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Lloyd Lake/ Spreckles Lake and Rainbow Falls

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Address: Rainbow Falls, San Francisco, California 94118

Lloyd lake is a clay-lined lake in Golden Gate Park and is also known as Mirror Lake. The lake is located in between John F. Kennedy Drive/Crossover Drive and near the East Meadow picnic area. There is also a small and green-colored waterfall that cascades down into the lake. You will also see other small wildlife such as turtles, ducks, geese, etc. There is also a small food vendor in front of the falls that sells hotdogs, water, churros, ice cream, etc.

Spreckles Lake is one of the larger bodies of water in Golden Gate Park. The area or pathways are well paved and a good place to jog, walk run, or even roller skates. There was a lot of boat enthusiasts that are playing with their motored model boats in the water. There are a lot of benches around the lake for you to relax and enjoy the view.

Rainbow Falls- Back in 1930, the waterfalls were originally illuminated with colored lights and that is why it got its name. It is the second man-made falls in SF Golden Gate Park. The John F. Kennedy Drive towards the Rainbow Falls is currently closed or blocked off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But a lot of people are exercising, jogging, walking, and bicycling on the closed roadway. You can easily hear and see the Rainbow Falls from the main road. We even saw a family of raccoons climbing over the waterfalls.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the falls and the lakes mentioned after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Bison Paddock at S.F. Golden Gate Park.

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Address: 1237 John F. Kennedy Drive, San Francisco, Ca. 94121

I was surprised to hear that there is an American Bison herd at S.F. Golden Gate Park. On February 13, 1891, is when the first Bison was brought to S.F. Golden Gate Park due to the species was close to extinction. The S.F. Zoo monitor and maintain the American Bison herds by feeding them oat hay, pellet feed, grain, and natural graze. It is located in S.F. Golden Gate Park near the Angler Lodge and west of Sprekles Lake on John F. Kennedy Drive. Parking is easily accessible by parking on the main street but I suggest that you visit the area early in the morning. The park hours are from 5 am until midnight.

The American Bison roams or moves a lot throughout the day in their enclosed field to eat and play. The bison herds are enclosed or surrounded on the field by a dual fence for safety. And you will see a lot of warning signs stating that do not feed the bison. We went earlier and hang around near their caging or containment area. We were fortunate enough to get closer and took a better picture since they go in and out from their caging area. We only stayed in the Bison Paddock for about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy and have fun!

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Bison Paddock after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Thank you and have a nice day!

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Strawberry Hill/Huntington Falls

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Address: Strawberry Hill, San Francisco California 94118

Strawberry Hill is near the center of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It is located in the middle of the famous Stow Lake. You can also see the views of Mount Tamalpais and the Golden Gate Bridge from the top of the hill. To get to the top you will need to climb a very steep hill by walking through a series of steps. While ascending, you will also find a great opportunity for a photoshoot of the different views of the waterfalls.

There are 2 bridges which are the Rustic and Roman bridges that connect to Strawberry Hill to provide access to the hiking trails. There is also an artificial man-made waterfall called Huntington Falls that is controlled by pumping of electronically delivered energy. The waterfall cascades down through Strawberry Hill and spills into Stow Lake.

Some of the things that you can do at Strawberry Hill are hiking, walking, jogging, meditate and enjoy the view of the cascading waterfall and Stow Lake. The nearest public restroom is located by the boat rentals in Stow Lake which is about 15 minutes walk from the waterfalls.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Strawberry Hill and Huntington Falls after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Mossbrae Falls

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Address: Mossbrae Falls, California 96025

Mossbrae Falls is a 52 feet falls and is located in Dunsmuir, California in Shasta County. The waterfalls are not high but very wide and have lots of greenery. To get to the falls there are 2 ways that I know of. One is trespassing illegally at your own risk through private property at Shasta Retreat Center and a Railroad track owned by Union Pacific. You can’t park inside the Shasta Retreat Center. Some locals informed us that you can also access the falls via the Hedge Creek Falls trail by crossing a river. Hedge Creek Falls is about 5 minutes away from the Shasta Retreat Center.  There is also a street sign that says no parking inside the retreat center and no Mossbrae Access. You can easily miss the Shasta Retreat Center’s entrance since it is situated on a corner. If you reach the Yak’s Restaurant or the Chevron gas station you went too far.

Once you get to the Shasta Retreat Center entrance which is on Scarlett Way. You have to walk downhill and make a right turn towards the bridge. After you pass the bridge you will land on railroad tracks and there is a sign that says private property trespassing is prohibited  The moderate walk/hike along the Railroad track is about 1.2 miles. The right side of the Railroad track is wider and closest to the river. Watch out and listen for oncoming trains and wear good hiking shoes due to lots of very sharp and large rocks along the tracks. Bring bottles of water and sunscreen during summer because there are no shaded areas along the tracks.

Before you reach the bridge there is a trail on the right side through the trees that will lead to the waterfalls. You will be able to see and hear the waterfalls while you are on the trail. The water is very cold and the rocks are slippery. And there is a huge rock or boulder in the middle of the falls which is a great photo opportunity but it is difficult to go on top of it. Bring your lunch and just enjoy the scenery. Remember that you are trespassing on private property at your own risk and may receive a fine or get hit by a train. Enjoy!

Let us know if you have any questions or what you think about Mossbrae Falls after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Thank you and have a great day.

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Upper King’s Creek Meadows/Lake Helen/Lake Emerald/Lake Manzanita

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Address: (Park Headquarters) 38050 Highway 36 East Mineral, California 96063

All these 4 tourist spots are located within Lassen National Park and are all within a few minutes away. Upper Kings Creek Meadows is a great spot to take pictures with the brownish/yellowish color of its meadows. There is also a small creek on the right side of the meadows for a great photo opportunity. Lake Helen is situated 8,000 feet above sea level and is located South of Lassen Peak and west of Bumpass Mountain in Shasta Cascade. Lake Helen is a great place to relax, enjoy the crystal clear water, the stunning views of Lassen Peak, and the surrounding forest.

Lake Emerald’s green-colored pristine water is due to it being shallow. It is near the south entrance into the park. We even saw a deer eating, enjoying the shade and beautiful summer weather. Lake Emerald is located after the Bumpass Hell parking area. Lake Manzanita is a popular destination for camping, fishing, and kayaking. There is also a 1.5-mile hiking trail for people to enjoy and watch the sunset.  

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Lake Helen, Manzanita, and Emerald after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Bumpass Hell

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Address: (Park Headquarters)38050 Highway 36, East Mineral, California 96063

Bumpass Hell is located inside the Lassen National Park and is one of the main attractions of the park. It is the largest hydrothermal area at Lassen National Park and it is 16 acres of boiling springs, mud spots, hissing steam vents, and roaring fumaroles. The largest and hottest fumaroles in the park have been measured as high as 322 Fahrenheit. Bumpass Hell is a 3-mile roundtrip moderate hike from the parking area and may take 2 hours to complete the entire hike. The hike to Bumpass Hell will take you through an uphill and downhill path and can get up to 8,000 feet elevation. The hiking path is a two-way narrow trail so please share and give way to other hikers.

Bring lots of water, hiking poles, and sunscreen during summer to help you with the hike.  There are a lot of areas that have a nice view and photo opportunities. There is also a lot of lavender-colored flowers garden along the way. You will know when you are very close to the Bumpass Hell area as it will smell like rotten eggs due to natural occurring gases, steamy and roaring fumaroles. But please stay on the wooden board pathway for safety as it gets too hot and steamy. You may break through a thin crust hiding acidic boiling water underneath if you wander away from the wooden path.

There is also a small Vista area where you can see a view from the top of the entire Bumpass Hell landscape. If you can’t find a parking spot at Bumpass Hell, try to park at Lake Helen outside of the white line. You can even walk down a path that will lead you to Lake Helen to relax.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Bumpass Hell after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Crystal Creek Falls

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Address: Crystal Creek Falls, California 96033

Crystal Creek is one of my favorite falls since you can get closer to the waterfalls and an easy hike/walk to this beautiful waterfalls. Crystal Creek Falls is the only man-made waterfalls in Whiskeytown National Park. It is a 0.9 roundtrip hike with a paved hiking trail. The area also have a public restroom available but the parking area is made up of gravel and sand. Try to come in early on weekends due to limited parking area and it gets too crowded with both locals and tourists.

You will see a sign in the entrance and from there you will still need to drive through a narrow 2 way road for about 20 minutes until you hit the parking area. Watch out for deers crossing the narrow road as we had encountered 2 deers on our way back out. There will be a sign that says Crystal Creek Falls and Whiskeytown Falls. After the end of the paved walkway, you will need to go down on a small dirt path to access the waterfalls. The water falls area is not too big and it can get too crowded. You can also bring your swimsuit to swim or get closer to the waterfalls and enjoy the refreshing water during summer.  We saw a few people climbing up towards the second tier of the waterfalls. You can also visit the Whiskeytown lake either before or after your visit at Crystal Creek Falls.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Crystal Creek Falls after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site to your friends and family. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Yak’s on the 5 Restaurant

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Address: 4917 Dunsmuir Avenue, Dunsmuir, California 96025

“Yak’s on the 5” restaurant is located in Dunsmuir, California at Shasta County. It is famous to I-5 travelers and locals alike. It is famous for it’s Artisan Burgers and world famous sticky buns. Recently named by Yelp as one of the top 100 food destinations in the nation. I ordered the BBQ chicken wings glazed with dark beer and chocolate bbq sauce with their famous fries. My wife ordered the BBQ spare ribs, while my daughter ordered the popular Artisan bacon overload burger. And for dessert we had the famous sticky bun with a caramel and baileys/bourbon sauce. They have available tables and chairs outside for customers. We even get to pick a tag with famous people’s name and they will call that name once your order is ready. We were lucky to have picked Robin Williams which is from the Bay Area (San Francisco).

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Yaks on the 5 after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site to your friends and family. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Sulphur Works

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Address: 38050 Highway 36 East Mineral, California 96063

Sulphur Works is located inside Lassen National Park and about 1 mile north of the      Southwest park entrance. Sulphur Works is said to be the Volcanic center of the ancestral Mt. Tehama. It is about 0.6 mile out and back trail and can be seen while driving along the main road of State Route 89. Its a very short walk from the parking area and public restrooms are available. The boiling Sulphur and steam holes are viewed from the sidewalk and closest you’ll get to a boiling pit.

A short path loops around steam vents, bubbling mud pots and rumbling vents called fumaroles. When you are closer to the active hot mud, it will smell like rotten egg due to  other natural gases. The road going to the area is winding road with no guard rail so please drive slowly and watch for pedestrians.  There is also a 2.2 roundtrip hiking trail leading to Ridge lake near the Sulphur Works.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about The Sulphur Works after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site to your friends and family. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Nepenthe Restaurant

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Address: 48510 CA-1, Big Sur, California 93920

Nepenthe Restaurant is perched high above overlooking the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It’s about a 10-15 minutes drive from Pfeiffer Beach. They have 2 parking lots are available for guests. One is located in front of the restaurant and the other is on an unpaved road right on the main road before the entrance. They are open at 11:30 am and if they are busy you can check out the other cafe called Cafe Kevah which is situated on the lower level. The restaurant and the Cafe pretty much have the same view.

During our first time visit, we arrived at 11:30 am and only waited for 10 minutes. But on our second time around, we arrived at 12:30 pm and waited for at least 30-40 minutes. They provided us with a pager that works even though we were in the gift shop or taking pictures around the area. They only have an outdoor dining area available as of now due to Covid and everyone is wearing a mask but you can remove it when you get to your table to eat. All the outdoor seatings have a panoramic view. We ordered the famous Ambrosia Burger, Chicken, and the Shrimp BLT sandwich. They were all served on a very delicious soft French roll. For dessert we ordered the famous Triple Berry pie baked with raspberries, strawberries, and boysenberries with walnut toppings.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about The Nepenthe Falls after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.