Joshua Tree, California, is one of those travel destinations that reminds you of an old western movie or even a trip to Mars. The small but exciting town has plenty of restaurants, shops, art galleries, and museums. On your way to Joshua Tree, you’ll drive through sun-drenched rolling hills and eventually emerge into a vast, … Read more Best Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park: Guide + Insider Tips
If you’re planning a trip to Joshua Tree, be sure to bring your camera along! This charming part of the California desert will inspire you in ways you never though possible: the way the light plays in the desert, the unique Joshua trees like something out of a Dr. Seuss novel, the brilliant candy-pink sunsets … Read more 17 Beautiful Instagram Spots in Joshua Tree
At current writing (August 2020), the United States has 62 National Parks. And here’s an idea of how beautiful California is: while spending time in California, you can visit over 10% of the entire U.S.’ national parks! The nine National Parks within the California borders offer very diverse ecological settings. Take time to explore the … Read more The 9 Epic National Parks in California (+ 45 Can’t-Miss Sights)
High alpine meadows, turquoise-clear glacial lakes, granite domes erupting from the meadow grass: welcome to Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite’s pristine high country. Tuolumne Meadows is a great place to embark on a number of high-country hikes in Yosemite, and it’s also a fantastic place to camp! But camping at Tuolumne Meadows is a little challenging due … Read more 11 Things to Know Before Camping in Tuolumne Meadows
I’ve seen coastal redwoods my whole life growing up in the Bay Area, but I was not prepared for my first encounter with a giant sequoia. Impossibly large and neck-achingly tall, giant sequoias are the largest single-rooted trees by mass in the world. Over 20 million years ago, giant sequoias used to rule over a … Read more Where to Find Giant Sequoias in Yosemite: 3 Serene Sequoia Groves
If you love hiking, Northern California has just about every kind of hike you can imagine. Redwood forests? Check. Fern-covered canyons? Got it. Rugged coastline and black sand beaches? Yup and yup. There’s an astounding number of incredible hikes in Northern California for just about every difficulty level and location! We’ve grouped this post by … Read more 30 Epic Northern California Hikes for Your Bucket List
Yosemite National Park is open all year long, and each season offers something unique. Fall is an especially great time to visit the park as it will contain fewer crowds and ample opportunities for leaf-peeping (California has some great fall foliage!). Things begin to quiet down. The beauty is still, and always, mindblowing — and … Read more 30 Essential Things to Know Before Visiting Yosemite in Fall (Including Fall Hikes!)
Just a short day trip away from San Francisco, you can enjoy the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore. Drive a leisurely 1 hour north on Highway 101 to Manzanita, then continue north on CA-1 to Olema, where you will find the park entrance. Even though it is just a short drive, you may want to … Read more 13 Things to Do in Point Reyes: Complete Travel Guide + Tips
Just about an hour north of San Francisco, you’ll find towering old-growth coast redwoods deep in a beautiful national forest, right in the heart of Marin County. Muir Woods, named for the famous conservationist John Muir, is one of the gems of the San Francisco Bay Area, located in Mill Valley, California. It’s a popular … Read more San Francisco to Muir Woods (With or Without Reservations): How to Get There & What to Do!
The Golden State is famous for many things — its sky-scraping sequoias, its awe-inspiring mountains, its stunning beaches — but for some reason, people forget about all the beautiful waterfalls in California. Sure, McWay Falls in Big Sur may come to mind, but there are several hidden gem waterfalls in California few people know about … Read more 17 Incredible California Waterfalls Worth the Hike (+ Trail Info)