Bergamo was great and we were really looking forward to Cinque Terre. Unfortunately, what we didn’t realize was — most of Western Europe had a three-day weekend and the UK had a whole week off and, you know what?  They all descended on the highway between Bergamo and Cinque Terre. We fly for twelve hours to get away from California ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — An easy-going group of like-minded, ultra-competent individuals, the Sierra Freepackers unit of the Back Country Horsemen of California (BCHCSFP) is comprised of a small but committed unit of volunteers, currently 50 members strong. Despite their moderate size, the group consistently ranks among the highest per capita for volunteer hours in trail maintenance, public awareness and education, logging ...

Written by Keith Pretzer – I am proud to tell people that I am a Girl Scout. That usually gets second looks. I am, after all, a man and a father. I have been a Girl Scout for seven years, and for the past seven years. I have done my best to be “man enough to be a Girl Scout.” ...

Day five and we’re in Verona. We’re here because the maître d’ at my favorite Italian restaurant in New York City is from Verona and said it’s a beautiful city and we had to see it.  Karen, of course, adores me and so was willing to go along with whatever I suggested (I typed that after she proof-read it if you ...

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — Here we go! Summer officially kicks off at precisely at 3:07 a.m. PDT on Thursday, June 21, with solstice, marking the point during the year when the sun takes its most northerly path across the sky. Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, with the shortest night, and at noon your shadow will also be the shortest of ...

COARSEGOLD — For the third time in 18 months, traveling on Highway 41 in Madera County, Jennifer Christensen desperately needed a fire extinguisher. Coming home from Community Regional Medical Center, where she’s a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, Jennifer spotted black smoke pouring from a vehicle parked at Black Hawk Lodge. She saw flames coming from the hood. Immediately, ...

I got a sneak preview of the newly revamped Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park after it has been closed to the public since Spring of 2015. 250 acres with nearly 500 mature trees is a must see if you are visiting Yosemite. Reopening this Friday, parking at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Center and taking a shuttle up to Mariposa ...

Sally and I needed a break from weedeating and we escaped over Tioga Pass, camping along roaring Lee Vining Creek. Relaxing and reading were my goals but I walked back through history up to the Poole Hydroelectric Plant. Where: Inyo National Forest, Aspen Campground Elevation: 7,490′ Date: June 4-7, 2018 Maps: June Lake Topog Dog Friendly? Yes Sally and I headed ...

The first day in Venice, we just walked around all day and got a feel for the city. There are over 400 bridges, each linking what was once an island to the next island. The Venetians slowly filled in the gaps between the islands so that only the canals remained. We split up for lunch because Justin and Allison saw an ...

OAKHURST — You may have seen him, the man who sits by the flags. He’s there early, just about every morning, sitting in front of the CHP on Highway 49. Central Valley native, WWII veteran, business owner, father, Bud Light drinker, world traveler — Bill is now nearly 92 years old. He gets up every day and walks from his ...