Sami enjoys the views from the Bear Gulch Trail. California once was- and still is in some parts- a hotbed of volcanic activity. Combine that with faulting and years of weathering and erosion, and you get the amazing Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles is relatively new to the national park family. It was designated America's 59th… Continue reading Pinnacles National Park
We continued Owen's grand adventure this past weekend with a quick trip up to Yosemite National Park. This was Owen's first time to our favorite park, as well as his first time camping. Throughout the years of his outdoor adventures, he had never before done either of those activities, and we finally rectified that. We… Continue reading Bark Ranger Owen Reporting for Duty in Yosemite
Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center One of my absolute favorite places in the world is Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. It is less visited than the Valley but is a jewel along Highway 120. This alpine meadow at 8600 feet above sea level in the High Sierra is a place wide open and green, with… Continue reading Follow Me to Tuolumne
Just two weeks ago from time of writing, the girls and I were up in Yosemite while the boys were on their Sierra backpacking trip. It was the first visit for Sami and a second for Emily and myself. We spent two days at the park, and while a beautiful time, it wasn't nearly enough… Continue reading Yosemite National Park
It's probably difficult to imagine, but hundreds of millions of years ago, Arizona was a tropical rainforest, rich in greenery and trees. Over time, the geology of the earth shifted and changed, and the region eventually became the Arizona we know today. Over the course of that time, stream and river deposits formed the Chinle… Continue reading Petrified Forest National Park
The Cranky Camper 