Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

California Strange Spots

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Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

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Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

One of the great things about California is that it is a state with rich pre-European history and post-European history. With respect to the latter, California has a number of state parks and monuments dedicated to the Gold Rush of the Nineteenth Century, along with a number of museums that do an excellent job of preserving the history of the state. While all of these locations are fantastic, most of these locations prefer that visitors do not touch or handle the relics of the past. However, California also has an area where visitors can experience what some of the amenities of the nineteenth century were like at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (“YMSPRR”).

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Mud Pots of the Salton Sea

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Mud Pots of the Salton Sea

As I've talked about before on my blog, California is a state that has a number of interesting geologic features. From Mud Caves, to Lava Tube Caves, to strange appearing and disappearing water filled holes in Death Valley, this state has it all - and then some. Just when I think I've seen every unique geologic feature that the state has to offer, something new pops up. In this case, the feature literally pops - and bubbles - but more on that later. In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the mud pots - or mud volcanoes of the Salton Sea. I had heard rumors about this feature from my fellow blogger, Josh McNair, and when my fiance and I were back out at Salvation Mountain last week, I knew that we had to check it out. After a little bit of navigation, we - among other people - found the spot.