Travelling Photographer

The Devil’s Punchbowl is a unique 1,310 acre geological wonder where you hike  a 1 mile loop trail through a deep canyon formed by the runoff of  water from the higher San Gabriel Mountains. The trail takes you to the bottom of the bowl and through the up tilted rock formations created by layers of sedimentary rocks forced up by the local earthquake faults. After completing the loop hike I headed to the South Fork campground to hike the 6 mile out and back trail to the backside of the punchbowl and to the Devil’s Chair a huge white rock mass at the turnaround point. While hiking the trail I had many views of the snow-covered San Gabriel’s and decided to get a upclose look by driving to Inspiration Point along the Highway 2 where it crosses the Pacific Coast Trail.

23 million years ago multiple volcanoes erupted, flowed, and slid to form what would become Pinnacles National Park. What remains is a landscape unlike any other. Travelers journey through grasslands, chaparral, oak woodlands, and canyon bottoms. Hikers enter rare talus caves and emerge to towering rock spires teeming with life: Prairie and Peregrine falcons, Golden eagles, and the inspiring California condor.[see more about this park – www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm] Continue reading “Pinnacles – our newest National Park” →

A lot of work opening the shore house – cleaning, painting, constructing an outdoor railing (need to get it up to current code), cleaning deck furniture and decorating with flowers. So a break was need before moving on to tiling, finishing the bathroom vanity and everything else what ever they maybe. Continue reading “A Little Recreation during Chores” →

June 3rd and 4th were dedicated to putting on some significant eastward miles but we also needed some breaks in driving. We avoided Interstates and drove along US 412 which gave us the flavor of rural america. Continue reading “Flying Now – New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas” →

Thursday was our first day of trying to put on some eastward miles but still enjoying the southern sections of Colorado. Our first stop along Rt 160 was just east of Pagosa Springs – Treasure Falls which is just off the highway but the best view is taking a .25 mile hike about 300 feet up a switchback trail. Continue reading “Durango to Trinidad Colorado” →

Today was a trip through Southwest Utah re-visiting some familiar places and exploring new ones. We set out towards Natural Bridges National Monument with stops at two ruins which were new to us – Butler Wash and Mule Canyon. Continue reading “Natural Bridges NM, Valley of the Gods and more” →

Today we visited two locations which we had visited on our first RV trip in 2008 and they certainly didn’t disappoint this time either. The Grand Canyon is overpowering by it’s shear size – it is difficult to believe as you look across its expanse that rim to rim it is 10 miles. Continue reading “Grand Canyon and Monument Valley” →

An enjoyable drive over Angles Crest Highway to the high desert where the California Poppy Reserve and   Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park provides an excellent overview of spring wild flowers and spring cactus. Continue reading “Sunday Drive – through Valleys, San Gabriel Mts. and the High Desert” →