Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite is a family favorite for generations. It is among the most spectacular scenery on earth – turquoise lakes, sparkling creeks flowing through meadows, mountain peaks rising into the sky, but is also very accessible with kids, and never as crowded as Yosemite Valley.
Read more…Sonoma Sugarloaf Ridge SP: Wildflowers after wildfires
Last fall, fires swept through Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma Valley. But after the wildfires come the wildflowers. On a weekend in April, we had a picnic and hike in the state park – the hills were covered with colorful wildflowers and lush green grasses.
Read more…National Parks in U.S. Cities
America’s national parks preserve more than the great outdoors.
In cities, the national park service also manages historical parks, monuments, recreation areas, with museums, forts, historic ships, battlefields hiking trails, islands, ancient petroglyphs, war memorials.
Chaco Canyon – Ancient ruins and roads in the desert
A thousand years ago, Chacoan people built multi-story buildings and engineered roads in the high desert of New Mexico. Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves the legacy of this ancient culture. It is one of the most visited prehistoric ruins in the United States, and is also a World Heritage Site for its “universal value.”
Read more…Laws Railroad Museum, Bishop California
At Laws Railroad Museum near Bishop California, kids can discover an open-air museum with 19th century locomotive and freight cars, old station depot, general store, blacksmith shop, family home, schoolhouse, miner’s shack, and period artifacts from a typical town in the Owens Valley more than 100 years ago.
Read more…Last weekend in Santa Cruz
Presidents’ Day weekend we headed down to Santa Cruz on California central coast. In the winter months, it’s a great time to see marine life – sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a year-round destination.
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