Southern California is full of fantastic movie locations you can explore. I have written about some of my favorite ones in LA here, but it is not often that you get to combine a beautiful 5-mile hike with the added fun of seeing a filming location for the top watched TV finale of all time, […]
State Parks
Empire Mine State Historic Park: Exploring one of California’s Richest Gold Mines
Empire Mine State Historic Park is home to one of the richest and longest running gold mines in California. The mine ran for over 100 years and was able to extract more than 5.5 million ounces of gold. When it stopped operations in 1956, it was eventually turned over to the California state park system, […]
Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Stout Grove in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park is easily one of my favorite redwood groves in the state. It is a short half mile to walk through the grove, and during the walk, you will see one of the largest collections of coastal redwoods in Redwoods National Park with some of the most massive […]
Crystal Cove State Park: El Moro Loop Trail
Crystal Cove State Park is a beautiful area in Laguna Beach that includes 3 miles of coastline and dozens of miles of hiking trails. I set out to explore the most popular trail, El Moro Loop Trail, which included hiking through a nice canyon and going along a ridge that overlooked the ocean. It was […]
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Blankets of Orange Poppys
Much like the amazing fall season, California shows its colors in the spring with its wildflowers. I was able to see some during my time in the Mojave last month, but nothing like what was in Antelope Valley this April. If you hear that there is a super bloom (which only happens every couple of […]