american west, Camping, Family, Hiking, national parks, Travel, Uncategorized, writing

Old Pinnacles

Even with inclement weather presenting challenges for a President's Day camping trip, Pinnacles National Park offered up some new hiking adventures. In this post, the Cranky Camper highlights the lushness of the Bear Gulch and Rim trails, as well as a new hike along the Old Pinnacles trail.

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 National Park

This is the first post of our Death Valley series. The national park is the lowest, driest, and hottest area in the United States, and there are many opportunities for adventure throughout the park.

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.