American West, California, Camping, Hiking, Historic Sites, Outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing

Hiking the Angeles: Inspiring Views at Inspiration Point

For a nice hike that offers up some challenging spots and good elevation gain but is also easily accessible from the Pasadena area, the Inspiration Point Interpretive Site is a great destination. This post routes the trail from Echo Mountain to Inspiration Point via the Castle Canyon Trail.

California, Camping, Dogs, Hiking, Travel, Uncategorized

Big Tujunga Hikes: Trail Canyon Falls

Trail Canyon Falls in Tujunga Canyon offers a mostly flat hiking adventure- until you get to a 40-foot drop to reach the base of the falls. Hikers repel down the series of ropes to reach the canyon floor.

American West, Deserts, Hiking, Historic Sites, History, Museums, National Parks, Outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized

Flagstaff Area National Monuments

A hike down memory lane, this post revisits our 2016 trip to Flagstaff. We visited the Flagstaff area national monuments: Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon.

California, Dogs, Family, Health, Hiking, Kids, Outdoors, pets, Safety, Travel, Writing

Great Workout Hikes: Van Tassel Trail

The Van Tassel Trail is a perfect trek for hikers training for more challenging hikes, as well as trail runners, cyclists, and folks who just want a strenuous hike for some good cardio. The trail follows the Van Tassel Motorway, a fire and maintenance road that climbs over 1700 feet in the first 2.7 miles of the trail.

American West, California, Camping, Hiking, Outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized

Hiking the Angeles: Mt. Islip

In the Angeles National Forest, we took the beautiful hike up to Mt. Islip and Windy Gap starting from Crystal Lake.