By Sal Maccarone Always on the lookout for art oriented historic hotels to visit, I was very fortunate to stumble upon a real jewel. Completely lost in Riverside, Ca. on my way to somewhere else, I turned a corner and there it was. At first, it appeared to be one of the California missions, but the Padres didn’t build a ...

Leaf Peeping season has officially begun. . . . so Mom and I decided to take a day road trip through Yosemite Valley to see how those fall colors were shaping up. Where: Yosemite National ParkDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 3,996′ – 4,184′Date: October 7, 2018Dog Hike? Maybe It was a bit early for prime leaf colors in Yosemite but Mom and ...

Camping with my dogs, we wandered where miners knew they would be striking it rich as soon as they hit “The Great Silver Belt.” Back in 1882, a town was started up to accommodate the needs of up to 50,000 miners when that happened. Well, the big strike didn’t take place but the remains of the town named Bennettville and ...

Smoky reflections in a lake named for a sheepdog and her puppies, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, fishless lakes, and Tuolumne Meadows Campground’s closure played starring roles in my blog this week. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 5.76 Miles (About 5.2 Miles from the trailhead at the parking lot up to and around the lake)Difficulty: Easy to ModerateElevation Range: 8,583′ – 9,189′Elevation ...

By Sal Maccarone During the years 1969-72 while first attending college, I worked as a manager for a new restaurant called, “The Red Coach.” It was on the corner of Wolfe and Homestead roads in Cupertino, CA. Caltrans had just recently completed work on a stretch of Hwy 280 from San Jose through Sunnyvale, and they had installed an interchange ...

It had been a while since I had hiked to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp but I had fond memories of this beautiful camp nestled against high peaks. Closed for a few years, I needed to pay it another visit. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 15.8 Miles (About 14.2 Miles from the Tuolumne Meadows Campground Trailhead)Difficulty: Moderate to StrenuousElevation Range: 8,588′ – ...

By Sal Maccarone Even from the most isolated place on earth, humanity has managed to express itself artistically for the ages. Shrouded in mystery, Easter Island truly lies in the middle of nowhere. Among other things, this tiny island in the Pacific Ocean has become famous for its one thousand, or so surviving monolithic sculptures. Now, a UNESCO World Heritage ...

It wasn’t a long hike up to Elizabeth Lake and it shared a million different views with me as I walked around it. Those beautiful granite mountains took that morning sunlight and cast ever changing reflections as the hazy smoke drifted in and out. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 5.5 Miles (About 4.6 Miles from the trailhead up to and not ...

By Bob Labozetta (UC Master Gardener, Mariposa) It’s 90℉+ outside. Yep, time to prepare for your winter veggie garden. WHAT? Winter veggie choices include beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, chard, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions/shallots, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, turnip, and other leafy greens such as bok choy and kale. The above veggies can be direct seeded ...

By Sal Maccarone There is no doubt that we are all significant as human beings. But, to be considered as significant in the world of art: That is a big deal! An artist’s contribution can only be assessed, and fully realized in retrospect. Once an artist is given credit for having changed the world in some way, then they are ...