Less than 15 miles from San Francisco is the beautiful Muir Woods National Monument. Walking among giant coast redwoods, you get a taste of what it must be like to be an ant crawling among …
September 22, 2009
United States
Muir Woods National Monument, California
Pit Stop in Avenal, California
On a quest for a better alternative to fast food and gas station cafes, and armed with a curiosity for old California towns, I came across the small city of Avenal during a recent road …
September 17, 2009
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Once an exclusive getaway for America’s elite, Jekyll Island was purchased for public use in 1947 by the state of Georgia. Sixty-five percent of the island will never be developed. Jekyll is the smallest of …
Arches National Park, Utah
Arches National Park rises out of the vast Utah desert almost without warning. Comprising 120 square miles of red sandstone cliffs, spires and canyons, the park feels like the ruins of an ancient city. Its …
September 17, 2009
Space, Death, and Memory: My Summer Vacation in Quartzsite
Past the Coachella Valley, where the desert floor pushes the mountains out of sight, my grandfather levitates above a steamy I-10, alternately stiff-arming the grill and checking the coolant level of my eastbound station wagon. …
September 10, 2009
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Known for its year-round festivals, Lake Charles is located in the heart of Cajun Country, a few miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. Amidst swamps, rivers, bayous and marshes, Lake Charles boasts a number …
September 10, 2009
Charmlee Wilderness Park
Charmlee Wilderness Park (a.k.a. Charmlee Natural Area), 590 acres of meadow, oak woodland, sage scrub, and chaparral, was first opened to the public in 1981 as a unit of the Los Angeles County park system. …
September 9, 2009
Stunning Zion National Park
Zion National Park doesn’t get its name from one of its Mormon settlers of the late 1850s, but rather from the Old Testament, which refers to Zion as “a place of refuge.” This Mormon community …
September 4, 2009
The Garden Song in Elkhorn, California
Visiting the Garden Song in Elkhorn, California, halfway between Monterey and Santa Cruz, is like meandering through a five-acre hidden treasure. Dahlias in every imaginable color burst forth like the grand finale of a Fourth …
September 3, 2009
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
We arrived at the Valley of Fire’s south rim late morning. An hour northeast of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, the terrain turned abruptly into deep red sandstone hills. This red rock beauty is …
Central Texan BBQ, Castroville, California
I’ve heard Central Texan BBQ restaurant, 10500 Merritt Street, Castroville, referred to as a “vegetarian’s nightmare.” If you do have any carnivorous tendencies, they serve the best smoked turkey and brisket I’ve ever had. Meats …
August 28, 2009
Montana's Glacier National Park
I met a national park ranger who had been traveling the States the past two years, national park to national park. I jumped on the opportunity. “So what is your favorite park so far?” No …
August 28, 2009
Mission San Juan Bautista, California
Strolling through the historic town of San Juan Bautista, nestled at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains, I feel like I’m walking through the pages of a history book. Adobe structures dating to the 1700s …
August 27, 2009
The Butterfly House, Pacific Grove
The first time I wandered past 309 9th Street in Pacific Grove, I felt like a child who had stumbled onto a magical enchanted wonderland in an otherwise typical residential neighborhood. A kaleidoscope of vivid …
August 25, 2009
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
Even if you can’t surf, you can catch a wave at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, 701 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 467 miles north of San Diego. The museum overlooks famed surfing hotspot Steamer …
August 22, 2009