Los Angeles from Horseback

August 27, 2009

Another great Sunday newspaper article I also found on line is an Associated Press article by Solange Reyner called Seeing the City of Angels on Horseback. Here are photos of the horses. More info is available at Griffth Park Horse Rentals Trail Rides details and Frequently Asked Questions at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.


Ice Skating at High Camp, Squaw Valley USA

August 26, 2009

Feel like going ice skating, now, at the end of August – not at the North Pole? You can at High Camp at Squaw Valley USA. Maggie O’Neill at the Reno Gazette-Journal shared the highlights in her Aug 23rd, 2009 article.


Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe and More

August 20, 2009

Summer days at the lake were always memorable! The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has two articles about lakes: Lake Tahoe – where Sand Harbor is the place to swim – and then the Top 10 Lakeside Camps – the on-line article has 15, including the best photo ops, sunsets, fun, small town feel, and four-star food!


National Parks of the West

August 19, 2009

The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has a great article by Peter Fish and photographed by Ian Shive on National Parks With Amazing Views: Grand Teton National Park, Yosemite National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It has an on-line link to an interactive page with lots of information on Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Zion National Park. Watch the video of Sunset editor-in-chief Katie Tamony interviewing Ken Burns, who is the filmmaker of “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” – PBS will show it on September 27. The other videos are also very good. There are suggestions, photos and a map where you click on the park for even more info on activities, accommodations, campgrounds, and “top wow spots” from Sunset. I found it quite awesome!


Mt Rose Scenic Byway

July 30, 2009

Here is a great little pamphlet on the Mt Rose Scenic Byway. It is on the Washoe County (NV) website. There are great trails (and wildflowers in the spring).


Gardening with Kids

July 20, 2009

One major activity I looked forward to with my Grandma was working in her wonderful gardens. She taught me how to plant seeds and take care of the seedlings. She taught me how to thin out and transplant the little plants. She taught me to know the difference between weeds and flowers. She taught me how to recognize a vegetable plant by its leaves. I learned patience in harvesting at the right moment. I learned joy in arranging flowers in vases. Gardening was definitely an every day activity to her that was magical to me.

www.grandparents.com’s article is a how-to to provide the same experience to your kids and grandkids.

Dry Creek Garden in Reno, NV has some fun ideas for different gardens for the children to plan.

The Colorado Master Gardeners website also has great information.

The University of Illinois Extension has a guide as well.


Bolsa Chica Wetlands Tour

July 17, 2009

Bolsa Chica Land Trust offers free tours for the public at the Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve on the third Sunday of the month from 10 till noon. Meet at the parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway across from the entrance to the Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, CA. Call 74-846-1001 for more info or click the link here.


Leave No Trace

July 11, 2009

In today’s Reno Gazette-Journal there is a great article by Maggie O’Neill called A Hike With A View. In it she relates her experience with meeting the author (Mike White) of the guide book she was using (Afoot & Afield: Reno-Tahoe). The one take-away I get from the article is how ordinary people need to follow the “Leave No Trace” mantra when enjoying the outdoors. With the cutbacks in staffing at the U.S. Forest Service, the limited maintenance on the Jones Creek-White’s Creek Loop is even less. The Nevada All-State Trail Riders have done on-going trail maintenance for years. Kudos to them! But the public needs to stay aware and pick-up after themselves (leave no trace that you’ve been there!) so that we all can enjoy the parks and outdoors for many more generations.


Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky

July 6, 2009

I haven’t had a non-western blog in a while. A very long time ago we visited the awesome Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, Kentucky. It is a totally fun spot for the family to explore.

There are the cave tours. There are more than 70 miles of backcountry trails through forested hills for hikers and bicyclists. There is canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing on the Green River. There is horseback riding on 60 miles of trails. Also possible is camping and backcountry camping. Special family and children’s activities are available, as well – like Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park! These pages from the Mammoth Cave National Park website provide everything you need to plan an expedition in and around the world’s longest known cave.

Then there is a lot more commercialized stuff, too.

Hey, you corvette lovers! The National Corvette Museum is in nearby Bowling Green. Of course, you knew that already…it’s for the rest of us to find!


Possible Plethora of Wildflowers

June 30, 2009

Because of the late, cool spring rains, the wildflowers in the Sierra Nevada may be in bountiful bloom in a few weeks. The warm weather that is expected this week will start them on their way. Actually, we’ve seen blue lupine, white prickly poppies, pink, red and light purple penstemon, and California poppies along the road already.

Some of our favorite wildflower books for the high desert are Sierra Nevada Wildflowers by Karen Wiese and Great Basin Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of the High Deserts of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon and Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and Adjoining Mojave Desert and Great Basin both by Laird R. Blackwell. Laird Blackwell also has Tahoe Wildflowers: A Month-by-Month Guide to Wildflowers in the Tahoe Basin and Surrounding Areas for the Lake Tahoe area.

Our mode of operation on our car trips, mainly on Highway 395, between LA and Reno is for me to give the high sign that I want us to pull off to the side of the road so I can pull out the books and camera to identify and record the latest splash of color along the road. According to the books, Horseshoe Meadow and Onion Valley are showy places. Also off of Highway 88 on Blue Lakes Road is another super spot. The mountainsides along 395 on the other side of the road from the Walker River splash with color. Carson Pass is another good place to find different wildflowers.