If you are like most people, you have heard of the Mojave Desert, but your association might be limited to images of barren landscapes dotted with military bases. The Mojave definitely represents some of this, but it also has so much…
Long before we looked to go to Africa for safari, I had my eyes on a little known place in Northern California called Safari West. The Sonoma Serengeti as some call it, is unlike any wildlife preserve you will have…
What do you think of when you hear Death Valley? Hottest Place on Earth. Yep. Desolate and barren. Yep. Even though Death Valley is synonymous with these images, I think that like most people, I didn't really have a clear…
Everyone seems to know that California has an abundance of national parks, but what some don't realize is that there are also a ton of really great state parks that are well worth visiting. One such park, nicknamed Pismo Beach…
If you follow us regularly, you know we are national park obsessed. But it's not just nature parks that we love to go to, we also enjoy visiting many of the monuments and historic sites that are part of the…
Even though we live only 90 minutes away from Legoland in Carlsbad, it has taken us years to finally get there. My son isn't a lego fanatic, so we weren't pushed to make the trip. I regret now that it…
Growing up in Texas and spending most of my adult life in places that do not experience fall, I had had enough and wanted to find some cooler air and pretty colors! My nature loving sidekick was game as he…
Visitors flock to Southern California for vacation looking to fill their days and nights with as much fun as they can afford! If you are visiting Buena Park or nearby Anaheim you probably have on your itinerary to attend an interactive family…
Often only thought of as Southern California's place to play in the snow, Big Bear also has a wide array of activities luring visitors throughout the year. As the heat of the summer sets in, Big Bear is the perfect escape.…
One of the best places in Southern California for star gazing is in and around Joshua Tree. We have been out several times specifically to do this, but only recently learned about the Sky's the Limit Observatory in 29 Palms.…
We have been to Joshua tree too many times to count, but we continue to find new areas to explore. On my most recent trip, I had the opportunity to stay in Twentynine Palms near the Oasis of Mara entrance.…
I have been to Joshua Tree many times, and while there is still a ton to explore on my own, I was excited to get off the beaten path with Joshua Tree Excursions during my last visit. Joshua Tree Excursions is…
Touch-a-truck events are becoming the spring and summer thing to do. Some are fundraisers for public schools or charity organizations and some are just free community events. The Touch-a-Truck day in Thousand Oaks is our favorite of all the ones on offer…
There isn't always time or money to take elaborate vacations out of town, but that's where staycations come in handy. We are so lucky to live in Southern California where there is an abundance to do locally no matter the…
There are several important events in the year according to my son. Christmas and Easter are two, but right up there with national holidays are the open house days for the sanitation department and the fire stations! The second Saturday…
When most people think of Southern California, the image that comes to mind is of golden sand beaches running for miles, beautiful sunsets and surfers galore. This is exactly what is waiting to greet you in Huntington Beach! From relaxing…
The Bay Area is one of my favorite places on earth. Not just because I lived there for almost a decade, but because no matter where you turn you are surrounded by so much beauty. The abundance of beautiful scenery,…
In celebration of the 100th year of the National Park Service, I will post at least once a month in some way relating to our wonderful national park system to help bring awareness to an awesome part of our country that is…
You managed to pack up the car, bundle up the kids and hit the road for snow tubing at Mountain High. Whew! Congrats. Oh but wait, now you have arrived only to discover that it's either sold out for the day…
Ever since moving to California I have heard of it's ghost towns. The few I have on my list to visit haven't been on any route we've taken, so when I happened across Calico Ghost Town on our way back…