Death Valley
April 7-10, 2013
I spent three nights in Death Valley in April. I went alone and camped in my car. It was an amazing experience.
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| Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA |
I stayed in Panamint Springs. It rained a bit while I was there. The wind never stopped blowing, often gusting at 60+ mph. Wind howls even when it's got nothing to blow through, guaranteeing that the desert was never quiet while I was there.
The mountains and hills look like they were painted. I never expected to see so many different colors on what are essentially mounds of barren rock. I also didn't expect to see as much wildlife as I did. I saw all sorts of birds (including waterfowl), a number of lizards and even got up close to a coyote. Well, she got close to me.
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| Artists' Loop, Death Valley National Park, CA |
I ended the trip to Death Valley by driving up 395 to Lake Tahoe then crossing the Sierras on 50. What an amazing drive. The Sierra Mountains were on the left for the entire drive up 395. Imagine, for 200+ miles driving at the foot of a 10,000 to 15,000 foot granite wall with no visible breaks or passes through. I cannot imagine how disheartening that must have been to early settlers. Then again, the Eastern side of the Sierras didn't seem like a bad place to settle down.
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| Mono Lake, CA |
Redwood National Park and the Oregon Coast
November 19 & 20, 2012
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| Avenue of the Giants, CA |
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| Roosevelt Elk, Redwood National Park, CA |
I drove up Highway 101 and the Oregon coast on my way up for Thanksgiving last year. That's always a nice way to get there, but it was particularly interesting on that drive because it came in the middle of a big storm. The Oregon Coast is at its best in bad weather. I stayed in Crescent City overnight. It was one of the windiest nights I've ever experienced. I heard from the locals that a truck was blown onto its side while crossing a bridge. It's funny because my car is shaped like a toaster and I'd expect it to handle side winds poorly, but it actually does quite well.
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| Pistol River State Park, OR |
Point Reyes National Seashore
September 23, 2012 & May 19, 2013
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| Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
The California coastline is an exceptional place to see wildlife, with Point Reyes being one of the premier sites. Sea lions, black-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, elephant seals and various other birds and small mammals can be seen in abundance at Point Reyes. Taking the four and a half mile hike to the tip of Tomales Point will take one through the Tule Elk Preserve, where dozens of elk will likely be seen. These elk are accustomed to the presence of people, which allows for some fine photo ops.
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| Tule Elk Reserve, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
Big Sur
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| Pfeiffer Beach, CA |
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| Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA |
The Big Sur coasline is stunning. It has a small mountain range that disappears directly into the ocean. It was a waterfall in a protected cove that falls into the sea. It has a beach with purple sand. It has pelicans and sea otters and condors and giant coastal redwoods. Driving Highway 1 in Big Sur doesn't require a destination, it is the destination. I've been there a handful of times over the last year, and it never disappoints.
Just below Big Sur sits Hearst Castle. Driving down the coast to take one of the guided tours of the old estate makes for a great day trip.
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| Big Sur, CA |
Silver Falls State Park & Multnomah Falls
November 21 & 23, 2012
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| Silver Falls State Park, OR |
Silver Creek Falls may not have waterfalls that are particularly tall, but they make up for it in drama. The park has a nine mile hike called the Trail of Ten Falls, and I'll take this hike up against anything Yosemite has to offer when it comes to falling water. These aren't waterfalls to just look at, they're waterfalls one can actually feel. Parts of the trail lead behind a few of the bigger falls. I remember hiking there once in winter with my friend and his dad. We were in junior high, and ice covered the trail behind the falls. That didn't stop us from covering that section, mind you, but one slip was all it would have taken to send any one of us down. I was there in November after a huge storm and the water was running high. It rained during most of the hike, leaving me with the park pretty much to myself. What a great day that was.
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| Silver Falls State Park, OR |
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| Multnomah Falls, OR |
The day after Thanksgiving I went with Sam, my brother and his family up to Multnomah Falls on the Columbia Gorge. Multnomah Falls is one of the prettier waterfalls I've seen. It's about 600 feet tall, putting it on par with Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite in terms of height. They're different in every other way, though. Bridalveil is a jewel of the Yosemite Valley, one in a number of amazing sightes to be seen there. Multnomah Falls stands on its own, a destination unto itself. I'm not saying one is better than the other, mind you, I like 'em both, they're just different enough to make the comparison easy in my mind.
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| Silver Falls State Park, OR |
Silver Creek Falls may not have waterfalls that are particularly tall, but they make up for it in drama. The park has a nine mile hike called the Trail of Ten Falls, and I'll take this hike up against anything Yosemite has to offer when it comes to falling water. These aren't waterfalls to just look at, they're waterfalls one can actually feel. Parts of the trail lead behind a few of the bigger falls. I remember hiking there once in winter with my friend and his dad. We were in junior high, and ice covered the trail behind the falls. That didn't stop us from covering that section, mind you, but one slip was all it would have taken to send any one of us down. I was there in November after a huge storm and the water was running high. It rained during most of the hike, leaving me with the park pretty much to myself. What a great day that was.
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