Travels throughout the “Golden State.” While California earned its title in the 1848 gold rush, there is still plenty of metaphorical gold to be discovered through out this incredibly diverse state.
Morro Bay is a haven for sea otters. The shallow entry to the bay is near impassable to larger predators, creating an environment safe for these furry ocean dwellers and other aquatic life. It’s an ideal location for watching sea…
The California Coastline is awash in scenic draws. We could spend years exploring the state's coastal forests and delicate tidepools and constantly find new, remarkable places. That said, there is one park that regularly draws in, whenever we are in the area. Montaña de Oro State Park is located in Los Osos, south of Morro Bay and north of Pismo Beach and offers the full California coast experience: rugged rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and thriving local wildlife.
Explore Death Valley National Park's colorful hillsides along the 9-mile one-way Artists Drive.
Walk along the lowest elevation location in North America, 282-feet below sea level, at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park.
Manzanar National Historic Site preserves the spartan remnants of a WWII concentration camp that held Japanese Americans during the war near Bishop, California
Take in jaw-dropping vistas of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Pleasant Valley Pit's primitive campground just north of Bishop, California.
Bike the filming locations of How the West Was Won, Tremors, and Iron Man along Movie Road in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, California.
Explore old mines, reservoirs, and ghost towns along dirt roads and a network of OHV routes in the Foresthill OHV Trail System in the Tahoe National Forest.
After tearing through the American west, it is a relief to finally take a bit of time to relax in the Alabama Hills. Those familiar with the location are envious. Those who are not familiar probably question what a place called “Alabama Hills” is doing outside of the state of Alabama. But, I assure you, you are familiar with these hills, even if you didn’t already know it.
The Islay Creek Campground is a primitive wooded campground Montaña de Oro State Park, near Morro Bay, California. The grounds include 50 camp sites, some of which sit right next to the eponymous Islay Creek. Most enjoy some degree of shade from the surrounding oak trees. The camp grounds have a wide selection of unoccupied camp sites on the off-season weeknight that we visit.