Tag: forgotten america

california, Camping, Hiking, national parks, photography, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

thecrankycamper

Nestled in the Inyo National Forest not far from the California-Nevada border and the Eastern Sierras grow the ancient bristlecone pines. In the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, these Pinus longaeva trees grow in the harsh conditions, along with limber pines. The Great Basin bristlecones have stood the test of time and are some of the oldest trees on the planet, with many thought to date over 4000 years old, surviving for millennia in conditions most other plants can't. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is accessible via U.S. 395 to CA-168, with some narrow and slightly scary parts.

dinner, Family, Food, Lunch, midwest, Museums, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

The Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois

thecrankycamper

To celebrate the wedding of a good friend, we flew into the Quad Cities, an area straddling both Iowa and Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. The Quad Cities are made up of five ‘major’ cities: Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. There are interesting activities in each of the cities- from the John Deere Museum in Moline to Rich Island's arsenal and more.

american west, Camping, Family, Hiking, Kids, Museums, national parks, outdoors, photography, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

El Malpais National Monument

thecrankycamper

After four full days of visiting Ruidoso, New Mexico, we headed to Flagstaff, Arizona for the next leg of our Spring Break Southwest Roadtrip, stopping along the way in the scenic and geologically interesting El Malpais National Monument.

american west, Historical sites, Museums, outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

Historic Parks of Lincoln County, New Mexico

thecrankycamper

A day of exploring the parks around Ruidoso, New Mexico. We paid visits to Smokey Bear Historical Park and the historic Fort Stanton.