Lassen Volcanic Park has a lot to offer for everyone. The park has wide roads, and most tourist spots are easily accessible. Here’s what I would recommend Subway cave Lava tubes - easy 1/3 mile underground hike Hydrothermal Areas - Hydrothermal areas from where Sulpher escapes regularly. Some right next to the road and some accessible via a short hike. ...
Strenuous hikes Half Dome hike 17-miles 12-hours with a breathtaking dangerous climb holding chains on the majestic half dome at the end. This hike requires a permit for the final half dome climb. The Clouds Rest Trail 12-miles 7-hours hike. The trail ends at a point higher than the Half dome. One gets a great view of the park as well as the Half dome from here. ...
Day 1 If you are arriving at MSP airport, then start your journey with the Mall of America. It is the largest shopping mall in the United States and is pretty close to the airport. Next, head to Minnehaha falls. It is the favorite fishing spot for the locals. Hereafter, you can head towards the downtown. There isn’t much to do in downtown during the day time. And I would recommend checking out Sculpture Garden and the Lake of Isles in the evening. ...
Maui is a small but beautiful island of Hawai’i. Here is a recommended 4-day itinerary for Maui. This itinerary is a slightly modified version of what I was able to do. The public transport on the island is poor. For solo travel outside the rainy season, I would recommend renting a moped to go around. Otherwise, rent a car. The island has a much more developed western part consisting of Kaanapali and Lahaina, which have major resorts. ...
Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah is a National Park consisting of three natural bridges. One can spend ~1-3 hours hiking nearby each of the bridges. The hikes are short and require ascent/descent. Even without the hike, one can drive around to see the views. While one can hike to the bottom of Sipapu Bridge, the Kachina bridge can only be seen from a distance. And that too after a hike. If you are short on time, skip this one. ...
Kauai is the nature island of Hawai’i. It is smaller than Big Island and way less developed than Oahu. Kauai is more about hikes and waterfalls than watersports. Day 1 We started our first day with Kauai’s Hindu Monastery It’s a beautiful temple with picturesque surroundings. I would recommend reserving a few hours to check out the whole area. The monastery is only accessible till noon, so, plan accordingly. ...
Antelope Canyon is probably the most photographed canyon in the world. Located in the Navajo Indian preservation, only guided tours are permitted. We took a trip to Antelope Canyon Tours. The tour lasts about an hour, and it takes ~20 mins one-way drive to reach the canyon. There aren’t any hikes, just simple walks in the canyon. Everyone is crazy running around and taking photos, so it does become a bit hard to enjoy in the mad rush. Even then, if you are in the area, I would recommend booking a tour in advance to visit the canyon. ...
For the uninitiated, French Laundry is one of the best restaurants in the world. I got a chance to try the tasting menu. I had a vegetarian, or to be precise, a lacto-vegetarian (milk and cheese but not eggs) meal here. The restaurant looks nondescript from the outside, and it is easy to miss it while driving. It was an 8-10 course meal, depending on how you count a course. Portion sizes were small but delicious. And there was a gap of about 15-20 minutes before each serving. So, be ready to commit 3-4 hours for the full course. ...
Day 1 We did Zion Narrows on the first day. The hike consists of walking in the flowing water, which is ankle to knee-deep. Therefore, getting wetsuits and water shoes is highly recommended. The views are marvelous, and since one has to return along the same route, one can decide how far one wants to go. Total hike length is 9.4 miles, starting at the visitor center. Day 2 We did Angel’s Landing on the second day. It’s a short 5.4 mile with steep elevation gain at the end, which requires one to hold onto chains for climbing upwards. It is similar to Half Dome hike without the long, draining walk till the last dome. Those who fear heights should avoid this. For everyone else, it is an excellent and short fitness test combined with excellent views at the end. ...
I did the 23.4 miles rim to rim day hike through Grand Canyon during the last week of November (Thanksgiving weekend) 2017. Unlike most hikes like Mt. Whitney, the hard part (ascent) comes later, and therefore, it is easy to get trapped. Be confident of your fitness level before you try this. What to carry There are multiple water stops, some seasonal, some permanent, check the current situation at the NPS website. The water supply comes from Roaring Springs, and it has high Chlorine content. I carried ~3L of water and 1L of Gatorade. I think the 2L of water is the absolute minimum to avoid the risk of dehydration. Also, get a hydration pack so that you are drinking more frequently and without stopping. Wear good trail hiking boots since many parts of the trail are rough. Carry protein bars and trail mixes for snacking. Cache the map of the Grand Canyon in Google Maps since there is no network connectivity inside the canyon. Carry a detailed list of the checkpoints you are going to encounter, along with the distance to track how well you are doing. You can download a sample tracking sheet from Grand Canyon hiking time tracking sheet, and you can see my full sheet under “My Journey” section in this blog post. About the Journey The road AZ 67 to the North Rim closes on the first snowfall, therefore, check it’s the current situation before leaving. The North Rim is less touristy, less accessible, and higher elevation than the south rim, therefore, start the hike on the north rim and end it on the south rim. There is precisely one trail to take on the North Rim, that’s North Kaibab trail. The total length of the trail is about 14 miles, and the elevation change is about 5800 ft. There are two trails one can take to go up the South Rim, South Kaibab trail or Bright Angel Trail, Bright Angel trail is longer but has lower elevation gain and has one water stop (Indian garden), therefore, take the Bright Angel trail while going up the South Rim. The total length of this trail is about 9.4 miles, and the elevation change is about 4400 ft. On average, it seems it takes anywhere between 12 and 15 hours to finish the hike. My Journey Download a copy of this sheet for your use here. ...