I recently returned from an outstanding family trip to Southwest China. We visited the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. Both provinces border Tibet and are traditional crossroads. Yunnan is further south and borders Burma and Laos. Sichuan had many important…
Pinnacles National Park is an excellent family camping destination for the spring & fall. The park is located ~100 miles south of San Francisco between the Central Valley & the Salinas Valley. Pinnacles protects volcanic peaks, accessible caves, interesting hikes,…
San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island served as a Native American hunting area, an Army Base, the West Coast Ellis Island, and a Nike Missile Base. Today, Angel Island is a California State Park. I recently backpacked ~2 miles with four…
Few things compare to watching ~1000 elephant seals cavort on a beach. Ano Nuevo State Preserves protects a large elephant seal rookery on the San Mateo County Coast. Docents host elephant seal walks from Dec 15 until March that can…
2016 was another outstanding year for exploring the outdoors. Thank you to everyone that I’ve shared my love of the outdoors – through trips, posts, or conversations. Here’s a catalog of my 2016 trips. Family Adventures Most of my 2016…
A world class wildlife spectacle is taking place near Half Moon Bay (only 15 miles south of San Francisco). Anchovies are schooling immediately south of Pillar Point Harbor. Humpback whales, pelicans, & other birds are feasting on the schools…
Here’s my favorite hiking partner sharing his thoughts on the San Mateo County Parks. This Coyote Point Recreation Area video will be part of an upcoming campaign for the SMCP and the SMCP Foundation. In the meantime, enjoy the video…
How can families safely explore the backcountry in winter when poor weather can transform an adventure into a survival situation? Visiting warm spots like the CA coast is one solution. Another approach is reserving a backcountry National Park or Forest…
End of year retrospectives are popular this time of year. This blog is no different. 2015 was an outstanding year for exploring the outdoors. Family Adventures: I camped and backpacked five times with my oldest and camped twice with my…
The Bay Area boasts the largest and most varied open space network in the United States. The network did not happen by accident. Conservation leaders like Julia Bott helped protect the Bay Area’s open spaces. Julia Bott is the retiring…