#exploringcalifornia

Redwoods have been my favorite type of tree for many years, so staying at a cabin surrounded by redwoods is a big deal for me. At the end of November we spent four days at a cabin in Sonoma County on the North Coast and these beautiful trees were the view from my room.

#desertroadtrip yesterday with @ceperez21 @djshannonken & @angie913 🚗🛣🌄 So lucky to have a million new places to #explore even after living here 1.5 years. #desert🌵 #roadtripping #california #californiaadventure #californiadesert #desertlife #backroads #offroad #exploringcalifornia #socal #socallife #socalliving 🗺☀️🌵🌴 (at Amboy, California)

“The more reflective you are, the more effective you are.” _______________ (Searles Valley Minerals, Trona, CA.)

Winter hikes in the East Bay are becoming a yearly tradition for me. We recently hiked a new part of Mount Diablo State Park on the Pine Creek Trail near Alamo. We’ve been having lots of rain so much of Northern California has bright green grass and the trails have a lot of mud. And we went on a day, like most days in the bay area, where there was a heavy fog cover into the late morning that beautifully framed the oak trees along the trail.  

Located 25 miles back on Ice House Road in the Sierra Nevadas is Loon Lake. Its a larger high alpine lake than most that I’ve been hiking too but it is one of the prettiest. A few weeks ago we did a 12 mile hike around the lake which was the longest hike we had done so far this summer. The lake has the most gorgeous blue water and pine trees and granite all around. Since it is just a few miles outside of Desolation Wilderness, the landscapes look very similar. It was so peaceful and quite out among the trees. We found so many perfect tea drinking spots to take in the beauty of the lake and rest in the shade throughout the hike. 

A quiet afternoon hike at the edge of the El Dorado National Forest in the sierra nevadas means being around lots of tall trees. And the Fleming Meadows trail right outside of Sly Park is the perfect moderate hike to enjoy the trees. And while there is never a final destination to stop and look at the view, I still fell in love with this trail. The best part would also come when you stopped and looked up and saw the tops of the trees overhead. 

I think I may have found my new favorite trail. It’s not too long, only five miles round trip, but it’s filled with so much variety. There’s forests, meadows, granite boulders, creeks, ponds, and more. The first time we hiked it we even got to experience an afternoon thunderstorm and a beautiful light rain. I’ve found this trail to be such a wonderful step out of the busy world and into the world of chipmunks, leaves, and rocks. It’s so simple and beautiful. A perfect step away from the stress and loudness of our world. I know that we’ll have lots of photos from this trail over the next few years, and I’m excited to explore it throughout the seasons.