I try my best to hike up to Helen Lake while there is a smidge of ice still on it. There is something special about how a bit of white snow sets off the red colors of the surrounding mountains and it is a lovely hike up a historic Native American trail and mining route. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: ...

First day that Tioga Road was fully open and we headed to lakes that we hoped would still be iced over, even in July. Lots of history in this area and I can’t help thinking of the people who made that history. As we know, most miners did not strike it rich and some do not have happy endings. I ...

Optical art, fractal art, abstract art and many other forms of art rely heavily upon geometric shapes and spaces. Geometry is a language! The math that it takes to create shapes that are comprised of points, lines and curves is thought to be universal. Through art, geometry can be employed in many ways — from simple design to giving the ...

Wild azaleas were showing off their white flowers and we caught a whiff of their scent before we saw them. This was the perfect time to see them blooming between Fish Camp and the Mariposa Grove plus got a nice workout as we wandered through Mariposa Grove to Wawona Point. Where: Sierra National Forest, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove of ...

By Sal Maccarone — Great architectural achievements always reflect a careful blending of art and science. Throughout the process of building something great these two disciplines will come together and, by designing and building a structure which reflects certain considerations, all things will work in harmony to produce a three dimensional form of art. Becoming an important piece of architecture ...

Our destination was icy Ostrander Lake, full of beautiful reflections and bordered by a snowy, rocky ledge. But we had to work for it, hiking through burned areas and up the trail through open granite in the heat. It was so worth it! Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 12.83 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 6,998′ – 8,612′ Date: ...

We heard a rumor that some very pretty flowers were showing off on the Wawona Meadow Loop Trail, so you know where we headed. It was a short hike in cooler country and that rumor was true! Many beautiful wildflowers along the way and this one is also a good dog hike. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 4.21 miles Difficulty: ...

By Sal Maccarone — What exactly is the Baroque style? Words like extravagant, ornate, unrestrained, extreme and excessive could be used to describe it. This distinctive approach to art is certainly not limited to a few words, but those are a good beginning. Developing early during the 17th century, the baroque style was eventually applied to music, dance, architecture, sculpture ...

Tioga Road wasn’t open yet but those high lakes were calling me and it was well worth it to me to take the long way around to get there. Tioga Road through Yosemite National Park will soon be open but here is a sneak peek from my adventure over there June 5 and 6 this past week. So I drove ...

By Sal Maccarone — Uninfluenced by movements or academic theories, Folk Art surrounds us everywhere that we go. Historically, this type of artwork can be defined as utilitarian or decorative in nature as opposed to being purely aesthetic. Produced by the artistically inclined individuals of every culture on earth, folk art directly reflects the values of a society. For instance, ...