american west, california, Deserts, Dessert, Food, Hiking, outdoors, safety, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

East Indio Hills Badlands

On a winter visit to Indio, we explored the East Indio Hills Badlands. The rocky formations were created by millennia of deposition, geologic uplift, and erosion, and today make a fun low-key adventure not far from desert resorts. In this post, I share our morning adventure, along with some safety considerations for desert hikes.

american west, breakfast, Brunch, california, Deserts, Family, Hiking, Historical sites, history, outdoors, safety, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

LA Weekends: Hey Hollywood!

The Cranky Campers celebrate the start of the summer solstice in true LA style. We attended the second night of Noah Kahan's "We'll All Be Here Forever" set at the Hollywood Bowl, then returned to Griffith Park to hike up to the famed Hollywood sign and visit the Batcave.

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

Death Valley: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

The fourth post in our Death Valley series explores the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Sand sledding and fun are permitted. As a bonus, the end of the post features a stop at Natural Bridge, an arch within Death Valley National Park not far from Badwater Basin.

american west, california, Camping, Deserts, national parks, outdoors, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, writing

Death Valley: Hitting New Lows

In the third post of our Death Valley series, we hit a new low at 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America: Badwater Basin.

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

Death Valley: A Galaxy Far, Far Away

If Golden Canyon looks a bit like they're out of a movie scene, it may be because it was used in the filming of "A New Hope." Formed by faulting and geologic uplift, Death Valley National Park has many scenic, other-worldly places to explore.