These trips all involve a hike.
A hike up Owl Canyon will take most people by surprise. After crossing the wide open spaces of the Mojave Desert near Barstow, one would not expect a canyon full of odd geologic formations and wild colors. Owl Canyon is located inside what is known as the Rainbow Basin Natural Area. This “Natural Area” is […]
With the creation of the new Sand to Snow National Monument on Feb 12, 2016, we decided to check out one of its access points near Yucca Valley, California. We choose to hike up Pipes Canyon near the tourist attraction of Pioneertown. This allowed us to enjoy an almost full day of hiking and the […]
Situated along one of Southern California’s most well-known highways is one of its least-known botanical gardens – Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont. Many people who travel on Route 66 don’t even notice the little sign that marks the entrance to this botanical garden that specializes in plants from its home state of California. […]
In central Utah there are several superb Native American rock art sites and the Rochester Panel is probably one of the most spectacular. While most rock art sites have a smattering of petroglyphs or pictographs, the Rochester Panel is a large concentration of petroglyphs of many different designs. You will leave the site scratching your […]
Located at the southeastern tip of Death Valley and just outside of the park boundary are the Salt Creek Hills. This small oasis offers an easy hike through the oasis to the old gold mines of Amargosa Spring and is a great place to stop, stretch your legs and enjoy the desert serenity for an […]
Located in the center of Death Valley, Salt Creek is a unique ecological area that is both caustic and sensitive. The caustic alkaline crust that covers everything here, coupled with the intense heat of Death Valley, would make anybody wonder how life can exist here and yet, it does. There are plants and even fish […]
The area around southwest Utah is packed-full of small volcanoes known as cinder cones. Hiking to the top of one of these cones can offer great views of the awesome scenery below. This virtual hiking tour will take you up one such cinder cone on the edge of Snow Canyon State Park, just ten miles […]
The Taylor Creek Trail that heads up into the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek, is located in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. It gives the hiker a sampling of what Zion is all about, along with a unique half-created double arch at the trail’s end. The Taylor Creek Trail is located in […]
We’re going to take you on a tour to a place called The Wave, which is a World Famous sandstone formation that everyone wants to visit. From our own personal experience, we’ll share with you what we saw and a lot of things we wish we had known about, before we went.
Snow Canyon State Park, situated next to St. George, Utah, offers a variety of colorful rock formations and the White Rocks Amphitheater is part of that collection. Many people think of southern Utah as the home of red rocks (which it is) so don’t let the name White Rocks keep you away. What it may […]
If you are visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and would like to experience something different, then we recommend visiting delightful Willis Creek Slot Canyon. When you go, you will see first hand how this small creek created a stunning geologic dreamland. Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon is easy. Of all the slot canyons that we’ve […]
In our opinion, the hike to Willow Hole, which is located in the Wonderland of Rocks region of Joshua Tree National Park, is one of the most rewarding hikes in the park. The trail passes through all of the scenery that Joshua Tree National Park is known for, not only the famous yucca that the […]
Of all the wonderful places to hike and visit in Zion National Park, only one destination offers a spectacular view looking down the length of Zion Canyon. That destination is Observation Point. Click image to watch Virtual Video Tour and see viewer comments. Then come back to get the rest of the story. Trip Specs […]