A beautiful CA national park. We did 2 short hikes in one day…read more The pinnacle rocks and the caves are SO cool! Parking was really easy for the trails we wanted to access. National Park pass is required.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Pinnacles National Park turned out to be one of the most enjoyable surprises. Pinnacles may not be as famous as Yosemite or Sequoia, but it is well worth a visit. It offers dramatic rock formations, beautiful scenery, excellent hiking, and one especially memorable feature: its talus caves. The landscape feels rugged and distinctive, with spectacular views around nearly every bend. We especially appreciated the variety of hiking options. There are trails for every ability level, including gentle paths that are accessible for visitors with mobility limitations, so many people can enjoy the park's beauty. For me, the highlight was exploring the caves. These are not traditional limestone caves but talus caves, formed when enormous boulders fell into narrow canyons and created natural tunnels. Walking through them was a real adventure. Some sections were very dark, and while a flashlight or headlamp is definitely recommended, I managed with my phone's flashlight, and a little optimism. It made the experience even more memorable. Pinnacles is also one of the best places in California to spot the magnificent California condor. We weren't lucky enough to see one soaring overhead, but knowing these endangered birds have been successfully reintroduced here adds another layer of appreciation for the park. Spring is especially beautiful, with wildflowers covering the hillsides, and the park is full of interesting rock formations, oak woodlands, chaparral, and abundant wildlife. Pinnacles National Park offers a little bit of everything: beautiful scenery, excellent hiking, unique geology, and genuine adventure. It may be one of the smaller national parks, but it delivers an impressive amount of beauty and fun in one visit. If you go, don't miss the caves, and bring a flashlight. Or, if you're like me, your phone and a sense of adventure might just do the trick.

This is a great trail. The problem is getting to this trailhead. The last two times I visited the…read morepark, they've closed the parking spaces beyond the campground making this trail impractical. This time, once again parking spaces closed, but at least there was a shuttle bus. The trail is amazing. It is not hard. This is a moderate trail that is a continuous uphill for about three and a half miles. There's nothing difficult about it on a comfortable day. However, on a summer pinnacles national park day, this trail could kill you from the heat alone.

What a gem! Slightly…read morehard to find but definitely worth stopping if you're in the area. Just off the 5 exit on Panoche Road + less than a mile from the hub of gas stations. It feels like you're trespassing through someone's farming area. THEN you go a little more on unpaved road & out of the blue is the Tumey Hills signage! Gorgeous sprawling green hills and mountains, it's how I imagine Ireland looking. The Hubs said the last time he went it was all dead & brown dirt so don't hold me to the exact pantone of greenery. :) As for the shooting, it's pretty awesome to have such a vast area to practice shooting. While we were there, two groups were hard core training. One looked like they were swat, with one in the back covering the front shooter. They had regular handguns. The group in the front had full armored vests, handguns, rifles, and semi-automatics. Everyone is spaced out but safety is safety. Just know your surroundings, be safe, & clean up after yourselves! No glass targets or craziness!

From I-5 South, get off at Panoche Rd (exit 368) and continue west until you see the Tumey Hills…read moresign on the left. You will be driving on a paved road for 1 mile and gravel road for 1-2 miles. If you are driving a sedan, you should not be driving more than 15 MPH when you reach the unpaved area. You will need to climb over the gate during fire season, because access for vehicles is not allowed. GPS coordinates: 36.623456, -120.654246

This is a great little park located in the middle of a wonderful housing community. Plenty of wide…read moreopen grassy areas and lots of great equipment for the kids to play on.

The best compliment to any business is repeat business. My son and I just wrapped up our second…read morehunt with Sarah and Rocky. Sarah is very easy to work with making the reservation, meeting us at the hunting house and ensuring we are settled and ready for the next day hunting. Rocky was our guide both trips and I can't say enough about how great he is. Very professional, experienced, knowledgeable, and most importantly focused on our safety. Rocky had us on pigs at first light and by 8am we had everything we needed. He took the time to show us how to gut a hog and explained their life cycle, and surprisingly wasn't annoyed with all of my questions. After our hunt, Rocky took us around the land to show us the sites and track other pigs for future hunts. Back at the house, Rocky prepped our pigs for the long drive home. The hunting cabin is very cozy, comfortable, clean, and the beds are comfortable. Schmidt Guides has a client for life!

I spent a considerable amount of time researching California pig hunting outfitters before deciding…read moreto book with Schmidt Guide Service, and I'm glad I did. For the price, nearly everything is included except food, making it an excellent value. Our group of four booked approximately six months in advance. I highly recommend reviewing their website beforehand, as it answers most common questions and provides a clear understanding of what to expect. About a week before our hunt, Sarah reached out to confirm our arrival and finalize details. Hunters can check into the lodge by noon the day before their scheduled hunt. Due to scheduling constraints within our group, the guides arranged for us to head out the same day we arrived at 2 PM. Upon arrival, Sarah was there waiting for us, handled check-in efficiently, completed paperwork, and provided our lodge key. The hunting lodge itself is a nostalgic home built in 1936 on roughly half an acre. You can feel the history the moment you walk in, reinforced by decades of photos displayed throughout the house. The lodge includes everything needed for a comfortable stay: a full kitchen stocked with cookware, plates, silverware, and essentials; a dining room; living room; four bedrooms; and 1 1/2 bathrooms. The bedrooms comfortably accommodate up to eight hunters. Outside, there's a fire pit, horseshoe pit, and seating area to unwind after a day in the field. Off to the side of the property sits an old-school saloon, butcher area, and walk-in meat locker, all adding to the unique experience. Now for the best part: our guides, Luke and his son Josh. From the start, both were friendly, professional, and welcoming. The ranch we hunted was about 25 minutes from the lodge. I was paired with Luke in his UTV, and his experience was immediately obvious. Having guided with Schmidt for 32 years, his skill and knowledge are impressive. His ability to spot hogs without binoculars or spotting equipment was unbelievable. We encountered our first group of hogs around 4 PM, and two members of our party successfully harvested by 4:20 PM. Luke quickly field dressed the hogs, and we were back hunting in no time. Later that day, Luke located another group, allowing our third hunter to harvest before the end of day one. The following morning, Luke and Josh were ready to go by 5 AM sharp. Not long into the hunt, Luke spotted a sizable boar, and our fourth hunter successfully harvested him just after 8 AM. After returning to the lodge, Luke and Josh immediately got to work skinning and preparing the hogs for processing. Their efficiency and expertise were impressive. By 11 AM, everything was packed on ice and our group was ready to head home. Our experience with Schmidt Guide Service was outstanding from start to finish. Luke and Josh are tremendous assets to the operation and truly made the trip memorable for our group. If you're considering a guided pig hunt in California, I would absolutely book with them again.

I absolutely loved this race. It was my first half-marathon, and I've caught the bug. After years…read moreof semi-training for 5K's and 10K's, always to be left kind of disappointed with my performance, I finally just went for it with a 1/2 and am so glad I did. The course for Salinas Valley is gorgeous, the community running the race is incredibly friendly and good-spirited, and few things compare to the self-pride of completing this kind of physical challenge. Additionally, this was by far one of the most well-run races I've participated in. Everything from parking to nutrition stations to the post-race event were well-planned and expertly executed. I wasn't much up for all the wine tasting after throwing myself across the finish line, but it seemed fun! Maybe I'll toughen up by next year; the chocolate milk beat out Cabernet this time. If you're on the fence about running a half, know that the large majority of folks were run/walkers; I came in around 2:37:00 and was in good company. I had a blast and am already looking forward to next year. The one thing I *won't* forget is Body Glide - these thighs just aren't made out for August heat in Salinas. Lessons learned! ;-)

Just ran the race today. It is one of the most well organized event I've participated in, not to…read moremention one of the most scenic. The traffic flow and parking were well thought out, the goodies at the start and end of the race were great (water, plain bagels & cream cheese, grapes, candies, water, coffee, wine, coconut water), there was a massage service at the finish area, the mile markers were in nicely done boards and in large print, water and port-o-potties were available every few miles, and there were volunteers carrying pace boards that I found helpful in reaching my goal time. I look forward to doing the race again next year!

I am 13 years old and I have been going to this skate park a lot more often, I am a beginner skater…read moreand I have been having a lot of fun here, going down the ramps are nice, it's a little small but that doesn't really matter, I recently just learned to drop in on a ramp and I learned it at this skate park so it has a special place in my memory, I really like this skate park.

The Salinas skatepark has given me a sense of purpose in my life ever since I went there in sixth…read moregrade. Cool concrete ramps and mellow ledges were perfect for me to practice on. The issue isn't with the design necessarily, but rather with the location. It's located in the middle of a ravine that leads to the creek out of view from passing cars. Fights happen there a lot and people tend to use it as drinking and smoking spot. Just recently, someone had cut out the light fixtures that illuminate it at night. Having light down there during a late night session was perfect but now I wouldn't go there at that time anymore. Overall, it has a place in my heart but I think that there needs to be more community involvement for it to be a safe place to skate.

If you're reading this, there's a high probability you are residing in the Milky Way galaxy. But,…read morehave you seen it? Really, let me ask again, have you actually viewed your galaxy? Chances are that you haven't. Light pollution blocks 99% of Americans from viewing the Milky Way; about 80% of the USA is light polluted. However, some countries in Asia are 100% light polluted; in fact, the residents of some of those countries have a hard time adapting their vision to darkness. On a recent night, after researching dark skies and making some calculations, I photographed the Milky Way here at Panoche Hills. This place is downright amazing if you're into stargazing, astrophotography, or getting off the grid. I stood there, alone, in awe seeing shooting stars, meteorites, a billion stars, and the elusive Milky Way. The views here are stellar (yay pun) but you will need to be ready for a journey because it is not easy to get here. I recommend coming in from the northern route due to the roads being in better shape. I stood there around midnight alone and it did cross my mind, "Yikes, what if something happens no one will find me." Darkness, stars, and owls flying around staring at you can be a tad scary for a city-dweller. The longer I was out there the more serene and wondrous it all became. Seeing the Milky Way rise puts things into perspective that is hard to describe; it must be experienced. Before you can see the Milky Way, however, you're going to need to do some research. Even a half-moon can hide it. Be aware that we're in the northern hemisphere so it will not be visible all year. There are a few other places in California to view it like this but for me this was the easiest to get to. If you come, I would not recommend coming alone like I did (hey I like adventure). Bring water and flashlight. Also, keep in mind cell phone service is nil unless you get lucky; but, assume you will be out of contact with the world. I hear this is an excellent place to view the perseid meteor shower and I might come back in August for that. The good news is that Mercy hot springs is less than a mile south so if some real emergency happens they are there.