Attractions – Page 6 – On the Loose Live

Palomar Mountain Field Trip: Fun for everyone – hike, fish, astronerd or simply enjoy epic views.

November 6, 2017January 25, 2018livevigorously

Headed to Palomar Mountain with hiking in mind and got much more out of the excursion than expected.

The drive up the South Grade (S6) mountain road is winding and scenic. You’ll want to keep your eyes on the road if you’re driving. Apparently this road has been compared to the L’Alpe d’Huez on the Tour de France Route so it’s popular with road cyclists, motorcyclists and sports car drivers too… Beware of those dare devil motocyclists crossing the center line as they race down the mountain

The clouds and fog made for some dramatic vistas on the way up.

The small park headquarters has a mini natural history exhibit. I didn’t know we had gray fox around here. Signs were up about a recent mountain lion sighting in the park.

Hiking Scoop

As far as the hiking here goes, most trails are short and dogs aren’t allowed on them. We did the longest loop we could find, starting at the Doane Pond, which is open for fishing year round and stocked with trout. It’s a great spot for a picnic too.

Overall, the terrain is easy on the feet – mostly dirt, not too many rocks or roots. It’s ideal for a quick trail run. (Note the seasonal tick and rattle snake warnings.)

We went up the Thunder Springs and the Silver Crest Trails and down Scott’s Cabin Trail and Chimney Flats. (Spoiler alert – the trails name is a misnomer as there is no standing cabin, just a placard at the site with no historic details on it or in the park’s brochure). The hike is interrupted by the road a couple times and the road is always within a stones throw. The good news – you won’t get lost. The bad news, if you’re a hiking snob like me, it’s a bit anticlimactic, but that’s ok – the views along the ridge, at the Boucher Hill Fire Tower, and by the Observatory are quite epic. And the road and the drive by locations make it accessible for all.

Here’s a video clip of a particularly lovely section of trail.

Tree lovers will delight in the variety that this section of the Cleveland National Forest yields: Douglass fir, white fir, incense cedar, live oak, black oak, coulter pine and yellow pine. Approximately 40 inches of annual rainfall keeps them thriving. Of course all these trees make it a haven for birds and bird lovers as well.

Camping Scoop

The Doane valley Campground has 31 campsites, each outfitted with a table, fire ring, BBQ and food locker. Nearby restrooms have flush toilets and coin-operated hot showers. Many comforts of home in a forest setting – great for an introduction to camping. The Cedar Grove Campground has 3 areas for group camping. For more info and to reserve a spot up to 7 months in advance call 1-800-444-7275.

Enjoy Epic Views from the Boucher Hill Historic Fire Tower

The Boucher Hill Historic Fire Tower is definitely worth a stop too – whether you drive by or hike the 1.2 miles up from the visitor center. This is one of only 2 fire towers left in California. From the observation deck, you don’t even have to use the provided binocular gizmo to see the glimmering Pacific ~50 miles away.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Even with my bad eyes, I could make out Tamarack Tower / Smoke Stack that marks my home beach. You have to know what to look for to make it out in the video, but you can definitely tell that you’re looking out to sea.

Visit the Impressive Palomar Observatory & Museum

And no, the field trip’s not over yet. Next, we headed over to the Palomar Observatory. The structure itself is quite impressive (see feature photo), but it’s definitely worth looking inside. (Hours are 9-4 daily.) The Hale Telescope is considered one of most important scientific innovations of the last century and was the most productive and prominent telescope in the world from 1948 to 1993.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Don’t miss the Museum either. It’s got great displays, info and videos. The small gift shop was closed as we got there late, but I’m sure there’s some cool stuff and souvenirs for the kids in there too.

If you aren’t an astronomy or science buff going in, you might be when you leave. ..

So many fun things to do, see and learn here. Highly recommend Palomar Mountain as a field trip for the whole family. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Almost forgot to mention, be sure to bring a water bottle and get your fill of refreshing fresh (and free) spring water on the way up or down at the Palomar Artesian Springs.

Cheers and happy trails!

Top Pick: Hakone Open Air Museum – art and nature in beautiful harmony

October 20, 2017May 11, 2018livevigorously

The town of Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 60 miles from Tokyo and one of the most popular destinations for Japanese and international tourists. Famous for its natural beauty, many hotsprings (onsen), traditional inns (ryokan), and the view of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashinoko (didn’t get to see that), Hakone is also renowned for its open air museum.

The Hakone Open Air Museum (Hakone Chōkoku No Mori Bijutsukan), is one of the most spectacular outdoor museums in the world. Surrounded by mountains and overlooking a valley, ~100 diverse sculptures (modern and contemporary, including works of Rodin, Milo and Moore) from around the world grace the expansive (~17 acres), rolling gardens. There’s also several indoor exhibits as well, including One of the world’s best collections of Picasso’s work, the 2 story Picasso Exhibition Hall displays a total of 300 pieces, including paintings, sculptures and ceramics. The exhibit also features photos chronicling of the artist’s life is one of world’s best collections.

One of my favorites by the contemporary Spanish artist, Santiago de Santiago Hernández.

In addition there are shops, café’s, multiple kids spaces with art installations that they can climb on and a mini garden maze. And because the Japanese think of everything, there’s even an 65 foot heated foot bath to refresh your weary feet while enjoying the view.

You can easily spend hours here taking in all the beauty and the art.

Take the Hakone Tozan train there – it’s an incredible experience in itself!

The Hakone Open Air Museum is just a few steps from Chokoku No Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan (30 minutes, $3.55 from Hakone-Yumoto). It’s the last station before the terminal station of Gora. Taking the train is an experience in itself as it chugs slowly , traversing switchbacks up and backwards as it climbs the steepest slope of all railways in Japan through green forests above the splendidly scenic Haya-kawa River Valley.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

From the train station, you’ll walk by Woody’s Café Bar first. I stopped in on my way to the museum. The hot artisan coffee was a cool wet morning so it was a perfect prelude to walking around outside. It’s quite a unique spot with a Toy Story theme, hence the name. It serves coffee, lunch, dinner and is a bar at night.

Inside the Gates: Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market – a feast, a fest, a fun time!

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017livevigorously

The Feast

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Fest

The Sights

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Sounds

The Scoop

The Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market is located in the center of the old walled city area of Chiang Mai and is open from 4pm until midnight. It’s a fest and a feast down Ratchadamnoen Road, which is closed to traffic for the Market – hence the i other name “Walking Street”. In the vicinity, there are many temples and historical sights to see along the way as well, including Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chedi Luang and the statues of the 3 kings.

Tip: If you’re not big on crowds go early and have a full run of it before they arrive.

The place really comes alive and has a great vibe later into the night…And there are some lovely restaurants, bars and coffee shops around every corner if you’d prefer people watching (tourists & Thai locals) from a distance or just need a break from the crowds.

There are musicians, handicrafts, souvenirs, massage chairs, and perhaps best of all, world renown street food enjoyed by Anthony Bourdain and myself. (My trekking tour guide from Green Trails gave Anthony his street food tour when he was filming in Chiang Mai. ) There’s so much to see, do, buy & eat, you can easily spend hours here.

Tip: If you see something you like as a gift or a souvenir get it and consider getting more than one. The crafts are Northern Thailand specific and you may not see them again. I bought a couple beautiful bowls and wish I’d grabbed more because in my 30 days in Thailand I never saw anything like them again.

If you’re thinking about going to the Chaing Mai Sunday Night Market, don’t think twice – go. As you can see and hear, it’s a memorable experience.

Worth it: Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, MT

February 1, 2017February 20, 2017livevigorously

Just a block from the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is worth a stop. And you might find you’ll want to stay a while and even come back the next day. And that’s okay because the admission fee (just $13 for adults, $8 for kids 5 years and up) is good for 2 consecutive days.

The not-for-profit wildlife center takes in orphaned grizzly bear cubs and adults from as far away as Alaska and as close by as Yellowstone Park. Most adult grizzlies are those that have become habituated to human food due to campers and hikers not following proper food storage requirements. At the outdoor exhibit, you can watch the beautiful, massive beasts foraging under rocks and logs for the fruit treats that the caretaker hides for them. In order to rescue more bears and provide habitat variety for the existing bears, the center will be creating a new exhibit called bear meadows that will feature mini river rapids and a trout-stocked pond. Note, because they are fed all year round, the bears don’t hibernate so you can see them all year round. And any day you want because the center is open every day.

The outdoor wolf exhibit and information about the trophic cascade was well done too.

There’s also an extensive, interactive bear exhibit inside and plenty of programs for kids and adults, including:

Bear-Resistant Product Testing (I would have liked to see that one.)
Keeper Kids (Kids get to help the caretakers hide food for the bears.)
Yellowstone Park Ranger Talks
Live Bird of Prey Presentations (A must! The naturalist delivers an engaging, incredibly informative, hands-on presentation.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In the works is a River Otter Riparian Habitat that will highlight the interrelations of the critters who make up that ecosystem.

Young or old, you won’t leave the center without learning something new about the wild animals and birds of the region and the impact humans have on them and their habitat.

Mysterious poem at the Hemingway Memorial, Ketchum ID

January 12, 2017January 13, 2017livevigorously

You have to look for the Hemingway monument, it’s not visible from the road, but the sign is. The monument is a bronze bust of “Papa” propped upon a stone column. It’s situated along a meandering stream, suitably facing the mountains. (Not so suitably, directly adjacent to a golf course.)

hemingway-memorial

Anyhoo, the words inscribed on the monument are part of a eulogy Hemingway wrote for Gene Van Guilder, a publicist for the Sun Valley Resort, who died in a hunting accident. Nice, but a bit flowery compared to his customary, terse writing style…

While the monument itself was a bit anti-climatic. (Not quite sure what I was expecting.) The mysterious poem that was tucked into the rocks at the foot of the monument was quite intriguing and made the stop worthwhile for me…

hemingway-memorial-poem-found

Touching and well written. (Also interesting that it appears typewritten old school.) I did think twice about posting it since it’s quite personal and in memoriam. But it so’s beautiful and worth sharing. Also, I rationalized that anyone who deliberately leaves something at what constitutes a tourist stop may want that thing to be discovered. After capturing it with my camera, I did fold it back up and slip it back between the rocks. No doubt the elements of this snowy winter will take the final toll.

Many people aren’t aware that Hemingway was also a poet. Perhaps that’s because he only published 25 poems during his lifetime. Minus 4 personal poems that his widow did not make available for publication, the remaining 88 poems can be found in his “Complete Poems“.

ernest-hemingway-collected-poems

For those into Hemingway memorabilia, there’s a cool vault room in the Sun Valley Starbucks / Visitor Center featuring larger than life size pics of him and his cronies.

Another little known fact, Papa Hemingway was one of the first to use a stand-up desk. He tucked his typewriter into his bookshelf and stood typing whenever he wrote his fiction. The pictures you see of him sitting at a desk are when he is paying bills and doing other administrative tasks. At least that’s according to his old pal, A. E. Hotcher, author of “Papa Hemingway.”

papa-hemingway

So what do you think? Should I leave the poem up or take it down?