California - Mike's Road Trip

Japanese Tea Garden: Tranquility, beauty and harmony in the heart of San Francisco

Dee Dee Evans January 5th, 2017 Comments Off

Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California Anytime I find myself in San Francisco, California, I always make time to visit the Japanese Tea Garden. This serene garden boasts natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony. It was originally created in 1894 as a Japanese exhibit for the...

Winchester Mystery House: a haunted labyrinth maze of mystery

Dee Dee Evans November 28th, 2016 8 Comments

A common description of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is, “Bizarre but Beautiful!” I found this to be undeniably true while visiting this unique mansion not long ago. The story behind this property is as intriguing as the mansion itself. In the mid-1800’s, Sarah Winchester, widow of...

Potato Chip Rock hike up Mount Woodson

Mike Shubic January 21st, 2016 2 Comments

There is a lot of hoopla over the Mount Woodson hike to Potato Chip Rock in San Diego County. A quick internet search will yield a number of creative shots of brave souls who venture out on the thin, precarious, potato chip-shaped ledge to capture a daring moment in time....

A lofty view of San Diego

Mike Shubic December 6th, 2013 5 Comments

San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in the country—with its lush foliage, rolling hills and ocean views, one of the best ways to experience this coastal community might be in a hot air balloon. If you've never been in a hot air balloon before, let me encourage...

Yosemite National Park

Mike Shubic October 25th, 2012 2 Comments

With all my years of travel, Yosemite, one of the nation's most popular and coveted national parks, has somehow eluded me... that was until recently. I've never kept track of how many national parks and monuments I've visited, but it's a lot! Yosemite is one that had been high on...

Frazier Falls – an easy hike with a big reward

Mike Shubic July 31st, 2012 7 Comments

Frazier Falls is located just above Grayeagle, California and is about 6200 feet in elevation. The 1.4 mile round trip hike is both easy and quite scenic. This area experiences heavy snowfall in the winter, the melt-off flows from the Lakes Basin into Frazier Creek on its descent more than...

Five Essential San Francisco Experiences

Mike Shubic July 22nd, 2012 1 Comment

Fancy a road trip along California’s famous highway 101 this summer? There couldn’t be a better place to end your journey than San Francisco. The ‘City by the Bay’ truly has it all—natural beauty, incredible architecture, world-class cuisine and its own quirky culture. During your visit to this northern Californian...

Covert mission to uncover UnderCover Ale Works

Mike Shubic May 31st, 2012 4 Comments

UnderCover Ale Works and Sweet Palace produce completely different products, however both may share the "it" factor when it comes to helping a small community become a destination. Nestled hillside off highway 70, just outside of Graeagle, CA, I discovered (thanks to my friend Debra) a covert local attraction fermenting...

Oceanside produces outstanding Sunset Market

Mike Shubic May 22nd, 2012 3 Comments

I have been to a number of evening markets around the world, from Asia to Europe (the one in Bangkok is amazing). The public market concept is a cultural gathering that dates back to the beginning of time. With fresh food, artisans and live music, what's not to enjoy. I...

What is “the ONE thing” in San Diego, California?

Mike Shubic April 25th, 2012 10 Comments

San Diego, California is one of the coolest big cities in America. "SD" as San Diego is often affectionately referred, is made up of a series of coastal communities that beckons snow birds (people escaping the cold) and zonies (people escaping the heat) throughout the year. From young and old,...

First time ‘Kamping’ at the San Diego KOA

Mike Shubic April 14th, 2012 16 Comments

I've done all kinds of camping in my day, but I'd never been "kamping" in San Diego before. The San Diego KOA (Kampgrounds of America) is located in the southern part of the county in Chula Vista. The property is quite large, with over 300 sites for RVers and tent...

Death Valley: A fascinatingly inhospitable place

Mike Shubic March 14th, 2012 Comments Off

This was my first visit to Death Valley National Park and I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a fascinatingly inhospitable place. From the salt flats, sand dunes, to the hikes and cliff dwellings through the canyon walls, Death Valley is a very interesting and unique place...

Bodie State Park…A time capsule unearthed

Mike Shubic January 16th, 2012 16 Comments

Bodie State Park is a well-preserved ghost town that dates back to the mid-1800s. By 1880, Bodie, California was a booming town with a population near 10,000, and some estimate that it was the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the state. By 1917, after the railroad shut down and...

Mono Lake is Monolithic

Mike Shubic January 14th, 2012 Comments Off

Most will disagree with Mark Twain's description in his 1872 novel "Roughing It," where he describes Mono Lake as a "lifeless, treeless, hideous desert...the loneliest place on earth." Quite the contrary, Mono Lake is a beautiful ever-changing oasis. The monolithic lake shimmers under the bright blue skies as it reflects...

Into the heavens on the Palm Springs Aerial Tram

Mike Shubic January 4th, 2012 4 Comments

Palm Springs aeiral tram by Mike Shubic of MikesRoadTrip.com

The Palm Springs Aerial Tram is a pretty amazing local attraction, it's not just some basic chairlift taking you up a mountain, but rather an "aerial experience" if you will. The 80 passenger tramcars actually rotate during your ascent/descent, providing everyone with a fantastic view. When you consider that Palm...