Texas Wildflowers (Livingston, Texas)

After leaving Dallas, we made our way to Livingston, Texas, for a weeklong stay at the Rainbow's End RV Park. This is the home base of the RV club we belong to, Escapees, and this is the headquarters for all of the Escapees RV parks across the country. When we are in traveling mode, we make it a point to come by here every 12 to 18 months to check in and take care of business as we make our way to our next stop. Our visit this year coincided with a wonderful bloom of wildflowers, including Lupine (or what the Texans call Bluebonnets), Icelandic Poppies, Phlox, Winecup, and Morning Glories. We captured pictures of some of these wildflowers growing throughout the park on our walk on Easter Day.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Our next stop after leaving Sacramento on June 2 was just up the road to Chico, California. Dan's oldest Granddaughter was graduating high school this year, and we wanted to be there to help her celebrate this most important occasion. Since the Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP) is only about 70-miles from Chico, we decided to drive to the park for a day trip of hiking and exploration. LVNP is home to smoking fumaroles (steam vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, meadows filled with wildflowers, mountain lakes, streams, and waterfalls, not to mention the numerous volcanoes. The jagged peaks throughout the park give visitors a clue to eruptive past of this region, while hot water continues to mold the landscape. Water from rain and snow that falls on the highlands of the park feed the hydrothermal system. Once deep underground, the water is heated by a body of hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak. Rising hot water boils to form boiling pools and mud pots. Super-heated steam reaches the surface through fractures in the earth to form fumaroles such as those found at Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works. These features are related to active volcanism and are indications of the ongoing potential for further eruptions from the from the Lassen volcanic center. During our visit we hiked to the Sulphur Works to see the geothermal activities, had a picnic lunch in the trees, then hiked to Mill Creek Falls. We were treated to beautiful wildflowers, colorful birds, including a Western Tanager, and a pristine hiking trail. Here are some snapshots from our day.

Feather Falls Hike Revisited

Dan and I take the hike to Feather Falls whenever we get the chance; we've lost count over the years of how many times we've actually made this trek, but there is always something new to discover each time out. Even though the falls don't really change from year to year, the trail, the weather, and the flowers are unique to each hike, and make each experience a worthy effort. This year for the first time we saw the famous Frey Creek ladybugs. I look for the "millions of migrating lady bugs" each time we are there, but until now I thought they were merely legends. Lucky for us, they seemed to be a little behind schedule this year on their journey back to the valley floor. In addition to the gorgeous Feather Falls and the delightful ladybugs, we also saw many varieties of wildflowers including exotic Foxglove, pretty purple Foothill Penstemons, and the star-like Spicebush. The 9-mile round trip hike is a total lower body workout (read: sore calves and shins for days afterwards), but I'm so glad I can still do it!! Here are some pictures of this year's hike.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park (San Diego, California)

I love to hike! Finally being back to the places that literally beckon me to don my hiking boots, grab my walking sticks, and set out on the trail has done wonders for my spirit. From the coast to the desert, San Diego seems to have it all, too, with no shortage of scenic hiking trails to discover and explore. On Tuesday April 9 Dan, my sister Jennifer, and I set out for the Anza Borrego Desert State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California, about 90 miles northeast of San Diego, but still within San Diego county (that's one big county!). Often notable for the lavish displays of wildflowers this time of year, we were disappointed to find just the opposite to be true. Two years in a row of below average rainfall was to blame for the lack of color in the park, but we still had a very satisfying hike on the Palm Canyon trail which winds back into the hills to a hidden oasis. Here we were treated to waterfalls, trickling streams, a stand of palm trees, and patches of greenery you normally don't expect to find in a dry desert setting. We kept an eye out for the native longhorn sheep that had been sighted along the creeks recently, but didn't see any that day. Below are some pictures from our hike.