american west, california, Hiking, national parks, outdoors, photography, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

Yosemite Valley Nature Watching

With its diversity of habitats as well as biodiversity, Yosemite is a great place to view wildlife while being respectful of their natural surroundings. On this adventure, the Cranky Campers explored the meadows of Yosemite Valley and bird-watched while keeping an eye out for bears. The most common sighting: the opportunistic, plucky California ground squirrel.

american west, california, Camping, Hiking, Historical sites, national parks, outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

The Tioga Road

About 12 miles from Lee Vining on California 120, the Tioga Road connects U.S. 395 to Yosemite National Park. The road continues west into the park and gives access to many fun landmarks within the national park, including Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, Olmsted Point, and Tuolumne Grove.

american west, california, Camping, Hiking, Kids, national parks, outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, writing

Glacier Point

Glacier Point offers stunning views of Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley below. On this visit, we also took a hike at nearby Mono Meadows.

american west, california, Deserts, Dessert, Food, Hiking, Historical sites, Lunch, Museums, national parks, outdoors, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

Desert Vibes: Indio and Palm Springs

I love Indio as it is an easy two hour getaway from where we are down Interstate 10, and the World Mark Indio is a very nice resort. The kids love relaxing the lazy river or by the pool. There are also a myriad of places to explore in the vicinity of Indio and Palm Springs.

Beaches, Camping, Florida, national parks, outdoors, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

Biscayne Bay

Biscayne Bay is a spectacular body of water, it's bright blue-green waves extending from the shores of Miami down to the northernmost Florida Keys, covering approximately 428 square miles. This post visits Biscayne National Park and Key Biscayne.