More California
I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all. I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.
I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore. I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.
“California’s been good to me. Hope it don’t fall into the sea.” …..Tom Petty
Twin Tanks Desert Homestead Cabins - Twentynine Palms - California
This trip would prove to be quite a departure (pun intended) from my usual overnight excursions, as I planned on staying the nights at an airbnb I had heard about called the Twin Tanks Homestead Cabins, located about midway between the towns of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms.
Them thar Hills - Fullerton - California
One of the last large, open-space areas in north Orange County is less than five minutes from where I live. Hundreds of acres, touching four different cities, trails criss-cross the expansive foothills….
Transmission - Mojave Desert - California
Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the Mojave Desert is the unexpected; you just never know what you might find when you venture into its grasp.
Zzyzx - California
Raise your hand if you've ever driven by the exit for Zzyzx Road, while speeding along Route 15 on your way to Las Vegas, and wondered at all about that name.
Darwin Falls - Death Valley - California
I doubt that many people think of creeks, streams, waterfalls when Death Valley is mentioned, at least I don’t. But that’s what the hike to Darwin Falls is all about.
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex - California
I had heard about Goldstone a good number of years ago and had the opportunity to schedule a tour of the facility for my Scout troop.
Dunmovin - California
Dunmovin. You say to yourself, “self, one day I'm going to stop at this place and see what I can find.”
Ruth Camp - California
Ruth Camp is an interesting ghost town, located approximately 14 miles north of Trona in the Argus Mountain Range. There are a good number of fairly well-preserved buildings that I was able to poke around in, which date from the late 1930s.
Mono Lake Tufa Towers - California
The Tufa Towers at Mono Lake, another place I'd always wanted to visit after seeing them on an episode of Huell Howser's California Gold.
PC - God Bless Our Home
"PC" for Post Card. I've got a lot of old postcards from the deserts of California and thought I might share a few of them here. 😎
Buried Homes - Newberry Springs - California
Method #3 on my tried and true list of how to find unique places to explor: See a picture of an intesting place, spend hours online tracking down its location, go there. Which is how I came to this bleak spot in the Mojave desert.
Benton Hot Springs - California
Established in the early 1860s, Benton was born with the discovery of silver in the nearby Blind Springs Hills and White Mountains. Also known as Benton Hot Springs, the town thrived for a few short years.
Covered Wagon Camp - Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm has always been one of my favorite places to visit in Southern California, and heck, I’ve lived within 20 miles of it most of my life (that’s a lot of years).
Little Lakes Valley Trail
The sky looked a bit ominous Thursday morning when we set out to the Little Lakes Valley trailhead. Our goal was to see each of the five main lakes, from the trailhead to Gem Lakes, a roundtrip of eight miles with an elevation gain of approximately 1200 feet.
Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine - California
The best laid plans are often subject to the weather. I had planned on hiking the one-mile loop trail to Heart Lake in Mammoth, and also to wander around the remaining buildings of the Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine which are right near by.
T Cross K Ranch - Mission Creek Preserve - California
If you lived in Southern California during the 1930s and were looking for a get-a-way retreat where you could be “just plain lazy,” The T Cross K Guest Ranch would have been perfect. Especially if you enjoyed home cooking and BBQ. Rates were reasonable, $5 per day or $30 per week, per person. Throw in horseback riding, hunting, pack trips, tennis, dancing and hiking….I would have so been there.
Ballarat - California
My plan was to stop at Ballarat and then continue north, connecting with CSR 190 and thence to Lone Pine to spend the night. I made it as far as Ballarat. Most plans don’t survive contact with the elements.
Eastern Sierra Nevada Fall Colors - California
October in Northern California, along I-395. What could be better?