Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the US, first protected in 1864 by President Lincoln. The park sits in the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California and extends across four counties. Most of the park is considered wilderness, but its wild beauty attracts millions of visitors a year, consistently placing it in the top ten most visited national parks.
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.
A follow up to our previous Henninger Flats post, this article features photos of spring wildflowers in bloom, along with safety tips for a good hike.
A nice hike at dusk, the Mt. Wilson Fire Road from the Pinecrest Gate takes us up a moderately strenuous hike to the Henninger Flats Campground, a nice spot for a snack and views of the San Gabriel Vallley below.
It doesn't happen too often, but sometimes there are malfunctions or other issues with intricate parade floats. As a result of the small fire on the Chinese American Heritage Foundation's entry and subsequent delay in the parade, news coverage cut before the Royal Cadet band and last three floats. This post features photos of South Pasadena’s ‘Three Little Birds’ and the 811 Underground Service Alert float.
The Cranky Camper 