Looking for the ultimate family fun road trip to Yosemite National Park? Play the Fossils to Falls scavenger hunt and collect all 10 trading cards, starting at the Fossil Discovery Center in California's Central Valley, taking you thru Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Bass Lake & more Madera County gems, ending in the Yosemite Valley...and then enter to win a great Yosemite Adventure Vacation Prize Package!
Read MoreThis week we're taking a road trip along the California Central Coast to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, nicknamed "mini Yosemite". With its hiking trails, towering coastal redwood trees, abundant wildlife, and lodging options (including camping and Big Sur Lodge cabins), this CA state park along Highway 1 is one of the top places to go in Big Sur. Read this travel guide for all the park details.
Read MoreJoin me at Andrew Molera State Park along the Big Sur coastline for a complete visitors guide to help you plan your next Central California road trip. This comprehensive travel guide shares detailed information on hiking trails, camping, wildlife, and historic structures. Want to know where to find beach access in Big Sur? Molera beach is one of the best beaches along Highway 1 in Big Sur.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the easy trail to Painted Rock, located near Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument. This activity near Bakersfield, California makes a great day trip from Los Angeles, providing visitors a chance to see ancient prehistoric Native American rock art that is still culturally significant today for the Chumash & Yokut indigenous peoples.
Read MoreToday we're heading out on a luxury motor yacht with Sanctuary Cruises for a private whale watching charter. This is one of the top orca and whale watching companies in Moss Landing in Central California, providing group and private tours of the Monterey Bay. We'll encounter all kinds of marine wildlife up close, including orcas, humpback whales, sea otters, dolphins, sea lions, and sea birds.
Read MoreThe Big Sur coast is home to several California State Parks, and they are all worthy of a stop on your next Highway 1 road trip. Check out this travel guide to explore the best hiking trails and what wildlife to see on your Big Sur adventure in each state park, including Garrapata, Point Lobos, Andrew Molera, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Limekiln, Point Sur, and Hearst San Simeon.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Valley View Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Located along the central CA coast on Highway 1, this easy to moderate hike takes you thru a redwood forest to panoramic views of Big Sur River Valley, Andrew Molera State Park and Point Sur Lighthouse. A short spur trail leads to Pfeiffer Falls, a waterfall in Los Padres National Forest.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking the Nature Trail & River Path Loop in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The trailhead is right next to Big Sur Lodge off of Highway 1, and this easy family friendly hike takes you along the Big Sur River, through an old growth grove of coastal redwood trees, and by old structures & cabins build by the CCC. This is an easy trail with great views.
Read MoreCurrently there are 16,000 western monarch butterflies at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove along CA Highway 1. If you're wondering where to see monarchs in California, this butterfly colony is one of the largest in the state and can be enjoyed every November thru February during the monarch winter migration. This is one of my top things to do in Pismo Beach & along the central coast.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to exploring Columns of the Giants along Sonora Pass Highway 108 in the Sierra Nevadas of CA. Hiking this family friendly trail is one of my top things to do on a road trip through Stanislaus National Forest. The short paved path takes you over the Middle Fork Stanislaus River to basalt rock formations formed by volcanic and glacial activity long ago.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel, CA. Located near Monterey and Big Sur, this California State Park contains multiple hiking trails that take you along bluff tops, turquoise waters, and abundant wildlife. Some of the top things to do is to see the Whalers Cabin, China Cove, Sea Lion Point, Bird Island, and Cypress Grove Trail.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking to Partington Cove along the central California coast. This short hike is one of the top things to do in Big Sur and leads to a cove with turquoise waters through coastal redwoods and an old logging tunnel. The trail runs alongside seasonal cascade waterfalls that flow into the Pacific Ocean where there is beach access at Partington Point.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to seeing the Spring wildflowers at Carrizo Plain National Monument just a couple hours north of Los Angeles, California. This is top spot to see a flower superbloom, look for wildlife, and bird watch, and is one of the best things to do in Bakersfield. Soda Lake is currently filled with water and the San Andreas Fault can be seen running through the park.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Bear Gulch Cave Trail to the Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park East in Central California. This easy to moderate hike takes you through a system of talus caves, and is one of the top things to do in Pinnacles. We'll encounter dark and wet conditions as we crawl and climb under large rocks to a large reservoir with reflective waters.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in the Central Valley of California. Situated a few hours away from San Francisco and Los Angeles, this small CA State Park is one of the top things to do in Bakersfield. Learn about the African American pioneers that founded this town, and explore the old structures as we celebrate Black History Month.
Read MoreReach this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve. This California State Park is home to the once nearly extinct tule elk, and has been responsible for the repopulation of these elk that once thrived in the Central Valley and throughout the state. Today we'll take a guided auto tour and get up close views of elk and other wildlife on this nature preserve.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the best trips in California to take in 2023. Listed out in this article are 6 top road trips to take during each season, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. We'll explore mountain adventures in Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic National Park, as well as beach destinations in Big Sur. We'll head to the desert to discover unique landscapes in Death Valley.
Read MoreToday we're heading out to the Death Valley National Park salt pan to explore Devils Golf Course. The ancient waters of Lake Manly once covered this basin, leaving behind this truly unique terrain.
Read MoreThis week we're celebrating the start of Spring by heading up the California coastline into Big Sur. We'll discover my top 12 highlights, including spots like Limekiln State Park, McWay Falls, Bixby Creek Bridge, and Treebones Resort.
Read MoreToday we're taking the Mirror Lake Trail, which is a dog friendly hike in Yosemite Valley. On our journey, we'll enjoy views of Tenaya Creek and the surrounding forest, until it finally opens up to the Mirror Meadow under Half Dome.
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