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.

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

Monrovia Canyon Park

On a quiet day, we visited a familiar local park to break up the doldrums of distance learning. Monrovia Canyon Park is a local park in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that offers miles of hiking trails, scenic views, and a popular waterfall.

American West, California, Hiking, History, Travel

Hiking the Angeles: Echo Mountain

Echo Mountain is a popular front range hike with easy access from Altadena. At 5.5 miles round trip with about a 1400 foot elevation gain, it is considered moderate. There are some cool ruins at the top, harkening back to the 'Golden Age of Hiking."