Blue waters. Big trees. Stunning vistas. Cute towns. California’s northern coast is not as popular as other portions of the state - or as well known - but it delivers on every point a traveler could want. In this guide, we will attempt to distill this huge region down into a manageable format, giving you…
Editor’s note: sometimes it is the most unexpected places that end up meaning the most. In this wonderful story, Sam shares a spontaneous visit to a destination that he truly loved. For more of Sam’s adventures, click here to visit his index. When I planned my grand backpacking trip around the Balkans, my game plan…
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.Henry David Thoreau, Walden Sunlight trickles down, the huge branches of the…
I am beyond excited for this trip. I have lived in California basically my entire life. During those forty years, I have seen the overwhelming majority of the state. But next week, I get to spend some time exploring a part of the state I’ve never before been able to visit: gold country. At the…
At first glance, Glass Beach is just a small piece of coastline sitting along the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. Rock cliffs sit at both sides, and at high tide it is impossible to walk from here to any other part of the coast without getting wet. And then, caught by a glimmer or…
Nature is awesome. Let’s just put that out there. We live on an incredible planet that is full of wonder and beauty, with new things waiting to be discovered by intrepid travelers. Nothing is more emblematic of the remarkable world than trees. I’ve written before about the world’s largest trees, the giant sequoias of California,…
Typical for a summer morning, the fog is thick - pea soup thick, London thick - as I drive down Sir Francis Drake Boulevard through Point Reyes National Seashore. The coastline isn’t visible, though small gaps in the fog give away where it should be. The only things I am truly able to see are…
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks.John Muir Just north of San Francisco, across the mighty Golden Gate Bridge, there exists a tiny sliver of a forgotten world. Here, primeval forest holds its claim on a small canyon. Redwoods tower, a brook babbles, ferns grow in all shades of green,…
Editor’s note: what a wonderful story of bonding with a newborn through travel! Sam’s adventures may be changing, but I have no doubt that his stories, while a bit different, will be just as inspiring to all of us. For more of Sam’s incredible writing, click here to visit his index page. As everyone knows,…
It is an enduring symbol of San Francisco and of California, one of the most recognizable icons in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge has captivated artists, writers; locals, and tourists for nearly a century; its orange spans have achieved an almost mythical status. And yet, for so many, experiencing the majesty of the Golden…