Snowless Snow Trip

Posted on February 26, 2019February 28, 2019 Tagged lakes, Mountains, mykenzie'sfam, summer/snow, treesLeave a comment

Hi everyone. I’m back to share with you the least secret destination ever, Mammoth. I know there is no shortage of readers who have visited these lakes and mountains to go skiing, snowboarding, or enjoy the snow. But what’s made my experience unique was the time of year I went: summer! For the past two years, I have traveled here with my friend, Mykenzie, and will hopefully continue to do so until she graduates, which sadly isn’t too far in the future:( This trip is usually the highlight of my summer and I’m excited to share some summer activities that can be done in this winter destination!

Upon arrival this year, we headed directly to Lake George. Because of increased snowmelt levels this year, it was much more full than usual which made hiking around the perimeter a little difficult but still beautiful. Kenz and I were feeling adventurous so we decided to walk around the whole lake while the rest of her family chilled by the shore. The walk was full of little and big rocks to jump off of into the freezing, clear water and small rivers to hop over. Towards the end of the walk, we found a waterfall streaming down from above, then had to basically crawl through these very low hanging branches filled with fluttering, circle like leaves. This start to the trip was unparalleled and wouldn’t be the same if it was covered in snow.

The rest of the trip was filled with many more lake based adventures. We stayed in town, but her cousins stayed in a condo that was closer to the edge of houses. We took advantage of this by going on long hikes right from their backyard; walking to Twin and Horseshoe Lake as well as going into the village. Although it requires a half hour drive south, the highlight of the trip for me has always been renting a boat in Convict Lake. The lake is surrounded by hills on most of it’s perimeter, with one sharp, protruding peak at the far end. Being enclosed on all sides creates a really unique feel when out on the water at Convict and I could lay in the sun and watch the clouds pass behind the tall mountains for hours. The water is clear but ice cold, which usually doesn’t stop us from jumping in and swimming to shore anyways. Staying in for too long becomes uncomfortable but the warmth of the sunny boat deck usually warms me up entirely.

Seeing this stereotypically snowy destination in summer shows what all these mountains have to offer in the warmer months. Mammoth itself is a normal sized town and has many places to eat and stay. But once you are alone on a hike up in the mountains or out on a serene lake, the air is crisp and feels completely foreign and pure. I highly recommend coming here in the summer, or even just going to a classic destination you visit annually in a different season. You may be surprised with what it brings.

Flower Fields and Friends

Posted on February 19, 2019February 20, 2019 Tagged fields, Friends, hometown, summerlandLeave a comment

This weekend was longer than usual because of President’s Day, which gave me a much needed break from the stress of school. My blog post this week is even more local than last week’s. It’s practically in my backyard! I had always thought of this flower field as very hidden and unknown since no one comes to Summerland and the entrance is disguised. Yet, this weekend, I was very surprised by the bombardment of insta posts from girls posing in this field (although I admit to be included in this ). This made me realize that my secret spot wasn’t so secret after all, but it’s still worth sharing and a must see for anyone passing through sleepy Summerland.

Like any adventure, it’s better enjoyed in the company of a good friend. This President’s Day, Quincy Spaulding came to my house and we walked down to the field. From my house, it’s about three or four blocks down Whitney Avenue to a small, driveway ish, street called Temple Street. Turning up Temple will lead one to a path that traces around the perimeter of the flowers. To really be emmersed in the yellow mustard, it involves a bit of weed whacking with your feet. And since Q and I wanted the best viewpoint, we did just that.

Some might have argued that we picked a poor day to visit this field because, although it was clear and beautiful out, the air was frosty and the wind was chilling. Every time a big gust came, we hunkered down and attempted to wait for the wind to settle down before \we could continue our walk. This small inconvenience didn’t take away from the feild’s beauty. The mustard swayed in one large motion, similar to a forming ocean wave. On one skyline lies dramatic mountains. Looking the other way, one can catch a glimpse of the white-capped ocean if you stand in the right spot. The yellow flowers pop when set again a virbant blue sky. If you have read my previous posts, you know I appreciate pretty colors and pretty views. This spot was no exception.

Having lived in Summerland all my life, I am very familiar with all the attractions there. There is not that much to do, but in March, when this flower field blooms, it is worth the trip. “This, by far, is my favorite dune in this land. It makes my hairs tingle and prickle upward towards the sky’s like i feel like i could fly. My hairs could take me up to the sky and heaven and abovei feel like a good dove. I see Jesus and i giggle lightly. I try to do it politely”- poem by Ava Sutherland

Hometown Views

Posted on February 12, 2019February 12, 2019 Tagged Knapp’s, Mountains, sunset, Valleys, viewsLeave a comment

This week, I’m back with a new adventure from our own beautiful Santa Barbara. No flight or stress required; view our town and what surrounds it from inside the county from the top of San Marcos Pass. I have visited this location only once before but I found it the perfect place to watch the sun go down and highly recommend it to anyone chasing that orange sky.

My good friends, Mya, Morgan, and Mikayla, were the people who introduced me to this incomparable look out. One warm day in November, we all knew there had been a great streak of vibrant sunsets the previous nights so we wanted to go somewhere we could get the best view of it. The drive up to this destination was equally interesting. We trekked up the winding San Marcos Pass while looking down the canyon to Goleta. Our initial plan was to visit Lizard’s Mouth, but we missed the exit while driving up the pass and settled for Knapp’s Castle instead, which has a turnoff that is much more accessible. I believe this was a lucky mistake. It took an extra twenty minutes to get there after exiting the main pass, and we began to wonder if we had confused the directions. Eventually the small road breaks out of the trees and revealed a demanding view, proving we were in the right place. We parked (which can be difficult in the area but not impossible especially if you don’t mind walking a bit), and walked down the mellow path to the stone arches towering at the end. This is not a completely secluded location; there were a few other tourists there when we arrived around 4:00 pm and an increasing amount closer to sunset. This doesn’t alter the beauty in the view however. Knapp’s doesn’t overlook the city of Santa Barbara; instead, you wil see the spanning Santa Ynez Valley, which is a uncommon perspective and can make the experience feel more exeptional. We observed many layered and jagged mountains straight ahead and expansive, green valleys on either side, from the perch of the secure arches. The sharp brown and muted green of the land made an interesting constrast with an increasingly pink sky.

As sunset quickly approached and Kanpp’s became more crowded, my friends and I rushed back up the path the road and drove farther along the ridge line to a water tower. We climbed on top of the tower that was covered in a blanket of graffiti. Here, the sunset was at it’s peak, and from this high vantage point, you could see the whole colored sky all at once. This was equally, if not more enjoyable, than Knapp’s because we had the whole area completely to ourselves and felt totally removed from any distracting tourists. Since two of my friends are MAD juniors, they had their cameras and we spent lots of time taking shots in front of the sky. It was dark enough so that we were just silhouettes on an orange background, which created dramatic shots.

I highly recommend this lookout for anyone who is trying to get off the map in our own town. I garentee you will feel removed, calmed, and inspired by the demanding views. However it may not be totally fit for someone terrified of heights…

Unknown Lagoon

Posted on February 5, 2019February 8, 2019 Tagged baja, Calm, Lagoon, travel, whalesLeave a comment

Hi everyone. This week’s post is a strong contrast to last week’s. I’m moving away from the crowded, overly innovative, and hectic essence of Tokyo to a secluded lagoon in Baja, Mexico. San Ignacio Lagoon is tucked into the coast; entirely remote, desolate, and uninterrupted. It’s empty. But that’s how it likes it. It is host to noncomparable animal observing and a constant and peaceful quiet. It is the definition of off the map and the perfect location for this week!

This is no random lagoon for the Reitherman family. My dad lived down here for various periods of time when he was younger, sometimes with company, doing research on a bird species, the osprey. He has recounted many of the sketchy situations you might expect one would encounter when you are literally the only humans for miles around. These included running out of resources and their small boats getting carried out with the tide. But one great aspect of their trip was that they met the only family living there, the Mayorals. This family has remained relevant in our lives until present with one of the younger sons moving his family to Santa Barbara. About three years ago, I took my first trip down to San Ignacio and got to meet the rest of the family that I had heard so much about. Seeing how they lived and how happy they were was inspiring in itself.

The family lives in small, rugged, but equally adorable houses by the water, just a walk away from a line of cabins the eldest son has made so that people can have a place to stay when whale watching. Along with the cabin there is a building that tourists can eat in, made completely out of recycled materials in disguise such as water bottles and sea shells. The biggest aspect of this trip however, was the whales. We set out early in the morning on small motor boats out in to the glassy, waveless lagoon. After waiting merely twenty minutes after setting anchor, a mother whale and her baby approached the boat. They swam up so close we could reach out and stroke their slimy backs. Whales are beautiful up close and they played with each other around out boat with grace. Being that close and connecting with this force of nature really made me feel in sync with the world for a moment. I have always been raised to respect creatures as they deserve but this would give any open minded human a garenteed and newfound inspiration for the natural world.

I recommend this place whole heartedly for anyone going to Mexico that loves nature and doesn’t mind getting a little salty. Although it is good to preserve it’s seclusion, the small whale watching tours the company provides are an experience of a lifetime. Join me next week with insight on a local hidden adventure!

Discovering Zojoji Temple

Posted on January 29, 2019 Tagged gardens, photography, Temple, tokyo, zojojiLeave a comment

Hi, my name is Millie Reitherman. I am a sophomore in high school in the bubble of a city we call Santa Barbara, California. I am lucky enough to live in a city that is a travel destination in itself, with beautiful, cascading mountains that seem to flow right into the Pacific Ocean. I am also lucky enough to have also traveled outside of my little bubble to places in Asia, Europe, and all around North America. Reflecting on what I love about these places as well as my home town have lead me to the same conclusion each time; I love the hidden things. Whether it be a small coffee shop or a secluded temple, adventures are so much more meaningful if there is an essence of discovery and a lack of feeling mainstream. This is the main inspiration for my blog; what if I made a cite where tourists could find the best gems for a certain city instead of the basic destinations that ten million people have already visited? Because, being the selfish people we are, we all love a little originality to brag about;)

This previous summer, I took my biggest adventure yet. I went to sprawling Tokyo, as well as a small riokon near Mt. Fuji and the classic city of Kyoto which I will feature in a future blog. Tokyo was insane and that’s basically all I can describe it as. The culture is different by leaps and bounds and it was a huge shock for me just how new this section of the world is from my own. Tokyo is one of the most populated and visited cities in Japan and there are millions of major tourist attractions that, me included, visited. Fresh off the plane, my family decided to climb to the observation tower at Tokyo Tower with a commanding view of all the city. The emmesity of it completely dumbfounded me. After climbing down and heading back to our hotel, we came across our first hidden gem and the star of this post. Zojoji Temple.

This wasn’t any normal temple, if any temple is anything close to normal to us dumb (no offense) Americans. The large gates in front make a perfect picture frame from the most amazing contrast; an old, classical temple with the metal, Eiffel Tower on steroids, sky scraper behind it. The surrounding grounds were full of hidden artifacts and Buddhist sculptures that were beautiful in their own ways. My dad, who is a photographer, and I were in heaven and went picture crazy, trying to capture every little moment in this secluded area.

The coolest part of this temple and the surrounding area were hundreds of stone figures of children, each adorned with little hats, colorful windmills, and small accessories. Looking closer at a sign next to this display, we found that each little figure was dedicated to a child that died before he or she was born and is titled the Garden of Statues of Unborn Children. This kinda stopped us all in our tracks. The beauty of these small children against the lush green bushes and trees in the background created a very symbolic and peaceful display of respect. If the Japanese know how to do one thing well, it sure is respect. Through all the temples as well as the way everyone conducts themselves and honors filial piety, proper admiration is everywhere in this Asian Island. This is something that is beyond respectable and is a true testimont to why Japan’s society is generally so peaceful.

Zojoji Temple is high on my list for anyone wanting to travel off the map in Tokyo. Stay tuned for next week when I share another hidden gem this world has to offer!!