http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA Travels and Journeys... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:57:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 2006-2010 heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) 1440 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA 144 144 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?feed=podcast Footsteps Travels and Journeys... Travel, outdoors, adventure, Heather, Dugan, stories Heather Dugan Heather Dugan heather@heatherdugan.com no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/02/03/buskers-by-the-wharf/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/02/03/buskers-by-the-wharf/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:12:21 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3911 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/02/03/buskers-by-the-wharf/feed/ 6 0:01:04 ...The attention span and focus of their audience is minimal, and most passersby are looking for lunch or the next ferry to Alcatraz. Street performers, or buskers, must relish the act of performing enough to ignore being ignored. Exposing a bit o[...] ...The attention span and focus of their audience is minimal, and most passersby are looking for lunch or the next ferry to Alcatraz. Street performers, or buskers, must relish the act of performing enough to ignore being ignored. Exposing a bit of heart in hopes of an answering smile, a bit of applause and hopefully, a dollar bill or two... Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/30/trout-fishing-at-tuolumne-meadows/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/30/trout-fishing-at-tuolumne-meadows/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:05:53 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=2635 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/30/trout-fishing-at-tuolumne-meadows/feed/ 18 0:00:54 ...Enclosed by the High Sierra and laced by clear bubbling streams, the meadow offers serene fishing with vistas that just might make catching a fish of secondary concern. ...Enclosed by the High Sierra and laced by clear bubbling streams, the meadow offers serene fishing with vistas that just might make catching a fish of secondary concern. Wildlife Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/20/mega-monuments-muir-woods-national-monument-california/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/20/mega-monuments-muir-woods-national-monument-california/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:18:31 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/photo/mega-monuments-muir-woods-national-monument-california/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/20/mega-monuments-muir-woods-national-monument-california/feed/ 17 0:01:38 ...With the tallest redwood stretching 258 feet above the forest floor and the oldest one dating back at least 1200 years, there is plenty to inspire awe within this national monument. President Roosevelt segregated the land in 1908; its name honors[...] ...With the tallest redwood stretching 258 feet above the forest floor and the oldest one dating back at least 1200 years, there is plenty to inspire awe within this national monument. President Roosevelt segregated the land in 1908; its name honors naturalist John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club and a pivotal figure in the establishment of our national park system... Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/16/the-giants-of-mariposa/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/16/the-giants-of-mariposa/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:22:41 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3950 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2012/01/16/the-giants-of-mariposa/feed/ 12 0:01:14 That they are old is not enough.  Age is an effortless achievement -just ask any woman over forty.  But here also is grace.  A simple yet steadfast strength.  The presence of a peace that expands from within one’s own self to embrace the ver[...] That they are old is not enough.  Age is an effortless achievement -just ask any woman over forty.  But here also is grace.  A simple yet steadfast strength.  The presence of a peace that expands from within one’s own self to embrace the very sanctuary that seems to call it forth. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias provides perspective on a grand scale.  One of three protected sequoia groves within Yosemite, Mariposa at the south-western edge of the park is the largest and most visited.  Unlike the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods, these Sequoias are more solitary.  The drier inland zone results in less undergrowth and clustering, making it easier to imagine unique personas for the individually named trees. Walking through, the sensation is similar to being in the presence of stalwart timeless heroes.  Some will fall, but even the decay of the fallen is deliberate due to a bacteria that suppresses the qualities of tannic acid in the wood.  The “Fallen Monarch” (pictured at right) has lain in state for centuries, and the trees around it will grow for centuries more. I think I’m ready for another visit to Yosemite. Updated from February 10, 2010. Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/19/colossal-cones/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/19/colossal-cones/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:14:50 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4003 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/19/colossal-cones/feed/ 6 0:00:48 Surrounded by trees extending almost three hundred feet straight up, I had an understandable urge to look skyward as we wandered through the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park. Fortunately, a young boy showed me what was lying right at my fee[...] Surrounded by trees extending almost three hundred feet straight up, I had an understandable urge to look skyward as we wandered through the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park. Fortunately, a young boy showed me what was lying right at my feet: giant sequoia cones... Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/05/down-by-the-bay-upper-newport-bay-california/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/05/down-by-the-bay-upper-newport-bay-california/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:34:08 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/adventures/down-by-the-bay-upper-newport-bay-california/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/05/down-by-the-bay-upper-newport-bay-california/feed/ 16 0:02:13 When your hotel is situated on the edge of a nature preserve, it’s bound to get interesting. When there’s ten miles of trails winding through it? Even better. I spent a lot of time on the trails of Upper Newport Bay Preserve and Ecolog[...] When your hotel is situated on the edge of a nature preserve, it’s bound to get interesting. When there’s ten miles of trails winding through it? Even better. I spent a lot of time on the trails of Upper Newport Bay Preserve and Ecological Reserve a few years ago, both strolling with my camera and running without it. There’s nothing like fresh scenery to add a little spring to your step and pull time off your mile. Upper Newport Bay Map and Visitor Information Upper Newport Bay is dedicated wetlands. Without intervention and education, it would eventually fill with sediment and evolve into meadowland. Home to half a dozen rare or endangered bird species, the estuary hosts over 30,000 birds a day during winter migration. Birds are only part of the story though; fish, native plants and assorted critters and mammals share the space in an intricate food web sustained by the unique conditions of a wetlands habitat. Some thirty to forty percent of California’s halibut catch is said to originate from spawning beds in the Bay. A flood control project in the late 60′s has impacted the Bay to the point that regular dredging is necessary to maintain its natural state. Fortunately, many believe the estuary to be worth the effort.The serene liquid landscape teems with life; mollusks, fish and snails emerged along the waterline as well as assorted shorebirds that fluttered away at our approach. We searched in vain for a California trapdoor spider, but a sleek long-tailed weasel caught my eye as it slipped across a narrow channel. The Muth Interpretive Center was an unexpected find, tucked away beneath a curve of the trail. The paths of an outdoor garden led us down to fascinating displays on the Bay’s ecosystem. We arrived with questions and the employees were more than happy to share information and point us to helpful exhibits. Muth Center guides also helped us identify a couple of plants that intrigued us, including the coyote gourd or coyote melon plant. The trailing vines of this flowering plant were expansive, invading the territories of all surrounding vegetation and even creeping out onto the horse trail that runs alongside the biking and running path. Jumping the vines daily as I ran the bayside path seemed reason enough for an introduction…   Updated from July 29, 2009. Upper Newport Bay Map and Visitor Information 1000 acres of preserved wetland with 10 miles of hiking/biking/running trails. Kayaking, fishing, birdwatching... Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center: Exhibits and information Directions/Phone: 2301 University Drive; Newport Beach, CA 92660(949) 923 2290    Website Newport Aquatic Center: Kayak and pontoon boat tours Directions/Phone: 1 Whitecliffs Drive; Newport Beach, CA 92660(949) 646-7725   Website View Upper Newport Bay Preserve and Ecological Reserve in a larger map Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/10/24/two-wheeled-descent/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/10/24/two-wheeled-descent/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:45:06 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=2566 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/10/24/two-wheeled-descent/feed/ 14 0:01:37 One of my more vivid childhood memories involves my pre-teen self catapulting over the handlebars of my dad's bike onto a gravel specked downhill curve the afternoon before my first day at a new school. Nice, huh? Nevertheless, a friend talked me in[...] One of my more vivid childhood memories involves my pre-teen self catapulting over the handlebars of my dad's bike onto a gravel specked downhill curve the afternoon before my first day at a new school. Nice, huh? Nevertheless, a friend talked me into mountain biking -down an actual mountain no less... Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/08/stellers-jay/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/08/stellers-jay/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:22:51 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=2143 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/08/stellers-jay/feed/ 13 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/27/emerald-pool/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/27/emerald-pool/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:37:51 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4350 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/27/emerald-pool/feed/ 7 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/24/vernal-fall-at-yosemite-national-park/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/24/vernal-fall-at-yosemite-national-park/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:05 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4344 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/06/24/vernal-fall-at-yosemite-national-park/feed/ 7