Mom and my dog Sally were in search of blooming dogwoods and we headed up to Nelder Grove, just out of Oakhurst. We saw a few of those dogwoods starting to bloom, along with gooseberry and apple. It was my mom’s first visit to Nelder Grove and I think she was quite impressed with those huge Giant Sequoias, thousands of ...

It was the first day after Glacier Point Road opened up for the season and you know that I had to get into the higher country. Did you know that Ostrander Lake is the primary source of Bridalveil Creek, which feeds Bridalveil Falls?

Wildflowers are definitely the star along this trail, but we also had a lot of critters to keep us company on our hike along the San Joaquin River.

Mom and I headed to Bodega Bay, located about 65 north of San Francisco, for an adventure. We relaxed, ate lots of fresh sea food and explored some new country, including a visit to Fort Ross.

There is a short window when the poppies in Hite Cove are ready for prime viewing and that window is wide open right now. Taking the drive and short hike to view them, along with several other wildflowers, is a must do each year for me. Oh, and we were visited by a talking newt!

We had crunchy snow under our feet in the morning, blue skies all day, views of snow covered mountains and the trail all to ourselves. What more can I say?

Seeing all of that water coming out of Stevenson Falls is something to behold but we had a big surprise when we saw the first diverse and colorful displays of wildflowers of the season!

We figured that if we were going to do some snowshoeing, we had better get out there to do it while we still had snow. Whether we wear snowshoes or hiking boots, the hike to Dewey Point has unbeatable views that look up into the Tenaya Canyon and beyond to see snow covered mountains!

After the latest snow, there was actually snow to snowshoe on so we thought we had better act fast to enjoy it, along with the amazing views of the snow covered mountains on the Merced Crest Trail.

Who knew that we could have a snowy hike so close by where the dogs could romp their way up the road and for us human members of their pack to see a lovely waterfall and icy formations along the creek?