All that remains today is a poorly kept road, overgrown with trees, weeds, and graffiti. The contrast of this scene is nothing short of perfect social commentary: an abandoned site used by revelers looking to escape, in a site which less than 100 years ago saw so much despair and tragedy from which people could …
The Ancient Bristlecone Pines
For years I’ve driven Highway 395 to Mammoth –it has been a love affair for 30+ years. As you cross each town, Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine, Bishop you are met with signs for historical markers, off-road attractions…and Schatt’s Bakery (stopping here on the way to Mammoth is a tradition!). And for years I’ve seen …
Socially…and Geographically…Distant
2020 continues to demand quarantine and social distancing. Being clever, I headed to the Carrizo Plain National Monument (established 2001 and designated a National Historical Monument) a couple of hours outside of Los Angeles. All totaled, in the number of times I have visited, I may have run into 5 people at most. Therefore, spending …
The Los Angeles Aqueduct
A lot has been written about William Mulholland and the Los Angeles Aqueduct and we are all familiar with both the positive and negative effects of the man and the project. Regardless of which side of the argument you fall into, it can be said without doubt that Los Angeles would not be what it …
“Parks and Rec.” – Exploring Joshua Tree NPS
With the Coronavirus Stay-at-Home order lifted we decided to venture out of the house and into the great outdoors –thankfully, there are no shortage of sites in Southern California. As we hopped into the car the only question was “where do we go?” We headed east a couple of hours and opted for the Santa …
Evergreen Cemetery, a Walk With Our Past
On a lazy Saturday, with nothing to do and nowhere to be, we decided to take a trip to Evergreen Cemetery – the oldest nondenominational cemetery in Los Angeles (established in 1877)…and so much more. The cemetery is huge, 300,000 graves in 67 acres. It houses Los Angeles Pioneers, a memorial to (and the remains …
A Day at the Devil’s Punchbowl
I remember visiting “the Punchbowl” (The Devil’s Punchbowl) in the Antelope Valley when I was kid. On a lazy Sunday we headed out for a visit and a hike (plan on spending 2-3 hours exploring and hiking). Neither William or Charlotte could comprehend the nature of “the Punchbowl” -what it is, why it was there, …
Where are the Condors?
Always wanting adventure, this time we decided to go see the California Condors. Logically we headed to Los Padres National Forest and the Sespe Wilderness Area; the actual sanctuary is closed to the public, but the wilderness area is open for hiking. We entered Los Padres from Ojai and made a stop at the Wheeler Gorge (Ojai) Ranger Station. Soon …
Napa – Wine and Fun
For my 40th Birthday, Christine treated me to a spectacular weekend in Napa Valley during harvest season -a perfect confluence of wine and history. We stayed at the Wine Country Inn and Cottages in St. Helena. Specifically we stayed in a cottage with a balcony that opened into and overlooked a vineyard. The sight was …
Stuck in LA Traffic
In the suffocation of Los Angeles traffic, in the countless hours lost commuting to and from, as we move along at a snail space, I started looking out the window. Looking at what Los Angeles has become in the 30+ years I’ve lived here. As I drove, I decided to stop at two separate sites …
A Day In the Mojave Desert “Geologyzing”
Living in Los Angeles one can quickly forget the natural beauty that exists just outside of our city. Just “north” there are landscapes, formations, and a geologic historical record of California. One can say, figuratively and literally, that the state is molded by pressures and stresses; the results of which are nothing short of a …
Mammoth (Nothing More, Nothing Less)
Mammoth Lakes is not terribly far from Los Angeles (4 hour drive), but it feels worlds away. My folks joined us from Texas on this vacation; it was them that dragged us here for the first time (probably whining as we wondered why we could not stay home playing video games or watching TV) almost …
…And Up North We Go!!!
We finally scratched the itch and headed north to find more historical markers (…and enjoy some lovely scenery, picturesque sites, and great weather). Our intention was to view sites in Madera, Mariposa, and Toulounme counties…we ended up also in Calaveras and San Joaquin counties. In all we took out 48 sites as we continue to …
Santa Clara and San Mateo: Silicon Valley and Nature Preserves
It was once said that “the coldest winter ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” (my fact-checker let me know Mark Twain did not say this). With that very hope in mind, we decided to escape the heat this weekend and hit San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Sadly, there was no escape from …
Death Valley (with AC)
We spent four days meandering into and through Death Valley and it was a trip of lows and highs. Some of the lows: 68 degrees (Winterose at the Charcoal Kilns), 282 feet below sea level (Badwater), a flat tire coming down from Picacho Mines in Imperial County. Some of the highs: 117 degrees (Furnace Creek), …
A Windy Week and Many Streets
I spent a week in Chicago for work and in between meetings and conferences I had a chance to take in the sights –and there were a lot! Those sights are massive in dimension –be it Lake Michigan or any of the many (many) skyscrapers. I took the liberty of going on the “Wandella River Architecture …
Find a Desert and Get Lost
Over the long president’s day weekend we found ourselves in Anza –a place that captivated our imaginations the first time we visited. We stayed at La Casa del Zoro which was the best decision we could have made. It is centrally located, has plenty of restaurants, and the grounds are just splendid with much to do including …
Boston in 2 days: all you can eat, all you can walk…
Ended up in Boston on a business trip and had a few days to see the town. What I did not realize was how close together and “walk-able” everything is. In one day I managed to see all that I had initially put on my itinerary, which meant that I had to figure out a …