In eastern California near the border with Nevada, in the rain shadow of the Eastern Sierras and coastal ranges exists a land of superlatives. The hottest place on earth- with a recorded temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit back in 1913- as well as the driest and lowest place in North America is a geological wonder.… Continue reading Death Valley National Park
A fish swam into a concrete wall. Oh dam. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is located in the northwestern corner of Yosemite National Park and supplies drinking water to residents of the San Francisco Bay area. The reservoir is contained by the massive 430-foot O'Shaughnessy Dam, which was built in the 1920s along the main stem of… Continue reading Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
The Windows Arches National Park is an Utah icon, to the point where the Delicate Arch situated within the park is the inspiration for the artwork on the over 2 million license plates issued in the state. While Arches is the third most visited park among southern Utah's big five and ranks 17th in annual… Continue reading Arches National Park
Canyonlands, as its name suggests, is a literal land of canyons- carved out of sandstone and other rocks formed from eons of sedimentary deposition and geologic uplift that happened millions of years ago. The Colorado and Green Rivers meet here in a confluence on the Colorado Plateau, and those rivers have, over time created the… Continue reading Canyonlands National Park
Our national park adventure continued after a beautiful morning spent at Bear Gulch on the east side of Pinnacles National Park. As California 146 does not connect the two sides of the park, we drove out of the park and headed about an hour southwest toward Soledad. After a quick stop for fuel and a… Continue reading West Pinnacles
The Cranky Camper 