We received a lot of advice about getting to Yosemite early, parking in one of the main lots and then taking the Shuttle, which takes you to just about every popular place, or you can hike from those popular places to where you want to be. This was our plan until my 14-year-old daughter sprained her ankle literally two days before our trip and ended up on crutches.  Our plans for hiking now had to be adjusted to Plan B: driving and parking as close to the sights as possible.

What better way to explore all of the beauty Carson Valley has to offer than to have a bird's eye view? Lake Tahoe Balloons. How can something be thrilling and peaceful all at the same time? It's an unique experience like no other.

I'm just a Chicago Gal experiencing the California Wildfires. First,it was the Sand Wildfire that began just weeks after we moved from Chicago to California. The Sand Wildfire was merely miles away from us.

I never thought I would be hunting Thomas Dambo's famous giant wooden trolls in a forest, but here I am.

As our final trip of 2017, JD and I met up in Palm Springs...