Anca Apostoaei

This is a great place to watch the sunset, perched on the crest of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, provides panoramic views of the Coachella Valley and is well worth the 20-minute drive from Park Boulevard down Keys View Road. The views reach as far south as Salton Sea and on some clear days you can see Mexico's Signal Mountain. Once you've reached the Key Views, you'll have a view of Mt S...

No matter the time you'll decide to visit the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, you'll have thousands of interesting plants and birds to see and watch. The Arboretum is located on the west side of UCSC campus, between the main campus entrance and the west entrance. Parking is 5$ for adults and 2$ for children (6-17 years old) and free under 6.The arboretum is spread out with well marked paths, so you ca...

To get to Aihualama trail follow the Manoa Road into the back of Manoa Valley. Manoa Road ends at Paradise Park, continue up the road, through the parking lot, towards the entrance of Lyon Arboretum.  At the sharp left bend in the road to Lyon, proceed straight ahead until you reach the parking area and trail head, you'll have to pay 5$ if you want to park. Hike 0.8 miles on Manoa Falls Trail a...

Lam Watah Trail is a 2.2 mile out and back hike, that will take you through Lam Watah meadows and ends at Nevada Beach. I did the hike in December and although the best time to do it is May through October, I think it had more charm during the winter time.  The trail head begins from the parking lot and goes through Lam Watah meadows for approximately 1.1 miles where it ends at Nevada Beach. In...

The park's Monarch Grove provides a temporary home for thousands of Monarchs. From late fall into winter they make this their home and if you time it perfectly you can see them in clusters in the trees.  When you reached the Natural Bridges State Park, on the right of the Visitors Center you'll find the path "Monarch Trail", fallow it and you'll end up at a fence off area with milkweed plants a...

Merced National Wildlife Refuge is one of the best places to go and take photos of birds as the refuge plays host to the largest wintering populations of Lesser Sandhill Cranes and Snow/ Ross geese along the Pacific Flyway. Each autumn more than 20,000 cranes and 60,000 arctic-nesting geese terminate their annual migrations from Alaska and Canada to make the Refuge home for six months. No matte...