For a special birthday hike, Owen and his cranky campers take a local hike at the Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in the Montecito Heights area of Los Angeles. This short post features photos of Peanut Lake (Debs Pond) and vast LA views- along with a 'secret' hiker swing.
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.
The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve is part of the 2000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, which is a flood control basin turned recreation area. This reserve is a stop for many migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway and is a great place for bird-watching.
The Cranky Camper 