Outdoors
Canyon dig it! – Los Penasquitos Canyon Reserve
It might not be Yosemite, but Los Penasquitos Canyon Reserve in San Diego has plenty of beautiful trails to explore. One of the best ways to see this 4,000 acre suburban wilderness is on a moderate 7-mile (round-trip) mountain bike ride.
Chihuly Garden and Glass – Seattle, Washington
Visiting Seattle, Washington on limited time? You can easily visit two locations in one day in addition to the infamous Space Needle. One of those is the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition that opened in 2012. For frequent travelers the sculptures will immediately look familiar as Dale Chihuly’s artwork is dispersed throughout the world in small to large venues. This exhibit is exclusively dedicated to his work.
Salvation Mountain – Off the Beaten Path
A few hours away from San Diego in Niland, Calif. 190 miles southeast of Los Angeles, in the lower desert of Southern California in Imperial County just east of the Salton Sea and about an hour and a half from Palm Springs, you will encounter Salvation Mountain.
Bridge 2 Bridge Cruise – San Francisco
A great way to learn about San Franciso history is by taking one of the short day cruises offered on the bay. The Bridge-to-Bridge tour operated by Red And White Fleet was not only educational but also romantic. It goes from the Golden Gate Bridge at the edge of the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Bay Bridge in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district and last 90 minutes.
The Point Reyes – Rusty Beauty
If you’re into Off the Beaten Path travel you’ll be sure to enjoy, The Point Reyes, an abandoned and deteriorating fishing boat in Inverness, Marin County, California. A short drive north of San Francisco, it is located near Point Reyes National Seashore.
Monarch Butterflies at Ardenwood Historic Farm
Several people waited online outside Ardenwood Historic Farm (Fremont) on New Year’s Day to view the monarch butterflies that migrate there in search of warmth. They travel hundreds of miles from the western U.S. and Canada to escape temperatures that can hit below freezing. There’s been a great decline in their population as many as 25,000 were counted in 1997 compared to about 1,600 at the farm this year.