Hi friends. It may look like Provence here but it’s the Matanza Creek Winery lavender fields. We braved a 101 degree day (it was only 80 at 10:00 when we arrived), and not a moment too soon, because the cutting began as we were there. It’s not a very romantic process; they do it with a chain saw.

Written by Abby Williams FISH CAMP – In May, the fifth grade students from Oakhurst Elementary School went on a field trip to Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite. We had an awesome time and went on a scenic hike. I loved it! First, we walked in a large loop. We saw huge trees, like Cedar and Sugar Pines. There were also ...

Written by Tina Buell for Trekaroo.com I have lived in California for 28 years, but never visited any of its national parks. When the opportunity presented itself to visit three parks in three days via the Majestic Mountain Loop, I jumped at the chance. As a national park virgin, I literally had no idea what to expect. And, as a ...

NORTH FORK – The newest addition to downtown North Fork will open their doors on Friday, May 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. and welcome folks to stop in and see what’s happening. The North Fork Visitor’s Center is ready for business at 33037 Road 222, next to North Fork Hardware. Their first full day will be Saturday, May 25, ...

YOSEMITE – The Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park will open for the season on Saturday, May 11, at 12 p.m. for all vehicular traffic. The Tioga Road, bounded on both sides by State Highway 120, is the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. Vault toilets are available in several locations along the road. Limited visitor services will be ...

NORTH FORK – The Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, a 100-mile journey through the Sierra National Forest adjacent to Yosemite National Park, has opened for the season. While not as well-known as its National Park neighbor, the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway offers sweeping vistas that many feel rival those in Yosemite.

YOSEMITE – Visitors to Yosemite National Park will once again have access to what is arguably one of the most spectacular vistas in the park as the Glacier Point Road opens for the season on Friday, May 3, at 12 noon. There will be limited visitor services available at Glacier Point, with vault toilets on-site, but no running water.

OAKHURST – The Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau (YSVB) announced the release of a new mobile app available for mobile devices running Apple and Android operating systems. The new app allows travelers to have access to all the information available on the YSVB website, such as lodging, dining and activities in Yosemite National Park and surrounding southern gateways of Madera County, ...

YOSEMITE – The Hetch Hetchy Road is scheduled to open Friday, Apr. 5. Construction project work will continue adjacent to O’Shaughnessy Dam, which will result in the parking area next to the dam to be closed Friday and Saturday, and potentially into the beginning of the week of April 8. Limited parking will be available at the backpacker’s parking area. ...

Chapter Three of our Alaska Adventure! We were at the halfway point of our month long journey from our home in Oakhurst, CA. We had driven the Alaska Highway and toured the Kenai Peninsula. Now we were headed North. We were camping in our car, an old Toyota 4-Runner. During the past 8 days, we traveled around the Southern part ...