Pinnacles
Visited Pinnacles National Park for the first time last Friday! I had a day off from work and decided to make it a day trip (it’s only a two-hour drive from the Bay). Pinnacles actually only became a national park in 2013 so it’s one of the newest.
Pro tip that everyone already knows: go visit places on weekdays or off-days. Pinnacles is known for its “pinnacles,” tall rock spires that jut out in the landscape, and it was awesome to hike among them without many other people around.
Since my mom works on her own schedule now, I invited her along and we made it a nice mother-son hiking day.
We ended up exploring the West entrance area of the park and did a couple hikes with a lunch break and quick nap in between. Juniper Canyon Loop was a strenuous 4-mile loop that took us from the canyon bottom to the high peaks, where there’s some steep climbs and railing to hold on to. At the top, we got some gorgeous panoramic views and saw a good few California condors soaring in the sky.
In the afternoon, we explored the Balconies Caves which required some crouching and navigating narrow spaces. The shaded caves were a nice reprieve from the blazing sun.
I owe my adventurous spirit to my momma and it was fun to share a day of adventure with her. While we hiked, we recounted old stories of her taking me and my brother on trips as kids and some of the sticky situations we got ourselves into and out of haha. She is so brave and adventurous and continues to inspire me to do the same.
Some of it was unplanned, but it’s crazy to think that I’ve been to ten national parks within the last three months! Hoping to hit up some more in the second half of the year.
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