 Another trip to one of my favorite parks in Northern California: Pinnacles National Park! This trip, I brought my brother and we took the same route that I took with my dad and my husband in March through the Bear Gulch Talus Caves. It is fun to compare and contrast the same hike at two different times of the year. The water was more impressive in March, but the light was just golden in early November. I recommend going at both times of the year.
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 This is a throw-back to a trip I made down to SoCal in late March of 2015. I don't know exactly why I didn't post my pictures before, but Joshua Tree National Park has been on my mind recently. I went to my old album to look at my photos, and I was really inspired.
 It is hard to describe just how amazing Pinnacles National Park is. Talking about talus caves, or bats, or condors, or wildflowers doesn't really convey how cool it is to hike near, over, and through the massive rocks that formed the pinnacles and the talus caves. I am so glad that I got to bring my parents here, and that my dad was a warrior to go on the trail through Bear Gulch and then back around on the Rim Trail.
 From January through March, you can often see elephant seals at the at the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center located at Drake Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. Before you go, you should definitely check out the tips on viewing these amazing sea mammals. We got to see a lot of pups and a few bull males on our visit.
 A replica of a traditional Miwok round house In addition to the Earthquake Trail, the Kule Loklo Trail is a flat, short, easy hike that is right next to the Bear Valley Visitor Center in Point Reyes National Seashore. I don't know if it was because it was during the off season, or if people just overlook this hike, but we saw no other humans on the trail, which features a gorgeous meadow and a mixed forest of eucalyptus and coastal cypress. We did, however, see some interesting wildlife: hawks hunting overhead, deer lounging in the fields, and a bobcat skulking in the Miwok Village!
To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, my husband and I made a return trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, which we visited last summer for the first time. Our daughter is now a more wilful toddler, and is rejecting her carrier more and more--so we had to tailor our "hikes" to extremely gentle walks.
The Earthquake Walk was one of those hikes, right across from the Bear Valley Visitor's Center in Olema.
 Photo credit: Christel Dawkins This guest post will have a new voice, that of Claire’s mom, a 71 year-old, lifelong hiker from Louisiana. I am also a painter and have a special fondness for camping and the out of doors. Bad knees have slowed me down, but the love of adventure keeps me going. Click "read more" to read about my four hikes.
 This mostly flat, 2.3-mile hike offers a really gorgeous approach to the Bear Gulch Area of Pinnacles National Park if you don't feel like taking the shuttle.
 "North Beach" on the map of Point Reyes National Seashore is actually the north parking lot to access the Great Beach (also called Point Reyes Beach), an incredible expanse of over 11 miles of undeveloped shoreline.
 Chimney Rock is a popular destination in Point Reyes National Seashore. It's best to go see it in the spring, when it is covered in wildflowers; however, this easy in-and-out hike (2 miles roundtrip) is fun year round. I went on a summer day that was split between fog and sunlight. There was a dense fog rolling in, hitting closer to the historic lighthouse, while the sun was still breaking through and lighting up the white sandstone cliffs of Drakes Beach. The light made for really dramatic photos of an already dramatic landscape! To top it all off, I was treated to the sight of a few elephant seals even though it was not the season for them. I definitely want to come back to this wonderful spot!
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