Darwin Falls

A waterfall in the desert? Impossible, you say?

I have a suggestion. Check out the Darwin Falls Trail in Death Valley National Park. It starts by following a dry riverbed which soon has water and trees. If you go all the way to the falls, it's pretty cool. It's important to keep this area clean because the creek supplies water to the Panamint Springs Resort (where we ate lunch).

Death Valley Days

It's a beautiful morning in the desert, and I sure do love sand dunes.

Death Valley National Park

Scary name, but a beautiful place...

Dad, Pam and I are spending a long weekend camping here. We're planning to hit all the cool spots. I'm looking forward to catching up with my old buddies, the Salt Creek pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus). The species is currently listed as "endangered" because it has such a small habitat (basically just one very salty creek, although it has some cousins elsewhere in the desert). If I was a member of an endangered species, I sure would like to live in a protected area where I would have plenty of visitors to value me and keep me company.

Someday All This Will Be Mine

Actually, it already is (although I share it with the rest of the American people). I'm at the Mono Lake overlook on U.S. 395. Most of the land in the background is managed either by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. It's our collective heritage, I'm proud to say. I believe that each generation has a duty to make it lasts.

This roadside stop is famous for its epic collection of stickers that travellers have placed on the guard rail. It a favorite of mine.

Go Green

Today is St. Patrick's Day, and I'm dressed the part. It was a beautiful sunny Spring day, great for a hike at the UC Davis Arboretum. Later wecwent plant shopping at Green Acres in Sacramento.

The Sound Of Silence

Today Dad, Pam and I visited the Cosumnes River Preserve as we often do around this time of year. It was cloudy and windy. Then all of a sudden it was sunny. Go figure...

Later we went to Peet's Coffee and there was a large group there having a raucous conversation. Normally, I don't like noisy environments but this time it was O.K. Wanna know why? These folks were all communicating in ASL.

Little Yosemite

I've been to regular Yosemite Valley several times and it's pretty great, but this place is special too. Little Yosemite is located in the Sunol Regional Wilderness in the East Bay.

It was a beautiful day for a hike.