We ended Part 2 of the High Sierra Trial soaking in the wonderful Kern Hot Springs and Part 3 takes us up over Mt. Whitney to the end of the trail in Lone Pine. Day 5-Kern Hot Springs to Wallace Creek (12 miles, 10,409 feet) We didn’t mean to walk 12 miles but we did. We had …
The High Sierra Trail (HST), a 72 mile trail in Sequoia National Park, is a major undertaking. There are a few roads on the eastern side of the park that lead to the popular Lodgepole Visitor Center and the Giant Sequoias, but there are no roads that go through the park so there is …
The High Sierra Trail (HST), a 72 mile trail in Sequoia National Park (NP), is a classic hike in the Sierra Nevada. It evokes the very ghost of John Muir with its soaring peaks, highly varied terrain, grand vistas and spectacular ending at the top of Mt. Whitney. Cutting through a cross-section of some …
We rounded the corner, and after a stretch of densely forested trail, broke out into Alta Meadow. Though my feet were aching after trekking 5.6 uphill miles with a heavy pack, I practically ran toward the meadow, arms outstretched in my Julie Andrews Sound of Music moment. The vista before me made me gasp, and …
The Presidio of San Francisco, which in my youth was just a pretty, mostly off-limits place that we drove through to get to the Golden Gate Bridge, is being transformed into a first class destination, an oasis of green that is steeped in history. After 15 years of often rancorous discussion and community decision-making the …
Walking along the trail behind the Wuksachi Lodge I stumbled repeatedly because I just couldn’t get enough of the views of the Great Western Divide with its craggy peaks etched against the blue sky, a tiny puff of pure white cloud forming like whipped cream on an upside down pointy sugar cone. I didn’t pass …
The best way to describe the harvest is that it was “the harvest that wouldn’t end”. Would it never end? That was the recurring question—the topic that came up in the Big House, the grocery store, the pub and any social gathering. “How long are you going to be here?” was the question our new …
After lounging like Komodo Dragons in the tropical sun of Bali, we encountered a sudden change in pace, weather, well everything, when we landed in Perth. Before we get to that, can I just say how jealous I am that Perthites (otherwise known as sandgropers[?]) can reach Bali in 3 short hours? That’s 2 hours …
It may be obvious from the vast amount of time between postings, but my best laid plans to post regularly have gone by the wayside. This is both good and bad. The good news is that once we got on a roll I simply didn’t have time to compose a readable note, though Twitter was …
Hong Kong is such a small island but boasts an endless number and variety of world class restaurants, and every kind of eatery you can imagine, from bakeries to dim sum to international cuisine. There’s also a lot to do, and not all of it involves shopping, though there are plenty of opportunities for that …