Today I'm partnering with Visit Yosemite Madera County to share the Top 10 Photo Spots in Yosemite National Park. This photography travel guide shares the best viewpoints and most Instagrammable viewpoints in the park, including Taft Point, Yosemite Valley Swinging Bridge, Olmsted Point, Tunnel View, Sentinel Dome & Glacier Point. Explore stunning scenes with Half Dome, El Capitan & waterfalls.
Read MoreBeach access is hard to find in Big Sur, but today we're taking the Creamery Meadow Trail in Andrew Molera State Park to a secluded beach for a king tide. Molera Beach is one of the best beaches in Big Sur, especially during sunset and low tide in the off season when the it's not busy. This California state park is found south of Monterey near the Big Sur Lodge, Nepenthe, and Pfeiffer Beach.
Read MoreThis week we're taking a long day trip from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park to see Firefall, the natural phenomenon also known as the Horsetail Fall Event. This travel guide covers a one day itinerary with recommendations on driving directions, points of interest, where to park, and how to access one of my top spots to view Firefall from across the Yosemite Valley along Four Mile Trail.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail inside Death Valley National Park. Along this moderate hike we find narrow slot canyons & unique rock formations, making this one of the top things to do in Death Valley. This is one of the best hikes on any road trip to Death Valley because the 2 mile gravel road leading here means it's a lesser visited area in the park.
Read MoreYou can hike to an arch rock in Death Valley! Check out this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the Natural Bridge Trail in Death Valley National Park, which leads you through slot canyons to the largest natural arch in the park and to a dry waterfall. Enjoy views of Badwater Basin and its temporary lake along this easy to moderate hike, which is one of my top things to do in Death Valley.
Read MoreIs Death Valley open? YES! Death Valley National Park has reopened after a 2 month closure, but many roads and features in the park remain closed to the public. Read this Flying Dawn Marie complete travel guide to taking this desert road trip now. Learn about current conditions, traffic delays, and the historic road damage & flooding, including pics of the Badwater Basin lake from Dantes View.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to the 2023 Eastern Sierra Fall colors. This complete visitor guide will take you to my top 25 spots along highway 395 on where to see the California Fall colors. We'll take a road trip up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and discover places to go like North Lake, Bishop Creek, Sonora Pass, Mammoth Lakes, Tioga Pass, Conway Summit, and June Lake Loop.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel blog before your visit to drive through Tunnel Log inside California's Sequoia National Park. Located in the Giant Forest surrounded by mature giant sequoia trees, tunnel log fell across the road nearly a century ago. National park visitors and tourists can come drive their vehicles through this fallen giant sequoia. This is a must stop spot inside the park.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel, CA. Located near Monterey and Big Sur, this California State Park contains multiple hiking trails that take you along bluff tops, turquoise waters, and abundant wildlife. Some of the top things to do is to see the Whalers Cabin, China Cove, Sea Lion Point, Bird Island, and Cypress Grove Trail.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking to Partington Cove along the central California coast. This short hike is one of the top things to do in Big Sur and leads to a cove with turquoise waters through coastal redwoods and an old logging tunnel. The trail runs alongside seasonal cascade waterfalls that flow into the Pacific Ocean where there is beach access at Partington Point.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting the tallest trees, the oldest trees, and the largest trees in the world. The giant sequoias, the coastal redwoods, and the ancient bristlecone pines are all found in California, and this week I'm sharing my favorite places to go and hiking trails to see these trees up close, most of which are in state and national parks, forests, and monuments.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the trail to Badwater Basin, one of my top things to do in Death Valley National Park. These salt flats are home to the lowest elevation in North America and we're exploring them for an early morning night sky and sunrise photoshoot. We'll enjoy aspenglow views of Telescope Peak and the Panamint Mountains from this harsh desert landscape.
Read MoreRead this travel guide for 24 hours in Death Valley National Park. Get a behind the scenes look at how we capture content for the Flying Dawn Marie blog and YouTube channel as we take road trip to some of our top places and favorite things to do in Death Valley, such as Dantes View, Badwater Basin, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Harmony Borax Works, and Furnace Creek Campground.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in the Central Valley of California. Situated a few hours away from San Francisco and Los Angeles, this small CA State Park is one of the top things to do in Bakersfield. Learn about the African American pioneers that founded this town, and explore the old structures as we celebrate Black History Month.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Fort Tejon State Historic Park along the Grapevine north of Los Angeles. If you're looking for things to do in Bakersfield, this California State Park offers an opportunity to see what life was like on this military fort two centuries ago. Here you'll find reconstructed buildings, original structures, history about the area, and wildlife.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking to Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park during Winter. This Yosemite Valley trail is a popular hike during snowy months. The pristine seasonal lake offers reflective views of Half Dome and many other granite formations in the Tenaya Canyon. This is an easy to moderate hike that is dog friendly and perfect for families near Curry Village.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the best trips in California to take in 2023. Listed out in this article are 6 top road trips to take during each season, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. We'll explore mountain adventures in Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic National Park, as well as beach destinations in Big Sur. We'll head to the desert to discover unique landscapes in Death Valley.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the top 12 easy hikes in Joshua Tree National Park. There are many things to do in Southern California during Winter, and this itinerary makes for a great weekend road trip. All of these Joshua Tree trails are family friendly and easily accessed without 4 wheel drive. Highlights are Skull Rock, Arch Rock, Hidden Valley, and Cholla Cactus Garden.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Harmony Borax Works located in Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. There are so many popular things to do in Death Valley, and this historic spot is a great quick stop near Zabriskie Point and Badwater Basin. The easy trail is family friendly and provides up close views of a 20 mule team wagon and old building ruins.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the California ghost town of Bodie State Historic Park along Highway 395. Located a half hour north of Lee Vining and the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park, this Gold Rush boomtown has been preserved in a state of arrested decay by the CA State Park Service and showcases 200 old structures, including a jail, schoolhouse, church, and bank.
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