Memorial Day ~ 4 Camping Trips in Soon to be Closed State Parks

I was completely outraged when I read that Gov. Jerry Brown has chosen to axe 70 parks statewide by July 2012, to make up for the state's ongoing budget crisis. While our NorCal friends are being hit hardest, with some of my favorite parks on the chopping block: including Tomales Bay & Samuel P. Taylor. Sadly the list goes on...

 {Samuel P. Taylor State Park}

13 of the 70 slated for closure are south of San Luis Obispo and it includes about half of our California's desert parks. Because lots of you have been asking me for Memorial Day recommendations, and since the CA State Parks Foundation says the best way to support the parks is to visit them,  I'm encouraging all of you to pack a tent and visit one of these amazing state parks (all of which still have camp sites available) for the longholiday weekend. 

 {Mecca Beach Camp Ground}

1. The Salton Sea's 360 square-mile basin is one of the world's largest inland seas. Popular with boaters, water-skiers and campers alike, the sea has been coined "California's crown jewel of avian biodiversity". If you're looking to get out of LA this weekend, the Mecca Beach campground has shore side sites with breathtaking views of Mt. San Jacinto and the snow-covered Santa Rosa Mountains.  Each campsite has a fire ring,  picnic table and desert vegetation and trees to give you shade.  If you're new to camping, camp hosts are available at the visitor center to help you settle in. Since Mecca Beach is not on the reservation system, it's first-come, first-served camping. Note: Be sure to take a hike in the Mecca Hills Wilderness Area during your stay. Contact 760-393-3052 with questions. 

{Picacho State Recreation Area}

2. Set along the banks of the lower Colorado River, Picacho State Recreation Area is known among its loyalists as California's best kept secret. What was once a gold mining town is now a hidden desert gem with amazingly diverse scenery, including beaver tail cactus, wild burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of migratory birds. There are two camping options to choose from (both first-come, first-served). First, if you have a boat, the park offers 5 remote and primitive, boat-in only campsites along the river shores. If you'll be traveling by car there is the 50 site Picacho campground near lots of amazing trails and hikes. Questions? Call 760-996-2963

{Saddleback Butte State Park}

3. Wildflowers are still in bloom at Saddleback Butte State Park, just east of Lancaster on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. There are 50 first-come, first-serve family camp sites in the 3,000 acre state park, and all offer tables, stoves, fire rings and shade. Its $20 a spot and $5 for every additional car, but thats a small price to pay for endless miles of hiking trails (including the short self-guided Dic Dowen Nature Trail located at the Visitor Center). 

{Palomar Mountain State Park}

4. Palomar Mountain State Park is one of the few Southern California areas with a Sierra Nevada-like atmosphere. Camping in a thick coniferous forest, while looking out over spectacular views of the Pacific and low land deserts this park has it all: camping, picnicking, hiking, and even trout fishing in Doane Pond. You'll need to reserve a camping spot (Here) but act fast...there are only a few spots left! No spots? Don't fret there is plenty to enjoy with a cheap day use fee of $8 per car. 

Can't go camping this weekend, but want to do something to help save our parks? Spread the Word! Re-post, Re-tweet and ask your friends to do the same! 

You can also join the CA State Park Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Ulimate Arizona / Utah Spring Break Road Trip

I love a road trip. There is just something about the hitting the open road that is almost euphoric to me. Next week there are two major happenings that should combine forces and make the ultimate spring break holiday. They haven't...so I will!

1. Hertz is having a rental promotion that for just $5 a day you can rent a car in Arizona, go exploring and drop it off in one of nine other states --including California. Unlimited miles, no drop fees and its good for up to 14 days. Yes, this includes taxes and fees for only 5 buck-a-roos.

2. National Park Week which includes free admission to all of the country's 394 national parks from April 16 to April 24, 2011.

So....buy a super cheap one way ticket from LAX to PHX, pack a tent or take a quick trip to an AZ Walmart for cheap camping goods (it'll cost less than a hotel) and hit the open road. 
All the directions you need are right (here).

Day One: Tonto National Forest.

One of the largest national forests in America, the Tonto, embraces nearly three million acres of rugged land. This park is where the Rockies, the Sierra Madre, the Colarado Plateau and the Sonoran deserts meet and mingle. It is also home to the Apache trail, which is  America's oldest roadway and where we kick off our week long road trip.

Get me there: take U.S. 60 east all the way to Apache Junction to the cutoff for AZ88/Idaho Road. AZ 88 is the Apache Trail. About half the Apache Trail is unpaved, but suitable for a four door rental car. The winding terrain makes for slow going, but that's okay because you'll be busy enjoying the view.  Be sure to take time for a break at Tortilla Flat, where you can pull up a saddle at the Superstition Saloon and order a tall one of frosty sarsaparilla. After lunch, enjoy a scoop of prickly-pear ice cream at the nearby General Store. After approximately 40 miles AZ 88 hits, 187. Head north, and continue to enjoy amazing uninterrupted views all the way to Sedona AZ.
Let me sleep: In a tent in Oak Creek Canyon at the Cave Springs Campground (just 13 miles north of Sedona). It has a well-deserved reputation for its vast wealth of scenic beauty Think towering red rock walls and babbling creek-side camp fires. It's desert camper perfection.
Things to do: Located in the Coconino National Forest, make sure you take a leisurely hike up maple-lined West Fork and a thrilling ride down the moss-covered chute at Slide Rock State Park.

{Tonto National Park}

{Apache Trail}

{Superstition Saloon - Tortilla Flat}

{Oak Creek Canyon}

Death Valley Desert Bloom

It wasn't until last March that I finally conjured up the courage to go to Death Valley. It just had one of those ominous names (emphasis on the 'Death') that kept me away from the park for so long. Best know for being the hotest, lowest and driest place in America, I just figured there wouldn't be much there to see. I couldn't have been more wrong. Death Valley is absolutely amazing...

...and there is no better time to visit the desert than Spring. The temperatures are still in the 70's, the snow is still on the surrounding mountain tops and if you time it right, you can be there for the truly spectacular desert bloom. Right now it is projected for early March

Get Me There: Only about four and a half hours outside of downtown LA, you can make this trip as quick, or as long as you'd like. I think 3 or 4 days will give you plenty of time to explore. My only advice is that you stay away from the RV's and the valley floor as much as possible. I highly recommend the Wildrose campground. Its perched high above the valley floor, where the weather is a bit cooler and the traditional tourists (and their generators) further away. 

 

Give Me Something To Do: 

~Day One: Journey to the center of the Earth..or at least get a little closer to it by visiting Badwater Basin. Noted as the lowest point in North America, with an elevation of 282 ft below sea level its a bit of a tourist trap but also a must do. When you can't take the gravitational pull any more, take a hike (literally) and check out Golden Canyon. Its an easy stroll through a colorful canyon at the base of Red Cathedral rock. If you'd rather not work up sweat or fight the heat, crank up the AC and take the Artist Drive instead.

~Day Two: The Sand Dunes. Hike on em, slide on em, sit on em. Whatever you do, you'll enjoy them. It'll feel like you were dropped in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Done playing in the sand? Take a drive down Titus Canyon and then finish the day by hiking up Mosaic Canyon. Before heading back to the tent, pick up some ice cold brews at the Stovepipe Wells Village and head up to Aguereberry Point for an unforgettable sunset at 7,000 feet.

~Day Three: By now you are probably in need of proper meal and dying for a pool. Well, you are in luck. Pack up the tent, clean out the cooler and check in to one of the coolest, retro resorts SoCal has to offer. The Inn at Furnace Creek (Not to be confused for the Ranch at Furnace Creek). It is the definition of a desert Oasis and the perfect way to end your trip. Spend your last day in Death Valley sipping cocktails by the pool while overlooking the desert valley and majestic Panamint Mountains. You'll wake up perfectly rested for the drive home to LA.