Outdoors
I have a mix of fear and respect for volcanoes. They are imposing, difficult to climb, and can erupt with little warning. However, when my husband and I visited New Zealand, our friends strongly recommended …
The 360° vista from Mount San Jacinto's 10,834-foot summit is breathtaking: Southern California’s parched land hopscotches sprawling metropolis in every direction. Palm Springs spreads like a patchwork quilt in the east. Riverside and San Bernardino …
Stressed? “Take a big long deep breath in, and then slowly exhale out,” according to my yoga teacher. But for those of us who rush through life in a hyper-busy routine, there’s no time to …
Until this year, the only part of Arizona I had ever seen was my grandparents’ retirement abode near Camelback Mountain. I remembered that people would emerge in the cool of the night with headlamps to …
I opened my eyes and peeled my head from the pillow, waking to a lush wilderness of massive maples and juniper pines. “The city” was a mere 220 miles away, but the silence and serenity …
A vertical sign written out in white seashells stated we had reached the dive shop destination. It was with some reluctance that I shuffled up to the two-story weatherbeaten building. My last resort dive had …
I recently had a nice, cool day off for a leisurely and minimally hilly bike ride that doesn't involve the super-flat Mission Bay or San Diego Bay. Where else to go but to follow the …
Initially I was petrified at the thought of being in a body of water with alligators, but then I realized I didn’t sign up for this kayak trip to see birds. If you’ve spent much …
A few friends and I went riding East County's Great Western Loop on a clear November morning. The GWL is a popular rural cycling route along Willow Glen, Dehesa, Japatul, Lyons Valley Roads and Jamul …
Just when SoCal skiers and snowboarders thought winter would never come, the Pineapple Express has opened up and is dumping tons of snow on Mammoth and June Mountain. The weather phenomenon picks up moisture-laden air …
Being a little nontraditional when it comes to Thanksgiving (I hate turkey and brown food, and avoid it like the plague), we were thrilled when our friends, who feel the same about Thanksgiving, invited us …