I have no idea where to start. There are so many things that fascinate me about Mt San Jacinto State Park. Let’s start with how to get there: Hike up the mountain I hear you say “What?!” And, no, I didn’t get there this way. You can start this hike with the North Lykken Trail […]
After long day hiking and exploring Bastrop State Park and Buescher State Park, it’s time for a bit of R&R in Bastrop. Bastrop, TX is a small historic town with a beautiful historic Main Street, a small artsy and foodie community on the banks of the Colorado River, and a well-maintained historic homes neighborhood. The […]
Buescher State Park, south-east of Austin, TX, is connected to Bastrop State Park via a scenic and hilly 12-mile road that takes you through recovering areas of the Lost Pines. Most of the trails are still closed due to the Hidden Pines wildfires in 2015. The scenic road between both parks are great for experienced […]
In September 2011 a wide-spread wildfire destroyed most of Bastrop State Park. Floods and yet another fire did more damage in 2015. However, Bastrop State Park is coming back to life for hikers and campers alike. Though some areas are still closed to the public (see Bastrop State Park website), a hiking trail system is […]
I have been playing around trying to find a healthier substitute for brownies. So for my first attempt I didn’t want to stray too far from my base recipe, the Cashew Nuts Energy Balls. For this first batch of brownie bites, i decided to substitute part of the rolled oats with a mix of chopped […]
As I probably mentioned before, Palm Springs has a few surprises up its sleeve when it comes to hiking. There are a number of trails that are easily reachable from downtown Palm Springs. This is one of them. North Lykken Trail starts at the end of East Ramon Road, right at the foot of the […]
Around Thanksgiving (I know that was a while ago… be kind, I am catching up), I was asked to bring a dish that included corn. Now, I didn’t grow up eating corn. Where I grew up we mostly grew field corn to feed livestock. The only corn I knew that people ate, was popcorn. So, […]
Andreas Canyon is one of the Indian Canyons in Palm Springs. The short and easy trail around Andreas Creek is a welcome break from the usual desert hikes. It’s lush and green. It’s an oasis. The 1-mile hike around Andreas Canyon There is a short and easy trail along Andreas Creek. It’s about 1 mile long […]
If you are looking for a healthy snack that gets you through the day or even for a quick breakfast before a workout, energy balls or energy bites are the way to go. You’ll find plenty of recipes online and you can modify any recipe to your liking. I recently posted a recipe for Cashew […]
Only this past fall and winter did I discover Palm Springs as a prime hiking area. I guess I (and many others) think of Palm Springs as this hot oasis, where all you want to do is sit in a pool with an iced drink in one hand and a good book in the other. […]
I love these easy-to-make cashew nuts energy balls. You need: 2/3 cup cashews 2/3 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup pitted dates a pinch of Himalayan salt Prepare: soak the cashews for about 4 hours in filtered water throw everything into a blender, set to chop form balls with a ~2 inch diameter Done! Keep in refrigerator […]
During a recent trip to Austin, Texas, we finally managed to walk the Lady Bird Lake Boardwalk. This was less a hike and more a walk, but beautiful nonetheless. You’ll get a great view of the ever-changing and ever-growing Austin Skyline. During my very first visit to Austin in 2006, you could easily make out […]