Photo Blog with Waterfalls, Hiking, Outdoors, and other Adventures
The drive back south from Ubehebe Crater is a fantastic scenic cruise but there aren’t many attractions until you get back near Stovepipe Wells. Daylight was fading so I made the call to check out some of the smaller areas, one of which is the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail. This short trail covered by a … Read more
Back in Stovepipe Wells village, I topped off the gas tank and paused for some strategery. Knowing the roads marked for 4×4 only were aptly rated, I reluctantly crossed many destinations off the list (sorry Racetrack Playa, another time). But fear not, Death Valley has plenty to do without a monster truck! I took a … Read more
The day was young and my visit to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes left me near the geographic center of Death Valley. I studied the map and decided my best use of time would be to drive to Panamint Springs on the far west side. This would take considerable time but would allow me to … Read more
Awoke before sunrise ready to stretch my legs a bit. The park newspaper gave suggestions for ideal sunrise viewing and I chose Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Left the campground and started my drive. Mountains encapsulate the area in all directions like a bowl. Besides one couple, I was the only other early bird here. You can … Read more
Returned to camp after watching the sunset at Zabriskie Point. Hours of driving made me quite tired, but clear skies & views of the stars granted me a second wind. I wasn’t getting cell service anywhere in the park except at the campground, and even then it was like 2 bars of 3G. Still enough … Read more
After leaving Artists Drive I didn’t have much daylight left but it still felt too early to call it a day. What to do next? A quick read of the park’s newspaper pointed me to Zabriskie Point which they claim is the best place to watch both sunrise & sunset in all of Death Valley. … Read more
Generally when I take these last-minute trips where I’ve done little to no planning, my first destination is always something “easy” to get things started. Today that location was Artists Drive which is located only about 10 miles south from the campground. (Important: Don’t forget to click the photos for a full-size image!) Located in … Read more
Woke early today, picked up supplies at Walmart, and started driving west from Las Vegas towards Death Valley National Park. Desert highways appeared to stretch into infinity, and because it was a Tuesday in the off-season I was often the only human for miles in any direction. Stepping out from the car to photograph the … Read more
There are no shortages of hikes or waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and luckily my next stop wasn’t far after leaving Cataract Falls. Only several miles up the road, Laurel Falls is another popular short day hike. Parking at the trail head was a battle – likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday and kids … Read more
Left Newport this morning and bid Kelly farewell; she was heading east for work and I had to go west for tomorrow’s outbound flight. Sunshine and 40 degree temps made for excellent hiking weather (something we could have used the last few days). Oh well, onward to make the most of my limited time here! … Read more