Hidden Falls Regional Park, Auburn, CA - May 2013

About one hour east of Sacramento lies Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn, CA. This place is a real gem for those living near Sacramento and was recently expanded with new trails and excellent hiking facilities. The park contains several canyons with year-round rivers and waterfalls. It is in the California foothills with the oaks and hills typically found in the region. There are hiking trails for all activity levels and is popular with families. And it's free!

The drive to the park takes you past several Satsuma orchards along the Placer County Wine Trail outside of Auburn. Once you finally get there, the park seems pretty small with a parking lot and a small trailhead. However, most of the part is literally over the river and through the woods. The first hike is either along the service road or the easier trail pictured above. Once you climb down the first valley and cross the river, you have many options.

There is a great hike to the actual Hidden Falls overlook, but for this trip I explored the new area. The access road takes you over several fire breaks and into a side valley with another set of falls. These falls are not as impressive, but Placer County installed a nice overlook gazebo and bridge which were worth the hike. You will not get to the actual falls without a major hike, but the main trails will take you close enough for some cool pictures. Plus the hike there is very nice too.

You will get dusty on this hike. The trails have lots of fine red clay which will stain white clothes. BRING WET NAPS! There are several portable toilets along the hike, but water is limited, so pack some extra fluids for the trip. It is a very nice hike for everyone and very close. Pack a change of clothes if you want to hit up some wineries on the way back. Enjoy the rest of the hike below.

Yosemite National Park - May 2013

It has been about four years since I last visited Yosemite National Park. I have wanted to go for a while, and the weather and waterfall forecasts were perfect. The drive takes about three hours from Sacramento which is a very long day trip - although I always recommend an overnight trip, especially when combined with the amazing Ahwahnee Sunday Brunch. This is one of the oldest and most beautiful national parks in the United States, if not the entire world.

The first stop was Yosemite Falls in the middle of the park valley. The park valley is surrounded by sheer granite walls with massive waterfalls pouring over the sides. Yosemite Falls is in two parts with the most visible upper falls pictured above. You can walk up to the base of the lower falls which is especially strong (and loud) during the spring melt. There are many challenging hikes around if you have the right shoes and no fear of heights!

After a nice picnic lunch and some shopping, it was time for a wine break in the lobby of the Ahwahnee Hotel. The hotel is gorgeous in the style of a craftsman lodge with amazing detail in stone and wood. The dogwoods were also in bloom which made the valley even more beautiful. Guests from around the world can stay both in luxury and rustic camping within walking distance. The valley is always busy with foreign tourists speaking many languages but always with the same amazed look on their faces.

This weekend was the first opening of Glacier Point which overlooks the entire valley. The road is long and winding, but the views are incredible. It is possible to hike the four miles from the valley floor, but most people take their cars instead. My iPhone has a great panoramic picture capability which was used extensively in such a beautiful place.

Yes, that is me saying goodbye to Yosemite after a wonderful day. After a brief stop overlooking the valley one last time, I took Highway 140 back to Merced. This highway was subject to a landslide in the last few years, and the effects are still eerily visible from the highway and temporary detour. Another great day in a great place! Enjoy the pictures.

Folsom - April 2013

Folsom, CA is a city near Sacramento which is also one of the original Gold Rush towns in California. The city is located on the American River and has a rough and tumble history matching most old towns in the area. It is also the home of the Folsom State Prison. These days, there are far more professionals and suburban warriors living there than convicts, but the downtown area still retains that frontier charm.

Along Sutter Street, there are many shops and restaurants in the old restored buildings. You can browse antiques, get your fortune told, buy some Christmas ornaments in one of the best places for such I have seen (seriously, sushi ornaments!), and even get a good local beer from the Lockdown Brewing Company - my favorite is the Scotch Ale.

Within walking distance from downtown Folsom is the American River, downstream from the Folsom Dam. Legend has it that they named the dam after the town. The dammed river is used by many boaters and makes a nice backdrop for hikers and bikers. The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (aka American River Bike Trail) is pictured above crossing the river and is used by many brave commuters to bike downtown. There is now a light rail train that can provide the same service for those afraid of skin-tight lycra. Please enjoy the rest of the Folsom pics below:

Calaveras Big Trees State Park - April 2013

First off, I want to apologize to all the people who had to walk around my tripod and wait for me to take my pictures. The Calaveras Big Trees State Park is just such a nice place to take some serious pictures, and there are plenty of volunteers reminding you to stay on the sometimes muddy path. The park is about 30 minutes past Murphys along Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevadas and has a large grove of sequoias that are very old and very tall. This is probably why the park is named Big Trees.

I took the North Grove Trail which is about 1.5 miles long and close to the parking lot. It should take a normal person about an hour to hike the loop, but toting photo equipment and stopping all the time made my trip nearly three hours! Tall sequoias are always much more impressive than their SUV namesakes seen in a neighborhood Target parking lot. The hike is perfect for nearly everybody and has lots of big trees!

The loop takes you past all the key sights of the park, although you need to hike further to see the Tuolumne River. If you go, make sure to bring some water and food since the park is pretty basic. And yes, part of the trail involves walking through a tree. I was fortunate to have a warm, clear spring day for my adventure which made the pictures even better. Please enjoy the rest below:

Murphys, CA - April 2013

If you ever travel to Calaveras County, you will notice a higher than normal amount of frogs. They probably have the normal number of real frogs, but ever since Mark Twain published The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County the region celebrates the frog at every opportunity. That said, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the county, especially the quaint little town of Murphys.

The town only has about 2,000 people, although on the weekends there are about 2,000 couples visiting for a romantic weekend of drinking wine, shopping antique stores, drinking more wine, hiking in the forest, drinking even more wine, enjoying a nice dinner, then finishing their day drinking more wine. Yes, most of the regional wineries have tasting rooms in the beautiful small downtown area, and they get used very often. Other than the good wine, the scenery is beautiful with a river and lots of beautiful trees in the downtown area.

The region also has many caverns - Moaning Caverns and Mercer Caverns - and remnants of the gold rush. Some people even say that the old water flumes crossing the hilly landscape are used for things other than carrying water...

I can say that I know 0.3% of the town's population, all 6 of them! Don't forget to check out the annual Frog Jump and the Calaveras Big Trees State Park when in the area. Enjoy the rest of the Murphys pictures below: