In all its moods, in all its seasons, Half Dome remains as young as it was ten thousand years ago. It never seems to age, unlike the rest of us ordinary mortals who gaze in open-eyed wonder at its grandeur and beauty. There are many ways to admire this most sublime of creations. One of the best is from the top of North Dome, a smaller sister dome on the rim of Yosemite Valley that provides a spectacular vantage point for Half Dome and other … [Read more...]
John Muir Slept Here
The best place to walk in the footsteps of John Muir is Yosemite National Park, where the famed naturalist and conservationist hiked and climbed granite domes, lovingly surveyed plants and animals, studied with rapt eyes “cloud mountains” in the sky, and developed his passion for wild spaces. Another place that evokes feelings for one of the visionary creators of our national park system is his old home in Martinez, California, about an hour … [Read more...]
How to Survive a Trip to the Top of Yosemite’s Half Dome
The plastic water bottle skidded off the granite and disappeared. It wasn’t the sound the bottle made that disturbed me. It was the silence that followed its rapid disappearance. Along with twenty to twenty-five other people I was perched on the east face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, the world-famous granite slab that John Muir called “the most beautiful and most sublime of all the wonderful Yosemite rocks.” We were climbing the … [Read more...]
Visit Stockton, CA launches bold new marketing initiative
Stockton, California—Visit Stockton, the destination marketing organization for Stockton, California, has launched a bold and defiant brand campaign for the city and surrounding region. Themed #StocktonTrue, the campaign owns the city's adversity and lets people know, despite the negative perception of the city, Stockton is on the rise. Located along the California Delta, Stockton enjoys refreshing delta breezes, a vibrant waterfront, a rich … [Read more...]
Four Seasons in Two Days at Yosemite
This was our first time in Yosemite. And we were told that Spring is an ideal time to visit - with the mighty waterfalls filled to the brim by the melting snow and the abundance of wildlife this time of year. We assumed the days would be filled with sunshine (warm at lower elevations) but cooler at higher elevations with the the tops of the mountains still covered with snow. However we soon discovered that the weather this time of year in … [Read more...]
A Guide To California’s Top Natural Beauty Spots
California is pretty amazingly beautiful, so selecting the top 5 spots was pretty tough, but in the name of being succinct that's what I have done for this post. So here are my favourite few places in California - must see spots for any nature lover. 1. Redwood National Park I just love forests, so this was always going to be on my list. The national park is mostly made of dense forest and beautiful (and huge) redwood trees which are sure to … [Read more...]
The Dry Tortugas Are Far Out, All Right—in So Many Ways
A conch, a parrot and a rooster walk into a bar. You don’t need a map to follow that joke: you know you’re in the Florida Keys. The Keys are one of the few places in the US where you might think, “What country am I in?” But wherever you are in the Keys, it’s all good—I’ve never been in an area that has more of a smiling “what the hell, why not?” attitude. It’s on a place’s edges where you see the more unusual sights, and for the southern … [Read more...]
The New American Road Trip MixTape
The New American Road Trip Mixtape by Brendan Leonard Brendan Leonard lives in a van. Even though Brendan has never left the United States, the brave native Iowan has climbed most of the big peaks in the Western United States, including those at the Rockies, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Canyonlands, Sawtooths, and elsewhere, and has written about his adventures for Climbing, Backpacker, Men’s Journal, Adventure Journal, Dirtbag Diaries, and … [Read more...]
Traveling in the North Country Fair… Part 1 Adirondacks & Catskills
Part 1 Even though few therapists would agree, sometimes neglect paths to the best possible outcome. Such is the case with the Adirondacks, whose fierce geography, unproductive soil, and hard weather diverted early American settlers to more benign plots. As a result, a state of raw wilderness maintained into the 19th century. Some credit the turning point to William H. H. Murray’s book, Adventures in the Wilderness, extolling the freshness … [Read more...]
Oakland Museum of California continues Transformation
Natural History and Ecology of Mount Shasta to be Featured as One of Seven Significant Areas of Focus OMCA Celebrates Multilayered Story of Californias Natural World, Giving Voice to Range of Perspectives and Fostering Dialogue and Discovery Opening May 31, 2013, OMCAs Reinstalled Gallery of California Natural Sciences Showcases California As One of the Worlds Top Biodiversity Hotspots (Oakland, CA)The Oakland Museum of … [Read more...]
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