The eastern side of California continued to attract me. But, instead of driving through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite National Park, I turned the wheel of my car toward Joshua Tree National Park. I knew it was greatly different from the parks to the north of it, but knew virtually nothing about the place […]
Tag Archives: Hiking
A Weekend in San Diego – Saturday
I only allowed myself two days to drop into San Deigo and visit with my sister and her family. Her sons were not yet on spring break and I didn’t want to disrupt their classes. Yet, it seemed foolish to drive all the way to California from Colorado and not stop by to say hello […]
Disappointment in Yosemite
I stood at the Valley View overlook and felt a twinge of disappointment. The view was one of the most impressive I had witnessed during my short stay in the Yosemite Valley, but I was disheartened nonetheless. And it had nothing to do with my departure. It was because I failed at my attempt to […]
Through the Woods, Over the Golden Gate, to John Muir’s House I Go
In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt camped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the south side of the Yosemite Valley at a place called Glacier Point. Three years later he signed a bill creating Yosemite National Park (above). It was to be approximately three-quarters of a million acres in protected wilderness. With Roosevelt on the camping […]
A Stop at the Headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi
It’s entirely possible that I was one of only a handful of kids ever to grow up in Minnesota and not go to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park. At least I don’t ever recall having gone to the park. I know I’ve traveled to Bemidji, Minnesota before to see Paul […]
Gorilla Trekking in the Virungas
I wrestled with the idea of hiking to see the gorillas of the Virunga Mountains in northwest Rwanda. On one hand, an African safari was high up on my bucket list and going to see the gorillas in their native habitat would be nothing short of spectacular. On the other, what would happen if one […]
Jason's Travels 