Twelve years ago, we embarked on our first hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The trailhead was at 9,300 feet, and we immediately launched into a series of steep switchbacks—our goal a beautiful mountain lake several miles up the trail. We started off enthusiastically at a brisk stride but soon slowed to a snail’s pace. […]
Author Archive for Laurel (AKA chickadee) – Page 23
If there’s only one hike that you do in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California, make it this one. You’ll walk through forests of sweetly scented Ponderosa pines, boulder hop over rushing mountain creeks, cross meadows while gazing up at 13,000-foot mountain peaks, and meander past no less than seven glacial-carved lakes reflecting the […]
Night before: “I want to shoot Mono Lake at sunrise.” “No, you don’t.” “What do you mean? Of course, I do!” “I don’t think you really want to. It’s going to be below freezing in the morning.” “Yes, I do want to. I really do.” Next morning: “It’s 5:00! Time to get up!” “Uh-uh.” Burrow […]
A picture-postcard landscape of jagged granite mountain peaks, glacial lakes, and groves of golden aspen splashed among stately Ponderosa pines and junipers, the Sierra Nevada mountain range offers an escape into the wilderness that challenges the body and nourishes the spirit. This was sacred ground to John Muir, the philosophical environmentalist who mused: “Another glorious […]
We’ve traveled Highway 395 many times over the years. Prior to our full-timing adventure, we were always on the way to elsewhere, with only a couple of days to devote to this most enticing roadway. Although not as well known as Route 66, Highway 395 has its own unique claim to fame. In the 1930s, […]
Our visits home to Ashland are always bittersweet. It’s wonderful to be in familiar surroundings and to spend time with dear friends. But it’s also difficult to pack up and leave, yet again. This time, our visit was much too short, and mostly consumed with appointments and repairs—for ourselves; and for our truck, trailer, and […]
We looked forward to this festival for months. Nine months, to be exact. In early January, we bought tickets for the Sisters Folk Music Festival and reserved and paid for a prime RV site at the Creekside Campground, located in the heart of Sisters. We were committed. Some Things Are Worth Committing To Spontaneity is […]
Most people, when they think of Washington, envision lush green forests, laden with ferns and dripping with moss. That’s a pretty accurate image—if you’re talking about anything west of the Cascades. But cross the mountains, and you’ll find a dramatically different landscape of gently rolling hills and vast expanses of farmland, dotted here and there […]
For years, we’ve been trying to see whales. Orca whales, in particular. Several pods of these magnificent creatures make their home in the Salish Sea off of San Juan Island. It’s one of the best places in the world to see orcas. At Lime Kiln State Park (also known as “Whale Watch Park”), the conditions […]
I can’t tear myself away from Lopez without one more post celebrating the incredible natural beauty of the island. Although small, Lopez is blessed with an abundance of opportunities for outdoor adventures. We bike, hike, or kayak—or at the very least, take a long walk circumnavigating the beautiful spit—every day while we’re on the island. […]
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