For years my younger son was a chocolate maker in Portland, gifted in combining flavors to create unusual combos that were remarkable yummy, like chili and orange, lemon with lavender and honey, or curry chocolate. My favorite of all time was dark chocolate sea salt caramels. I still occasional crave that heavenly salty-sweet combo! I have always found it curious ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Adventurers looking for the spectacular scenery of Yosemite National Park without the crowds — there is a road less traveled right in your back yard. The Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, recently featured as a California “Hidden Gem” by Visit California, is a 100-mile stretch of road from North Fork — the exact center of California — ...

MADERA COUNTY — YARTS buses will start rolling up Highway 41 to Yosemite National Park starting Monday, May 15, thanks to funding from the Fresno Council of Governments (COG) and the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS). Now that YARTS has resumed service on the busy corridor, residents and visitors alike will be able to access round-trip public transportation to and ...

OAKHURST — The theater was full, as was the stage, where nervously excited young people sat facing the audience of loved ones while their names were called during Community Awards, given to members of Yosemite High School Class of 2016 on Monday, May 8. Principal Randy Seals greeted the students and families, expressing appreciation for the citizen and community groups and individuals who are ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Oakhurst CPR owner Kevin Stafford seems destined to provide service to the public, and he was just a young man still in his teens when the idea of how he would do that began to take form. Kevin stepped foot into the medical field at just 17 years old, when he took a first responder course in Boot ...

We hiked up and up 600 plus steps on the Mist Trail to check out two of Yosemite’s famous waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls. Where:Yosemite National Park Distance: 8.59 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 3,983′ – 6,056′ Date: May 3, 2017 Maps: El Capitan Topographic Quad Dog Hike? No dogs allowed on this trail We had planned on ...

Now that the weather seems to be drying out a bit, I am on the road to check in with my parents in Truckee and on to my son in northern Utah. A few weeks back, my son called me from the emergency room, vomiting blood. The doctors checked him out, sent him home with a possible diagnosis of an ...

Does anyone know where this interesting rock formation is located? Does it have a name? The North Fork History Group would like to develop a catalogue of interesting natural formations in the area. If you have any information about this one, or any others, please make comments here, or send to dongrove1@yahoo.com. Don Grove North Fork History Mystery Coordinator HISTORY ...

Not the amazing display of poppies in the Hite Cove area this year, but plenty of other wildflowers were showing off as we hiked where miners walked as they searched for their fortunes in those gold mines long ago. Where: Sierra National Forest with some stretches through private property Distance: 8.21 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 1,412′ to 3,187′ Date: ...

By Virginia Eaton — I’ve run into an amazing number of people recently suffering from plantar fasciitis (one of those Greek phrases meaning inflammation of the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot). I’ve had this condition and most people I know have either struggled with it themselves or are closely related to someone who has; it can take ...