Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – Summertime

If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen some glimpses of our outdoor life this past month. We keep finding excuses for getting out of the house and taking advantage of the summer temperatures and sunshine to explore some familiar and new to us places. My husband has worked in wildland fire fighting for over 20 years so we never really had a “normal” summer where we could take a week’s vacation. Now that he is nearing his retirement, he is making the choice to arrange his schedule to be able to take off a day here and there and even a week for a camping trip. It is wonderful!

I realized as I wrote this post that I haven’t taken a really good photo of us in the kayak…I promise I will this month and share a little about our new water adventures using this slow and quiet means of transport. It makes for some wonderful nature watching!

In the garden….we are experiencing a lot of butterflies this year. My office window is on the second floor over the front yard garden and I see butterflies flutter by as I work. Sometimes I just can’t resist running out there with my camera to try to capture their beauty. This tiger swallowtail was a perfect subject against the bright summertime blue sky. I never get tired of watching these magnificent creations.

Not quite as majestic, but still amazing, are the fiery skippers with their huge eyes and antennae.

We had such a great time learning about the marine snails (mollusks) on our trip to Oregon. There is just so much to learn and my husband has become my most devoted nature partner. We read and explore and then research some more about whatever catches our interest. This is such a great way of learning as we self-direct the topics and ways in which we learn. If you have any doubts about this kind of learning for your children, you may want to try it yourself to see the way it reaches your heart. It is the connections we make as we learn that make the deepest impact on our life. I will never look at the lowly marine snail in the same way again.

In this image you can see the stack of books I had on my desk this morning. I have been doing a lot of reading and research and it really shows in the variety of books that have collected there on my desktop.

I have a pot of morning glories outside my back window and I can see it from my kitchen sink. Every morning there is a beautiful surprise unfolding in the early hours. I love this image of the flower puffing out and bursting open. This is the actual color of the blossom as it was opening today…amazing!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Snail Observations at the Tidepools

This month as I wrote the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter, I really didn’t think I would find any snails to observe up close. Some topics are like that and I don’t anticipate having the opportunity to see the month’s focus topic in person. But, many times I am proven wrong and all of my preparation for the study is rewarded with an awesome experience.

This happened while camping on the Oregon coast when we found lots and lots of black turban snails (Tegula funebralis) to view up close and in detail.

Here is a short YouTube video that we uploaded showing the animal that lives inside the shell:Black Turban

This is the star of our nature study…the black turban which in real life looks quite blue or purple. We discovered the reason for this doing some research once we were able to get on the internet. Take a close look at who is living on the outer shell of this black turban! Amazing since the size of the snail shell is probably a little over an inch….it just looks bigger in my close up images. (click on the photo to really see it)

They get pounded by the surf and it actually wears away the outer shell to expose the colorful layers underneath. This image shows just how plentiful they are on this part of the coast. This is only exposed at low tide so the black turban actually can capture some water inside its shell and then “plug” it up with the operculum to keep itself moist until the tide rises again and they are under water. Amazing creation!

If you look closely at the images, you may spy some limpets and barnacles on the rocks surrounding the snails and also on the snails outer shell! This was not apparent to use until we looked at the images and is quite common.

Want to learn more about the Oregon Tidepools? Here is a wonderful and helpful link: Oregon Tidepools.

Just a sidenote: I found a wonderful page on the Monterey Bay Aquarium that features many invertebrates that you might like to share with your children. So many of these don’t look like they should be invertebrates so it may spark some interest in the topic for your family. Plus, it is a beautiful page! Invertebrates – Animal Guide

Here is my very sloppy journal page for our discovery…it is more about the learning than the journal at this point in my life. I hope it inspires you to create something after your snail study!

There is still time to subscribe to the blog and receive this month’s newsletter link in your confirmation email.

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Posted on July 18, 2016 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – July Experiences

July is always a busy outdoor month in our family and this year is certainly no exception. Between the garden and hiking we are outside hours and hours each week. (Here is last year’s July entry.)

Since my children are all grown up and they live so very far away, I now have my trusty canine friend to accompany me on my outdoor adventures. She is always willing to take a walk or stay close by when I am gardening. We manage to fit in a bit of ball throwing to keep her smiling.

Here is a striking image of a wildflower from a hike we did this month. My husband says it makes him happy when I find a flower to photograph because he knows it is one of my favorite things to do. We have very little rain in our part of California during the summer months so most of the grasses turn brown, contrasting with the brilliantly colored wildflowers that manage to thrive in this dry hot environment. I am pretty sure this is some sort of penstemon.

Every now and then my husband will snap a photo of me on the trial…this one was on a new hike to Floating Island Lake up in the Desolation Wilderness. If you are familiar with the Lake Tahoe area of California, you will be interested to know this is right by Fallen Leaf Lake and on the same trail that leads to the top of Mt. Tallac. We both thought this was an amazing vista as you hiked along the ridge above Fallen Leaf. This is a perfect day hike!

On an evening hike to the river, I discovered a patch of narrow leaf milkweed...something new to me but I recognized the flower pattern as some sort of milkweed right away and that got me excited. Excited because I would love to have a little milkweed patch with these growing in my backyard. I did some research and discovered that since this is growing on BLM land, I am allowed to take some seeds when the time comes to use for my personal use. I am now going to be watching to see when I can harvest a few seeds to sow in my backyard wild space. [I found this printable from BLM in Nevada and I assume it is the same in California.]

Just trying to keep myself accountable…as part of my nature goals this year I am creating some bird nature journal pages. This one is for the California towhee which is a familiar and frequent visitor to my yard. Slow and steady and maybe I will achieve my goal this year!

You can read about my goals by clicking the button above.

We have been picking blackberries for a couple weeks now and they are still coming strong. Have you ever smelled warm blackberries in the sunshine? It is one of my favorite summer time smells! We will be picking some more but there will be plenty for birds and other visitors to our front yard habitat. We actually discovered another berry patch that has grown in thickly at our back property line and the fruit there is thick and yummy!

Did you know there is a strawberry nature study in the archives? Look on the garden tab and scroll down to the crop plant challenges. Click here to go there now: Strawberry Nature Study.
I have also been spending time in my dad’s garden, mostly taking photos and keeping track of anything my dad needs. He is still out in his garden every day even though he is almost 87 years old. I think it is his therapy. This swallowtail was amazing to see as it fluttered among the lantana blossoms. My dad has a whole bank covered with lantana and if you stop and watch you can spot three or four different butterflies, lizards, and hummingbirds that visit often. So pretty!

One last image for you as part of my Outdoor Mom’s Journal this month. The collage below is one I made and shared with my children on the day we sold our ski boat last month. It was a great family boat and we have many, many happy memories aboard the boat …and behind it on skis, wakeboards, and tubes. It was a part of our family for the last 28 years and now it has gone to a new family to enjoy for many more years to come. We love the water but with our family being so spread out now, we rarely took the boat out at all. Instead, we are going to take some of the money to purchase a new tandem kayak for my husband and I. Stay tuned for some new water adventures…of a slower kind.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Devils Postpile National Monument – Tips and Images

We had a wonderful trip to Devils Postpile National Monument last month. It wasn’t anything like we expected but it was even better. So much to do and so many trails to hike and explore…we must make a return trip some day soon. First of all, its location is a little off the beaten path for most people but it can easily be included along with a visit to Yosemite National Park. (Distance from Yosemite National Park’s Tioga Road entrance is approximately 70 miles or 1.5 hours driving.)

There are so many opportunities to hike and camp at this national monument and with Mammoth Mountain so nearby, you could easily spend a week here just exploring the eastern Sierra.

I will focus my post on our day hike in the park and share some tips for getting the most out of what you could possibly do on a quick visit.

Our Perfect Day Hike at Devils Postpile (with a hike to Rainbow Falls too!)

We parked at Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center to catch the shuttle into Devils Postpile. It is a requirement that you use the shuttle during certain hours of the day or if you don’t have very specific conditions that apply that allow you to drive your personal vehicle. (disabled plates or placard, boats to put on the lake, you have camping reservations, etc). I highly recommend that you check the website for more information. The shuttle allows you to get off and on as many times as you want throughout your stay.

The shuttle costs $7 per person to ride and we found the bus came around the circuit quite frequently so we never waited very long.

Shuttle Bus Information

There is a small visitor center at shuttle stop number 6 which is where we hopped off to hike to the actual postpile. There are restrooms available there at that shuttle stop. We knew we wanted to make a day hike so the option to start at shuttle stop 6, hike to the postpile, continue on to Rainbow Falls, and then loop up to shuttle stop number 10 made sense for us. It was still about 3.8 miles in total with a few steep sections but mostly easy hiking.

We enjoyed the thought that we actually were hiking on a portion of the John Muir Trail. It was an easy hike of about a half mile to the Devils Postpile and there were quite a few people on the trail with us.

We didn’t realize that the early morning light was not conducive to a good photograph of the postpile. The sun is rising up over the rock formation so you get quite a bit of glare. We managed to take a few decent photos and opted out of hiking the trail up to the top to look down from the top of the postpile.

The trail is very exposed so make sure to bring a hat or sunblock. Also, although it wasn’t even a really hot day, we went through lots of water. Maybe it is the elevation of the hike but we were thirsty! Once we passed the postpile, the crowds disappeared and we only saw a few other hikers. Solitude!

I was surprised to see we would be entering into the Ansel Adams Wilderness and I felt it required a photo of me to document our great day. We sat on a log near here and ate our lunch as we contemplated the beauty of this place. What a treasure of a day!

This waterfall was our ultimate goal! Rainbow Falls lives up to its name and there were two rainbows in the mist at the base of the falls. The trail to the bottom of the falls was closed so we weren’t able to make the last leg down to the river level but we enjoyed sitting on a rock at the top and listening to the thundering water and feeling the mist as it drifted out over the rocks.

From the falls we hiked up to shuttle stop number 10 which is at Reds Meadow Resort. There is a small store and restaurant to purchase some snacks and drinks. We had a cold drink and sat with the hikers who were on their trek to cover the John Muir Trail to Mount Whitney. There were some hikers who had packed in from Yosemite Valley too. Oh how I wish I were able to make that hike!

Additional Information:

No entrance fee if you are on the shuttle bus (fee included in shuttle ticket).
Make sure to get a map at the visitor center (shuttle stop 6) before you head out on the trail.
Lodging available at Mammoth Lake.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Goals 2016 – 2nd Quarter Update

Nature Study Goals 2016- Second Quarter Update

1. Complete 2 out of 4 Outdoor Hour Challenges each month posted on Fridays. During the second quarter I was able to post 5 entries…not quite the six planned but very close!

April entries: Garden Seeds Project and Signs of Spring
May entries: Wildflowers by Color and Wildflower Color Hunt
June entry: June 2016 Nature Photo (from newsletter)

2. Research and learn about four birds. Learn the call, field marks, and create a nature journal. I did not complete any entries this quarter but I just added one to my planner…watch for it!
3. Focus on learning my local wildflowers. Create some sort of record of each flower. I was able to add 15 entries in my wildflower notebook…each entry has the flowers seen and identified listed. I take this journal with me everywhere!
4. Take Yosemite photos from the Yosemite photography book- On our second visit to Yosemite in May, I was able to take photos as part of this project. Amazing place!
5. Visit a new national park. We made it to TWO new national park/monuments this quarter! I visited Shenandoah National Park with my kids and Devil’s Postpile National Monument with my husband (entry soon).
6. Visit two new state parks. We visited San Clemente State Beach in February and South Yuba River State Park in April.
7. Identify three rocks from my original challenge. I am currently working on my basalt entry…look for it soon!
8. Read 10 nature related book! May- The Practical Naturalist. June – Botany in a Day.

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Don’t forget that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to the brand new Learning About Birds ebook!

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Creating Wildlife Habitat

This is the time of year that the rewards of creating a wildlife habitat are coming clear as the insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals visit our yard each day. There seems to be someone enjoying the space at all times. I hear buzzing and chirping during the day and see signs that someone has come to drink water and dig around in the leaves at night. I even have seen where some deer have been sleeping around on the side of our house. My husband saw a fox one evening and I heard an owl in our tree.

The yard is so alive and full of surprises each day.

I highly recommend the creating of a wildlife habitat that fits your local area’s wild residents.

The National Wildlife Federation website is a wealth of information on how to create your own habitat, step by step. Read this article about creating a wildlife habitat in your own yard. There is also a short video to watch: http://blog.nwf.org/2016/02/this-week-in-nwf-history-creating-wildlife-habitat-in-your-yard/

Once you certify your garden online, you can order a flag or sign to proudly display in your yard. I ordered the classic sign and we mounted it near our front walkway. Here are all the signs available: National Wildlife Federation Sign Shop.

Would you like a free printable plan for creating your own Wildlife Habitat? I created one for you to use as you access your yard for the four elements you will need to become certified.

Download and print yours here: Wildlife Habitat Plan

For more information, use this link to the National Wildlife Federation: Certify!

I wrote an entry a few years ago about the making of our own wildlife habitat. This entry mostly shows our backyard and how we planted things and arranged the yard to accommodate a variety of wildlife. Read more about the specific things you need to create a living space in your own yard: Making Your Backyard a Wildlife Habitat. You may find this entry helpful: Birdwatching 101- Attracting Birds with feeders and plants.

Here is another entry that shows the transformation of our front yard into a more wildlife friendly habitat: Frontyard Remodel. We have since added a mason bee house that you can read about in this post: Mason Bee House. Here is an entry that shows our frontyard in all four seasons: From My Window.

Winter Garden For Wildlife Part 1: This is mostly about the plants you can add to your yard to make a winter habitat for wildlife.

Winter Garden for Wildlife – Part 2: This post will give you simple ideas for attracting and sheltering wildlife in the winter months.

You may wish to read this entry: Gardening For Birds. In this entry, I share how I have added specific plants to attract and nourish our backyard birds.

Now that summer is here, you may be spending more time in your yard or garden. Take a few minutes to observe any wildlife that visits! Use the printable above to make your wildlife habitat plan soon and then go over to the National Wildlife Federation website to get certified. Then, proudly display your sign and tell your neighbors about the program so they can participate too.

Have you thought about creating a wildlife habitat?

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Posted on June 22, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Calaveras Big Trees State Park – Tips and Images

We had the chance to camp for a few days at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. We waited too long and we couldn’t get a campsite at Yosemite National Park so we decided to try Calaveras as an alternative (the parks are about 80 miles apart). If you are looking for a spot to camp and hike under the tall trees, this is a wonderful place to do it. Of course, there are no spectacular waterfalls at Calaveras but there are lots of trees, wildflowers, and a river to satisfy your nature loving spirit. Yosemite National Park has three groves of sequoia trees and Calaveras has two main groves – the North and the South groves. We hiked both groves during our visit.

I have visited many of California’s sequoia groves in my life time but the South Grove at Calaveras Big Trees is my favorite because of the quietness and wildness of its location. It takes effort to get there on a hike of around four miles round trip after a nine mile drive from the park entrance but that makes it less crowded so you can enjoy the natural beauty of a ancient sequoia grove.

Take a quick stop at the visitor center before you head down the road to the grove. I loved this visitor center because of its very well down exhibits that provide a decent background to the sequoia story, the local habitat, and the cultural information about this area.

Now you can drive down to the trailhead, perhaps stopping briefly at the view point. The hike to the South Grove starts at a large parking lot adjacent to a picnic area with restrooms. There are no sequoias here but the forest is full of tall pines and cedars and a creek. Across the creek you start the trail to the South Grove. I picked up the interpretive trail guide for fifty cents at the visitor center but there are some at the trailhead as well. Now the hike! It was a good trail that isn’t too steep…gradual incline. If you are using the interpretive guide, it will describe some of the specific things you are viewing along the way to the actual grove and then a little background and information about certain trees as you hike the loop. We encountered a handful of people during our hike and it felt as if we were there all on our own. I love that! We had a friend along with us that had never seen sequoias before and it was interesting to hear her comments about the massive size of these trees. The quiet is broken only with babbling creeks and birdsong. Imagining these trees growing for thousands of years boggles the mind. We learned a lot about the sequoia life cycle on this hike, the interconnected web of seed dispersal that includes a certain squirrel and a beetle, and the value of a good fire to the stability of this forest ecosystem. We also saw a snake! If you want to see some sequoias and are not wanting the crowds of Yosemite, this is a great alternative place to visit. There are two large campgrounds if you like to camp. We stayed at North Grove and it was very pretty. There was a creek running through the camground and there were places for kids to dip in a net to catch a minnow or a tadpole. The large meadow adjacent to the campground has a boardwalk across it so you can walk out and enjoy the plants, insects, and other sights in this habitat. Please note that the main highway runs alongside the campground and it might be smart to check the area map when you are making your reservations to see if your site backs up to the road. We could hear the cars go by from our site but it wasn’t distracting. Here is the obligatory image from atop the big stump (Discovery Stump). We enjoyed our stay at the park and highly recommend it to families who are looking for camping, hiking, and exploring in Northern California.

Additional Tips

Distances: From San Francisco – about 150 miles. From Reno, Nevada – about 125 miles. From Sacramento- 100 miles. From South Lake Tahoe- about 90 miles (gorgeous drive!)
There is a fee to get into the park for day use.
It does snow here in the winter so you will want to check the park’s website for information on road closures.
In winter, there is a warming hut for those that use the trails for snow shoes and skiing.
Towns near-by for hotels, restaurants, and gas: Arnold, CA and Murphys, CA.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)

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Posted on June 8, 2016 by Barb — 5 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – June

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – May 2016

I saw this sign in the gift shop at Yosemite National Park and it expresses how I feel about the time I spend hiking in the mountains. I remember saying on a hike this month that I could spend all day, every day hiking and never get tired of it. The minute my feet hit the trail, my cares melt away. We have spent many days this month hiking and walking outside in the sunshine. May is a month of great contrasts in weather and by the last week, we hiked under a blazing sun.

My California habitat is shown in the photo above. I told my friend that oaks and poppies on rolling hills just feels like my “home”. We took a new hike at Hidden Falls Regional Park (about an hour from home) on a whim. I had read about it in my hiking book, did a quick search on the internet, and then we jumped into the car early one Saturday morning. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived and it sort of concerned us that we might have a crowd on the trail. But, our worries were for nothing and it is such a big place that we never encountered any congestion and felt as if we had the place to ourselves most of the morning.

Wow! It was a wonderful day of hiking. We did see waterfalls and an area called Seven Pools. This is definitely a spring hike because I’m sure it is HOT here during the summer months.

Our second most exciting day trip was to Yosemite National Park. We wanted to view the waterfalls and valley this spring after all of the wet winter weather. We were not disappointed. We took a friend along who hadn’t seen the waterfalls before and it was fun to see everything from her eyes.

This is Yosemite Falls from a distance, taken from the Swinging Bridge. The river is up over its normal banks and nearly to the level of the bottom of the bridge. There is a lot of water!

We hiked to the top of Columbia Rock and this is the view from my resting spot. What an awesome perspective! We sat up here for a long time, quietly taking in the view. That is the Merced River down there as it meanders through the valley, near Yosemite Lodge (newly named Yosemite Valley Lodge).

Here is the view from Columbia Rock turning the camera in the other direction. Half Dome dominates the landscape. We never tire of this place…I would go back today if I could squeeze it in.

Closer to home, we saw this Mariposa lily on a hike near our home. We normally see one or two of these at a time but this year the whole hillside was covered in them. I love the side view!

I need to share one image from my backyard garden. I chose this image because it has my Disneyland rose in all its glory and my Kona dog in the background. Look at all that green grass! After 3 years of drought, it is wonderful to see my yard all lush and green.

It has been an amazing month for our family. We made lots of memories, saw gorgeous views, discovered new trails, and observed about 50 different wildflowers (kept track in my journal).

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Shenandoah National Park – Tips and Images

My recent trip to the East Coast (last week of April) allowed time for a visit to a national park. We picked Shenandoah National Park since it was a little more like spring in Virginia than it was in New York! At least the trees were green and the wildflowers were beginning to make an appearance. We entered the park at the Front Royal entrance and drove south along Skyline Drive.

Please note that we had a short visit, stayed in a cabin, and because of the weather only did a few hikes. There is so much to do in this national park that I can’t adequately write about in this entry. Please do some additional research on the national park website and there are quite a number of excellent YouTube videos to inspire you as well.

Of course, first stop was the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center for information and stamping my national park passport. The exhibits were pretty ordinary at this visitor center (so if you have to pick one to go to, plan on the Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center at Big Meadow). We did watch the introductory video which was well done and informative. After that we tried to get some advice on hikes for our stay from the ranger. Maybe it was an off day but he didn’t seem very helpful. I told him we were interested in day hikes where we could see wildflowers and/or waterfalls. He told us we were too early for flowers…glad we didn’t listen to him. He gave us a map and sort of circled a few things but I was glad I had purchased a day hike book from Amazon before the trip (Best Day Hikes -Shenandoah), it was far more useful. We ended up seeing lots of flowers during our stay at the park.

We made our way down Skyline Drive from north to south. Interesting fact: all trails are off this road, they interconnect with other trails, and signs have landmarks and direction on the top on metal bands. This was helpful information I did learn from the ranger. Make sure to pick up a map when you enter the park so you can choose your hikes accordingly.

Spring at Shenandoah National Park means waterfalls, dogwoods, flowers, and trees getting their leaves. I had a blast looking for wildflowers and taking tons of photos. I have spent the days since I returned home with the images and my wildflower field guide adding flowers to my nature journal list.

The Appalachian Trail runs length of park and many times the park trails are part of the AT or at least cross over it. I got to see lots of the AT on this trip which makes me happy!

Skyland Resort (inside the park) was a perfect central place for our trip but if you have time to camp, I would think that this is a glorious place to camp. We stayed in the Hazeltop building right on the side of the ridge. It was a short drive from registration to the cabin. You could walk but it was difficult at night after dinner.

The room was super clean and comfortable. There was a balcony where we could see out over the valley and the lights of Luray at night. The way the sunlight changed the view with light and color was amazing, reminding me of the Grand Canyon.

The Pollock Room was perfect for breakfast and I had the best grits ever there. We had dinner both nights at the Tap room and both nights there was live entertainment- bluegrass and cloggers.

Stony Man Trail

Stony Man at sunset was awesome! This is a must do hike on a visit to Shenandoah. The trail is not very long and it is not strenuous at all. There was plenty of parking at the trailhead but no restrooms.

Little Stony Man Trail

This hike was equally as rewarding at sunset and I would highly recommend it for all visitors as well. It is a perfect hike for families.

You can just drive skyline drive and stop and look at views if you have a really short time here at this park but you would miss much of the real Shenandoah experience.
We settled on Dark Hollow Falls and Rose River Falls (done in a loop). We had the trail to ourselves in the early morning that was filled with birdsong, the sound of trees swaying and water cascading. The early spring wild flowers made this such a fun experience as we hiked down into the hollow and then back up the fire road.

My son had a great time climbing around on the rocks….see if you can spot him in the photo above.

This was a great hike and we wish we could return in the summer to see the forest with leaves…or the fall with color!

After this hike we ate at the Big Meadows Wayside which is one of three little cafes along Skyline Drive. It was raining here so we didn’t get to see much. We also went to the Harry F. Byrd visitor center which was far superior to the one at Dickey Ridge. The natural and cultural history are well represented. The view out onto the meadow was pretty in the rain. It was a misty day and we decided to head way back down to lower elevations for a hike and it paid off.

My best tip: If you can stay overnight, you truly would see how this is a magical place. The million dollar sunset, the early morning colors out over the valley, the birdsong, the trees and flowers…all of this is enjoyed much more at a slower pace.

Additional Tips:

$20 entrance fee. There are four park entrances- see park page for maps and directions. It is approximately 70 miles from Washington, D.C. to the north entrance.
Make sure to check operating hours for the visitor centers, the restaurants, lodges, and campgrounds before heading to Virginia.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Cabrillo National Monument – Tips and Images

Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego, California

On our February trip to Southern California we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at Cabrillo National Monument which is right in San Diego.

In the image above you can see from the peninsula where the park is located that you are just across the water from the city of San Diego. It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine which inspired us to walk up to the lighthouse from the visitor center.

This is a gigantic statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo the explorer for whom this park is named. The view from this spot out onto the water with the many ships and sailboats was amazing.

The lighthouse was open the day we were there and they had it set up to show what life was like back when the lighthouse was in operation. The historical information was interesting and helped us gain an understanding of how lighthouse life would have been.

Walking out onto the point beyond the lighthouse, we were able to view the ocean for migrating whales. No whales on this day but this a prime spot to watch for these awesome creatures. There was a shelter around the point so you would be protected from weather or wind if you needed. On the day we visited, there was no need because it was picture postcard perfect. I can’t help but be disappointed that we didn’t spot any whales but you can’t have everything.

The highlight of the visit was our time spent at the tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument. We had checked the low tide time on the tide tables before visiting and then again at the visitor center to make sure we hit it just right. The low tide allows you access to places covered in water at other times. We saw many tidepool creatures, including an octopus!!! The hike down to the water was a little slippery and rocky so I would highly recommend some sort of water shoe or sandals.

There were people with jeans and sneakers on but they were having a hard time wading through the water to see the best of the tidepools. There were quite a few people in the tidepools, including some park rangers, but it never felt crowded. I highly recommend this activity when you visit if you can time it right.
Here are a few treasures we found (and left) during our wading expedition in the tidepool area.

This is the biggest intact shell I have ever found in my life. It was gorgeous and as much as I wanted to take it home with me….I left it for someone else to discover and enjoy. I have this amazing image to remind me of the excitement of pulling it up from the sandy area around the tidepool.

Additional Tips:

There is a $10 entrance fee.
There are very strict hours for the park so make sure to check before you drive out there – Park Hours.
As noted before, wear appropriate clothing and footwear
There are restrooms at the visitor center and down at the tidepool parking lot.
Tidepool visit: Learn ahead of time what you can touch and what you can’t and leave it all there. Prepare ahead of time. The tidepools might be hard for very young children but I would say 5 and up.
The historic exhibits at the visitor center are small but interesting.
There is a small gift shop at the visitor center.
You can easily see everything in a couple of hours.
Other attractions near-by: San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Legoland, Balboa Park, Coronado.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)

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