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

Review: Malibu Wine Hikes

Review: Malibu Wine Hikes

Although Los Angeles is a large area that defies description due to the variety of things one can do, the popular perception is that outside of industrial highways, the Hollywood sign, and Disneyland, the area is a bit of a barren wasteland. This perception is a shame for numerous reasons, particularly because of the great variety of terrain the region has from alpine to beach, and because of the number of interesting activities that the greater basin provides, including bungee jumping from the Bridge to Nowhere, and sliding down a glass slide in downtown Los Angeles proper. Along these lines comes an activity that was inspired by African safaris, the Malibu Wine Hikes.

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2016 Holiday Gift Guide

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2016 Holiday Gift Guide

From start to finish, the one consistent thing about each year for me is that I use a variety of products to do a number of things. In certain ways, I am a creature of habit and I use certain pieces of gear until they unravel, break or otherwise need to be replaced, because they are either that good or I see no need to upgrade just to upgrade. Equally as consistent, I also receive a variety of pieces of gear to test for a variety of companies; and on occasion, I also learn about products that I want to purchase, or need to purchase for a number of reasons. At the end of the year, I look back on what I did, what worked for me, what didn’t, and make up a list of things that I’d recommend for a last-minute gift guide. As always, if the product made my list, you can be sure that it was tested in a variety of situations over a period of time. So, without further ado, here’s what I’d recommend for 2016 on a variety of fronts:

Fan Tan Alley

Fan Tan Alley

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, and one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. And, among other unique things, it is the home to the narrowest street in all of Canada, Fan Tan Alley. During the gold rush period of the nineteenth century, Victoria attracted a large number of Chinese immigrants, who formed their own district in the city, an area that is also the oldest Chinatown in Canada. Fan Tan Alley was a narrow street in this area, and an area of ill-repute, full of opium dens, gambling, and various other illicit activities. However, a hundred and sixty some years later, its narrow passageway is known as a tourist mecca, both for people who like strange, narrow streets, and for people who like to explore the history and shops of Victoria. At its narrowest point, the alley is just under four feet wide, and has been featured in a number of movies, including Bird on a Wire.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

Although London has a plethora of historic and iconic locations, one of the top destinations is and has been the distinctive Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge is also not to be confused with London Bridge, which sits nearby on the Thames, and has been replaced on numerous occasions over the last two thousand years. The Tower Bridge was designed by Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry with two towers that were connected by two upper horizontal walkways; and at the time of its opening, it was the largest – and most sophisticated bascule bridge in the world. Construction of the bridge took eight years (1886-1984), and over 70,000 tons of concrete and 10,000 tons of steel. Since 1894, the bridge has been open to foot, vehicle, and water traffic, although the internal engines of the bridge have been replaced, and the original upper walkways have been renovated since the opening. While any pedestrian can walk across the Tower Bridge, or admire it from the nearby Tower of London, since 1982 the bridge has been a working museum as well with the “Tower Bridge Experience”; and since 2012, the Tower Bridge Experience has featured glass bottomed walkways in the upper horizontal passthroughs.

Cave of the Four Horsemen

Cave of the Four Horsemen

From Baja California through the Los Angeles basin, there are many pieces of rock art that link today’s California to the California of the past. While many of these pieces are located in hard to reach places, and have suffered the ravages of time, or mankind, the Cave of the Four Horsemen in Malibu is a location that has been both well-preserved, and for the most part, is easily accessible. Officially known as the “Saddle Rock Pictograph Site”, the Cave of the Four Horseman is a pictograph site located in a rockshelter in Malibu, and is the best preserved rock art of the Chumash tribe. While the Chumash inhabited the Los Angeles basin from 5,000 B.C. onward, the Cave of the Four Horsemen is unique because it depicts the expedition of Gaspar de Portola, which passed through the region in 1769-1770. Although the rockshelter has a plethora of fine paintings that have survived, the signature pictographs depict four individual men on horseback, and is the inspiration for the cave’s name.

Top seven things to do in Annecy

Top seven things to do in Annecy

Although almost every town of France is charming and picturesque in its own way, one of the best towns, if not the best, is Annecy, which is known as both the “Pearl of the Alps” and the “Venice of the Alps”. Located in the Haute-Savoie region of France, Annecy sits in a unique location with river canals, an alpine lake, and easy access to the foothills of the Alps along with the larger peaks of the range. Annecy is also a historic town, with roots stretching back to the tenth century, the Duchy of Savoy, and a number of items that affected French history, such as the counter-reformation and the French Revolution. With its old town, expansive lakeside park, and associated outdoor activities, Annecy is a town a visitor could spend numerous days in easily; but whether one is spending a day or longer there, these locations in and around Annecy will keep one busy no matter the time of year.

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Potrero Peak

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Potrero Peak

San Diego County has many high points of over a thousand feet; and out of these high points, some are more popular than others. While there are many lists of mountains that can be climbed, the main list for hiking enthusiasts in the confines of the county is the Sierra Club “100 Peaks” list. Over the years, due to a variety of factors, some of the peaks on the list have been exchanged for others. Despite the changes, the mountains that originally started on the list have remained, and in most cases, are still accessible. One of the original peaks of the “100 Peaks” list, Potrero Peak was removed, but is to this day, remains accessible for hikers in the county who want to climb a mountain along the Border Range.