Here’s another hiking area I checked out while out while away on business, this time in South Carolina called the “Forks Area Trail System” or FATS for short. Sounded like a pretty cool spot so I had to see what made it unique. Actually, it wasn’t so special. But it was a quiet and refreshing 7 mile hike through a small area with a very dense trail system.

The trails are mostly flat, being suitable for bikes as well which are allowed in all areas of the trail system. As I walked along,...

There are trail systems and then there are landmarks with trail systems. La Purisma mission is the latter, an historic landmark just outside Lompoc, California. This is an absolutely fantastic place to spend a day if you enjoy the outdoors, hiking and experiencing some truly wonderful history. The mission itself was rebuilt and brought back to its former glory about 80 years ago, and has been meticulously maintained ever since then. The original mission dates back from the 1820’s when a series of...

Here's a short blurb I wrote a few weeks ago.


If I didn't make mistakes, I wouldn't know where I was going.
~ me

I had quite a unique and satisfying day today. Which is kinda strange really, seeing as I spent an hour cleaning up 10 gallons of filthy water that spewed from a drain when the plumber poked the plug out. See, we've had this issue with a clogged drain now for what seems like forever. Over the years it gradually got worse to the point where,...

Another hiking update...

I've done a lot of hiking on the Appalachian trail along the northern border of the Lehigh Valley, and I have to say I really enjoy it. But one thing that always makes for a great hiking trip is to be able to make circular routes instead of in and back hikes. One area you can create your own circular route in the Lehigh Valley area is the Trexler Nature Preserve. I just discovered this area over the summer and have gone there 3 times now, each time over a...

When going away on business, I try and cut a few hours out to see the area. My latest business trip took me to Lompoc and Vandenberg AFB on the coast in central California where I took a few hours out on my drive up from the airport to go hiking at the Gaviota Wind Caves.

My plane landed about 1 hour south of Lompoc in Santa Barbara. The drive up the coast is on a beautiful, 2 lane divided highway and not generally very crowded. The land drops off into the ocean on the left and...