails that are out there. You look at the literature they give you, and there’s a lot of hiking, mostly…
Campgrounds at Badlands – Sage Creek Campground
If you’ve ever read the Ideas on Free Camping page of my website, you know that I much prefer free campgrounds to campgrounds that charge a fee. Part of this is due to the size of my group (many campgrounds…
The Craters in Craters of the Moon: Big Crater Trail
I’ve been to Craters of the Moon National Monument several times, and it’s got to be one of the best volcanic areas in the US. For miles, it seems, there is nothing but cinder cones and lava fields. And the…
The Summer Blossoms, Pt. 2
Ok, so we finally did find the Summer Blossom Trail…it took us a while, but we finally did find it! After finishing up the Summit Trail hike the day before, we continued down the road for another two miles and…