Staycations California

We found some huge chunks of sea glass on Labor Day Weekend in Southern California.

This photo shows some of the glass and beautiful rocks along the shore.

Photo: Debbie Colwell

 

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in”
-John Muir

The John Muir Trail

I saw some photos on Facebook from a few friends who just hiked the John Muir Trail which they called the Yosemite to Reds Meadow section.

I asked if I could post the photos and then I set out to Google a little bit about it for you hikers out there.

The John Muir Trail is one of the premier hiking trails in the United States. The trail starts in Yosemite National Park, and continues 215 miles through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sequoia National Park, King’s Canyon National Park, and ends at the highest peak in continental United States,  Mount Whitney at 14,496 ft.

Construction of the trail began in 1915 after the passing of its namesake Sierra Club founder and conservationist John Muir.

Judging by the photos I saw, I can see why it is a popular place and a must do if you are an avid hiker.

The best time to hike is July through September and it requires some planning on what to take for the duration of your trip, plus don’t forget you need a permit.  The trail does not cross any roads but there are several resupply points near the trail.

Find out more here: http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/john-muir-trail/

I am not a hiker but the photos make me want to become one. I am a more of a beach girl but for a week or two I would love to be out in the wilderness like that.  It seems to be so peaceful and a way to cleanse your soul.

Check out the John Muir Trail and see if it is something you would like to do.

I will leave you with a few quotes from John Muir himself:

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks”

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean”

 

Photos: Courtesy of Mary Beth Miller

Story: Debbie Colwell

StaycationerJoJo is back at it finding some unusual things to do in California.   We have driven in Nascars, skydived, and flown jets in flight simulators, but this week she slows it way down for a ride in an Electriquette.

So what the heck is an Electriquette?  An Electriquette is a motorized cart first made in 1915 for an exposition in Balboa Park.  Based on wicker chairs, they were invented by Clyde Osborn and were originally pushed by hand.

No surviving carts are known to exist and there is no info on what happened to them.  However, the 2016 versions are alive and well in Balboa Park!  They officially returned to Balboa Park in March of 2016 and you can rent them at the kiosk in front of the Rueben H. Fleet Science Museum.

We rented one for an hour and bypassed the umbrella rental of $2.00 which was a mistake since it was quite hot that day.

I was o.k. but they let you take your dogs so we had to find shade frequently for them during the ride.

An Electriquette with an umbrella breezes by the Natural History Museum.

Basically, the electric wicker cart allows you to cruise down the streets of Balboa Park at the pace of a fast walker.   Depending on how much time you have, you could easily stop at the museums and when finished, continue on in your own personal chariot.  Mostly they are for someone who wants to see what Balboa Park is all about.  Like me, I didn’t realize it housed so many museums.

Along with the Rueben H. Fleet Science Museum, there is the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, just to name a few.  There are restaurants, the Old Globe Theater, Botanical Building and Lily Pond, plus much more.

Continue reading “Electriquettes in Balboa Park”

 

Sea Glass

After I visited Fort Bragg a few years back I became mesmerized by sea glass.   While visiting there, I was lucky enough to visit “Glass Beach” where 100 year old glass is strewn across the rocky beach in three different areas.  The sparkling, smooth, and colorful gems were an amazing foreground against the rugged coastline and the crystal blue water of the Pacific.

Because “Glass Beach” is in a state park, they are now more than ever trying to protect the glass from being taken off the beach as it is illegal to remove a natural or cultural object.

Even back then before they enforced it more, I was hesitant to take any glass away because I felt that it should stay there for future generations to enjoy.    Lucky for me glass was laying on the walking trails up on the cliffs.   Evidently people dropped it on the way to their cars so I was able to bring back a few pieces.  In retrospect, the cliff trails might have been part of the state park too but I won’t tell if you don’t.

One hundred year old glass. Note how smooth most pieces are.

I like how you can see the glass in the water too. Here at this site, the glass was 3 inches deep. I hear at the inaccessible site that the glass is three feet deep.

Continue reading “California Sea Glass”