Traveling six to sixteen kilometers with a twenty kilogram backpack on a wilderness hike like the West Coast Trail demands a good level of fitness. What is the best way to prepare? Just how fit do I need to be? When should I start preparing? These are pertinent questions for anyone who is planning on …
Tag: North America
Jun 04 2022
Adventures in Los Angeles: Hiking at Bear Creek
Bear Creek is one of my favorite spots in San Gabriel Canyon. There are two trails, Lower Bear Creek Trail and Upper Bear Creek Trail. As of the fall of 2006, the Upper Bear Creek Trail was still closed for major reconstruction. I hiked this trail twice in the spring of 2006, and once in …
Jun 03 2022
Adventure in the Grand Canyon: Rim to River to Rim Hike
Usually when I drive between California and Minnesota, I am on a tight schedule and don’t have any time for sightseeing. I normally make the trip in two long days, with an overnight stop in Denver to see my son. However this time I had about 10 days to make the trip from Minnesota to …
May 31 2022
Big Sur Beaches Have Character
What does it mean for a beach to have character? To me, it means the beach has more to offer than just a long stretch of white sand. It has interesting things to see and do, like driftwood that may have traveled from across the sea, tide pools teeming with squiggly life, granite outcrops that …
Mar 27 2022
Dream Trek: Siskiyou Wilderness 5-Day Inn-to-Inn Hike
Imagine a 5-day guided hiking trip through one of the most biologically diverse mountain ranges in the United States. This multi-day trail hike through the Rogue River-Siskiyou mountain range is so unique that it is scheduled just once in May of 2008. While on the 40-mile trail trek, hikers will literally “walk through” incredibly diverse …
Mar 20 2022
An Adventure of Geological Wonder and Desert Splendor: The Tom’s Thumb Trail Hike, Arizona
Clement winters filled with bright, sunny days are what make Phoenix, Arizona, one of the most attractive places to visit in the world with the beautiful months of January and February the peak of its infamous “snow bird season”! Though its temperate winter climate remains the primary draw for many winter visitors who come from …
Jun 07 2021
7 Best Whale Watching Spots in NorCal
Is there anything more exciting than seeing a pod of 50 foot, 30 ton Gray Whales spy-hop, or roll their backs along the surface of the Pacific Ocean to take a breath of air? Especially when they’re just offshore! Between December and April every year the Pacific Gray Whales participate in their own version of …
May 16 2021
Route 66: A Window Into America
Who hasn’t heard of the song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66”? But how much do most people know about it, and how many people have actually been lucky enough to drive it? Beginning at Grant Park in Chicago, and ending at the Santa Monica Pier in California, Route 66 has been winding its way …