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At Home in Homestead

Homestead is home to the Homestead Air Reserve Base, and located between two national parks, Biscayne to the east and Everglades to the west. In addition to access to these South Florida national parks, it is also gateway to the Florida Keys. That said, there are several attractions in this resilient city.

Camping, Florida, Hiking, Historical sites, national parks, outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

Later Gators: Long Pine Key and the Visitor Center

At the end of the summer, I revisited Everglades National Park. On this visit, the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center was now open, and I was able to spend some time watching a September Florida thunderstorm from the outside porch overlooking a manmade pond and the river of grass. I also revisited the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails and trekked over to the Long Pine Trail.

american west, california, Camping, dogs, Hiking, outdoors, Travel

Chasing Waterfall Hikes

There are many lovely waterfall hikes in the Angeles National Forest. This post features hikes from Chantry Flat in Big Santa Anita Canyon, Millard Falls, and Switzer Falls, as well as the popular Eaton Canyon waterfall.

american west, Deserts, Hiking, Historical 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, Dog, dogs, Family, health, Hiking, 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.