August 6 – 12, 2012 Planned destinations include Arenal and Santa Teresa What is the best thing to do when you’ve been married a couple years and literally have no money? Our answer was to head to Costa Rica. With our travel dates set for only a week, booking a 5:05am flight from LAX seemed…
Arroyo Burro Trail
After some alternative hiking plans fell through, I decided to try out a stretch of frontcountry I’d been eying for a few months: The Arroyo Burro Trail. The hike started at Stevens Park in San Roque and was right around 6 miles to the top at East Camino Cielo. And if it were divided into…
Matilija Falls
It had been a year or so since my last visit to Matilija Falls, which was actually one of my first non-frontcountry hikes in the vicinity of Santa Barbara. Connor and I planned to camp near the falls this time after having only previously made it out there for a day hike. One of the…
Cold Springs Trail – East Fork to Cold Spring Saddle
After hiking many times to Tangerine Falls on the West Fork of Cold Spring Trail, I finally made the trek to East Camino Cielo via the East Fork of Cold Spring Trail. It took three consecutive weekends with different groups of people, but by the third weekend we were determined enough to make the entire…
Cottam Camp from Cold Spring Saddle
Trailhead: Cold Spring Saddle Elevation: 3,400′ This hike begins from the top of Cold Spring Trail on East Camino Cielo known as the Cold Spring Saddle. There is a sign indicating the trail across the street from the graffiti-covered cement water tower. The trailhead is just about 30 minutes from downtown via Gibraltar Road which…
Rattlesnake Canyon
Becca and I decided to go for a hike today – a late start but the weather was perfect. Rattlesnake Canyon is only about 10 minutes away from home which made it the right choice for a lazy Sunday morning hike. If you’ve never done this hike, I highly suggest it. It is a relatively…
Back to Athens and the Return Home
Thessaloniki, Greece July 4, 2009 Atlantis Hotel Another post about this trip from nearly 5 years after it originally happened. My visit in Ohrid came and went quickly enough and it was time to begin making the trek back to Athens for my return flight home. Wake up. Bus ride to Skopje. Train Ride to Thessaloniki….
Lake Ohrid
Ohrid, Macedonia June 2-3, 2009 Sunny Lake Hostel Lake Ohrid and The Monastery of St. Naum It is currently May 23rd, 2014 and I’m just now taking the time to write up a post about my time in Ohrid. Apparently, time really flies. After taking a day trip to the Lake Ohrid with friends while I…
The Skopje Zoo
This post would best be started off by mentioning that if you love animals and love seeing them in their natural habitats or in well maintained zoos, the Skopje Zoo is definitely not the place for you. The zoo was opened back in the 60′s and it doesn’t seem like much has changed or been…
A Week in Macedonia
Skopje, Macedonia June 24-July 1, 2009 Mladinski Hotel Some highlights were hiking up Vodno, a day trip to Lake Ohrid, and the Skopje Zoo I have been in Macedonia for about a week now and have been absolutely loving my time here. For those of you wondering where Macedonia is and why I would come…