Yosemite National Park Winter Hiking In a previous post here, I went over a lot of the benefits of visiting Yosemite National Park in the winter, however I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that there are also some drawbacks. Some of those drawbacks being that some trails are closed, some roads are not accessible, and the quickly changing weather can make for dangerous conditions all around you! We ran into some of these drawbacks when hiking on…
Can’t stop…won’t stop…chasing those darn waterfalls! On any visit to Yosemite National Park this is a must see, fan favorite, very popular, crowded attraction. Don’t miss out on seeing Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in the park offering you an upper and lower waterfall to view. The falls reach a height of 2,425 ft. The best time to view Yosemite Falls is in the spring when most of the snow is melting. And get this….sometimes…in the summer,…
Welp, I think we can all agree that this view is rather beautiful. Yosemite National Park is one of those places that has beauty to offer visitors year round. But, one of the benefits of visiting the park in the winter is it being less populated…because well yeah it’s slightly freezing and the snow can make for difficult driving conditions. But that snow also makes for a magical fairytale setting where you can’t help but feel like you’re in a…
Hitting the trails at Limestone Canyon on access day. The Grand Canyon of Orange County Confession: When I’m back home it can be hard for me to get motivated to do new things. I don’t know why this is, I’m so good at adventuring when I’m out of my element. Maybe it’s cause I absolutely love the home I have built for my tiny family, or cause my bed is extra comfy, or maybe it’s the simple fact that I…
Cape Perpetua, in the Siuslaw National Forest was one of the most recommended spots, when I told people I was doing a coastal Oregon roadtrip. Here viewers have the pleasure of literally seeing nature at its best. You’re able to see multiple natural wonders in short walking distance. Including Cook’s Chasm, Spouting Horn, Devil’s Churn, and Thor’s Well. With names like that you know $h!+ is gonna be cray!!! You get a slight uneasy feeling in your gut when you’re…
I have been so impressed with the state park system here in Oregon. Everything is so easy to understand, so clean, and so beautiful. It’s an outstanding park system offering amazing experiences. The Heceta Head Lighthouse exceeded my expectations. I was not expecting to have park employees at the lighthouse ready to answer any question and take guests on guided tours. I also wasn’t expecting such an interactive tour and visit. We spent hours exploring the lighthouse and the grounds around it….
And all of a sudden I was in a desert…in Oregon?!? Approximately 40 miles of dunes to be exact. The largest coastal sand dunes in North America. We decided to do the John Dellenback Dunes trail, which is a pretty easy one-mile loop trail. When you reach the dunes you can run out and explore… then pick back up on the loop when your done making dunes angels! The hardest part of this hike is how much time you want…
On the way out of Gold Beach we hit up a local favorite Otter Point. There are two popular hiking trails located here..one takes you down to the beach while the other takes you out onto the rock formations above! It is rather easy to miss this amazing hike if you didn’t know it existed. When you’re leaving Gold Beach right after you pass over the Rogue River Bridge you want to take the road to the left which with…
Ahhh! So happy we’re actually officially on our Oregon adventure now. Exploring the Gold Beach and Brookings area. We are staying in the pet friendly cabins at Ireland’s Rustic Lodges. The cabins are just adorable. Comfortably fitting all four of us and we even have our own fireplace to keep us warm and cozy. The staff is extremely helpful and we only have to walk down a small path to be directly on the beach. After we ate breakfast at the…
Today I’m very much so regretting that I thought conditions weren’t bad enough for microspikes. I hike in California for goodness sake. I summit mountains that tower over the highest elevation in Ohio. I don’t need microspikes I told myself. I’m an avid hiker I said, this will be a walk in the park. I changed my mind quickly when I fell behind my hiking group because I could barely walk on the iced covered trail and they were just…