Author: TravisGood

Speaker. Maker. Writer. Traveler. Father. Husband.

MakerCon Co-Chair (MakerCon.com)
Maker City San Diego Roundtable Member
San Diego Maker Faire Producer (SDMakerFaire.org)

Kings Canyon and Amazing Sequoias

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 13, 2009
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The season’s first snow storm was moving in so the weather wasn’t the best but it was good enough for a glimpse at why these parks are special. The parks were Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP, they’re sort of commingled with shared borders, they’re just south of Yosemite and relatively unknown.

Kings Canyon General Grant

The General Grant Tree was proclaimed the Nation’s Christmas Tree in 1926. It’s the world’s third largest tree, has a 40 foot diameter, and is 1,700 years old. That makes it relatively young compared to many others. Wow! These trees are amazing! The grove where this great Sequoia stands is in King’s Canyon National Park. See what I mean when I say the parks are commingled?

Hike Mountain Ocean Travel

JazzTrax in Paradise

I have a great time each year as do hundreds of others. JazzTrax is wall-to-wall live jazz starting on Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday night. This year I saw old favorites and was introduced to new artists. My uncle has been responsible for helping many an artist “break out” of the pack and ignite their career. The fact that this all happens on a lovely island just an hour from Los Angeles only adds to the charm. Very nice. Highly recommended!

Desert Hike Mountain Ocean Travel

Hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 11, 2009
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No, I did not hike the full length of trail which begins in the far north of Catalina at Starlight Beach and finishes in the far south at Pebbly Beach. I did what was a reasonable one-day outing, a total distance was around 12 miles.

Trans-Catalina Trail

Crazy as it sounds I hiked from Point B to Point A.

Mountain Ocean Road Travel

Descending in to Los Angeles

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 9, 2009
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Descending into LA — The Catalina Express ferry is an hour long shuttle between Long Beach and Catalina Island where the JazzTrax festival is held in Avalon’s glorious Casino. No, there is no gambling there, ever.

To avoid the burden and cost of staying in Los Angeles I spent my last west-bound night in Victorville, a city on the north side of town beyond the San Bernardino mountains. It’s another world up there but it’s a town I know rather well from having visited it many times. It lies on Route 66 which is one of my favorite road trips so I’ve been there several times.

My primary goal was simply to not miss my 2:00 ferry. On the way I planned on visiting my uncle’s cabin in Big Bear Lake and take in a scenic drive or two if time allowed. Wow! Was I pleasantly surprised!

Canyon Mountain Road Travel

Fiery Surprises You’ve Never Heard Of

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 8, 2009
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Fire Valley — While in red rock country I wanted to force myself in to new territory. State parks turned out to be surprisingly compelling. Guess the NPS doesn’t have a monopoly on grandeur after all!

Ever heard of Black Dragon Canyon? The Valley of Fire? Snow Canyon? Neither had I but they were along my route, AAA recommended them, and so I visited. I should have guessed they’d astound as they’re neighbors to other red rock greats. Because it left such a strong impression on me I also revisited Cedar Breaks National Monument where again I was taken aback.

Valley of Fire

Above you see just a tease of what Valley of Fire has to offer. The formations and colors were much more varied than at most parks. From jagged ranges to soft flowing rock, from intense rust red to pale beige, this place was a tightly packed jumble that was fun to explore.

Canyon Hike Mountain River Road Travel

Brilliant Red Utah

My next stop was Moab, UT where I was going to deliver a box of DVDs to the parents of a friend. Old favorites such as Arches and Canyonlands were also on my agenda as were new recommendations such as Dead Horse Point. Little did I know that an interesting-looking shortcut would drop me into the Colorado Riverway Recreation Area, another wonder of red rock and water.

To a great extent I’m going to let pictures convey the grandeur of the area. However, before I set you free on my albums I want to make two points. First, the rock really and truly is a beautiful shade of red. Second, the combination of blue sky, red rock, and green plants combine to make magic. The Colorado River is what makes this possible in Utah’s arid plateau.

I could spend a month in this region and not begin to do it justice.

Guess I’ll just have to keep returning!

Enough! Let’s see some pictures!

Canyon Hike Mountain Road Travel

Colorado National Monument

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 6, 2009
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The expanse of these canyons is impressive. They’re wide and deep and intensely colorful. However, the gorges are north-facing and they’re viewed from a road that runs along the rim. As a photographer I was disappointed with my timing. I arrived in the autumn in the late afternoon when shadows were long and much of the beauty was obscured in relative darkness. Though I’m glad I went, it was a disappointing photographic experience.

Animal Hike Lake Mountain Road Travel

Six Lake Hike in the Rocky Mountains

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 5, 2009
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Timing is key. To this point all of Rocky Mountain National Park had been open and this included Trail Ridge Road which run the length of the park along part of the Rockies’ spine. As I pulled in to Estes Park after a long day it started to rain. By morning Trail Ridge Road was closed for the season as the roads were impassible due to snow. Timing is key.

What to do?

Rocky Mountains Thankfully there were still many options; snow at the lower elevations had melted. I had long planned to hike to burn off energy after so many days behind the wheel. Back home I had researched this outing and selected a 9+ mile hike which would take me to six lakes. An overview of the area can be seen here; I visited Bear, Dream, Emerald, Haiyaha, Mills and Jewel lakes and in that order. It turned out to be a simply glorious day for hiking and in the Rockies no less! Timing is key.

Historical Museum Road Travel

The Climb Begins at Fort Laramie

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 4, 2009
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Larmie — Until I saw this sign I didn’t know what I was looking for. From a distance, the site is just a bunch of old buildings. Up close, it looked the same but oh what a story these old building could tell!

Heading west across the continent happened in three stages: 1) getting to St. Louis, 2) getting across the plains to the Rockies and 3) getting to your final destination on the other side of the Rocky Mountains. Most people followed the same path across the Great Plains but then could take any one of several paths across the Rockies. Fort Laramie is that important transition from where the plains end and to where the mountains begin.

You lay over at Fort Laramie for several important reasons. First, you’re resting after months spent walking across the flat middle of our country. Second, you’re purchasing supplies for the next stage of your journey as this is your last good opportunity before mounting the Rockies. Lastly, you’re waiting for decent weather before attempting to climb into the Rockies (remember the Donner Party). Fort Laramie figures very importantly into your plans!

Historical Mountain Museum Road Travel

Milestones of Westward Migration

Post author By TravisGood
Post date October 4, 2009
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It’s sometimes difficult to admit how little I know about U.S. history. I knew that people moved west, that gold was an important lure, and that the journey was a hardship. I knew there were trails people followed. I even knew some of the trails’ names: Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and California Trail. However, ask me details of any particular trail and I’d have told you nothing important.

After visiting the National Trails Headquarters I know enough to learn more! There in Omaha City I picked-up a few maps, I toured the museum facilities, I talked with Rangers. I learned the basics and committed myself to learn as opportunities presented themselves. It wasn’t long before I could do just that when I was headed south through Wyoming. It was then that I found three important milestones along the trails, two of which are described below.