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.”
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.
While San Diego is a young city in terms of history, it has a number of hidden historic gems. Many of these locations are clustered near the current city center (such as the Whaley House), but one of the spots, the Old Mission Dam, is located in the middle of San Diego's largest municipal park, Mission Trails. The Old Mission Dam is a historic structure for a number of reasons, but first and foremost, it is the oldest colonial engineering project on the Pacific Coast.
If I was to ask you where the largest municipally owned urban park in California was located, chances are that you’d draw a blank. If I was then ask you where the sixth largest municipally owned urban park in the nation was, chances are you’d have some guesses, but you’d still be wrong. The answer to both questions, however, is the same: I am talking about Mission Trails Regional Park, which is located in San Diego, California. At 5,800 acres of open space, Mission Trails does feel more like a state park or national park, but it is in fact owned by the City of San Diego. I could go on and on about the particulars of Mission Trails, about how the park has secret seasonal waterfalls, great climbing, and a couple of hidden ponds, but perhaps the most challenging workout within the park is its best secret; and that workout is the ascent up to Kwaay Paay Peak.
