Silhouette of a couple canoeing on Blue Lake, Tahoe National Forest, California
There are several Blue Lakes in California. But, the one in the photo above has been a favorite of ours for many years. In fact, we have kept it a “secret” up until now. I won’t tell exactly how to get there, other than it’s the Blue Lake near Lake Spaulding, in the Tahoe National Forest.
Sunrise over Utica Reservoir, Alpine County, California
The Blue Thunder story continues…
It’s been 25 years since this photo was taken on our off-road adventure trip to Utica Reservoir. But, I remember it as if it was yesterday.
Off-road adventure into Utica Reservoir, Alpine County, California
Blue Thunder has been a part of our family for 25 years. But, unfortunately, the time has come that we will be finding it a new home soon.
Buckeye Hot Spring, near Bridgeport, California.
This is one of our favorite hot springs in California and a soak here is free! It is located on the creek, clothing is optional and you can often have it all to yourself. Plus, it is a short drive or walk from Buckeye Campground.
The small pool in the foreground is a hot water source. This pool is scalding hot and is not for soaking in. The water flows down the hill from this pool and eventually drops into Buckeye Creek. There it mixes with the creek water and cools down to temperatures suitable for soaking.
Woman enjoying Buckeye Hot Spring, Eastern Sierra, California. Put this on your “Bucket List!”
If you are going, make sure you take everything you will need with you (towel, snacks, water etc.) and wear good footwear. The walk down to the creek is very steep and slippery in spots and you won’t want to make the trek too many times. If soaking at night, be sure to pack a flashlight also.
Every time we travel scenic highway 395, we make it a priority to visit Buckeye Hot Spring!
Directions – To get to Buckeye from the northern end of Bridgeport, turn off of Route 395, turn west on Twin Lakes Road and travel seven miles. Turn right just past Doc and Al’s Resort, then cross the bridge going over the creek. Continue uphill along a gravel road, past Buckeye Campground. At the top of the hill you’ll find a parking area. The springs are down the trail from the parking lot. Closed in the winter.
Our camp at Buckeye Campground.
We made base camp at beautiful Buckeye Campground, located along Buckeye Creek in the Toiyabe National Forest. That put us in close proximity to the things we wanted to do and places we wanted to explore.
This turned out to be another one of our favorite camping spots. The camp sites were huge and only a couple of them were occupied when we were there. The fall color was intense, as you can see in this photo. And there were several great hiking trails nearby to choose from. NOTE: There is a fee to camp at Buckeye. There are also free campsites nearby.
Photo – Family camping at La Pine State Park Campground, Oregon
The family in this photo, was one of several families that had come here for a school field trip. They made base camp here and visited nearby attractions during the day.
La Pine SP was spectacular! We brought our neighbors tent trailer again for this trip. They even had full hook-ups for just $17.00 per night (high season rate). Many of Oregon’s State Parks have full RV hook-ups, compared to California where we live. Just a few of California’s State Parks have them. In addition, the bathrooms were heated and the showers had hot water. Cabins and Yurts were also available for rent, as an alternative to a tent or a RV. This park was also equipped with a recycling center for disposing of your bottles, cans and plastic, as well as an RV dump station.
The most bizarre thing about our stay here, was that the 2 RV sites directly across from us, were occupied by people from the Auburn, CA area where we live. And they weren’t even traveling together! It really is a small world!
Our campsite at Canyon Creek Campground, CA
Here are a couple more photos from our trip to Lake Faucherie and Canyon Creek in Nevada County. The photo above is of our campsite along Canyon Creek. We borrowed this tent trailer from our wonderful neighbors, who insist that we use it whenever we want to, except for a couple weeks out of the year. So, we have been taking them up on their offer.
We prefer to travel the back roads and often by four-wheel drive. This trailer would not make it into a lot of the places we go, but most people are amazed at some of the places we do take it. Canyon Creek Campground was one of those places. Most of the people we talked to were complaining about the road and couldn’t believe we made it in with a tent trailer. To us, it was just another dirt road!
We will eventually invest in our own RV and the first one we get will be an off-road tent trailer.
Peg's tent site at Canyon Creek Campground, CA.
Canyon Creek Campground is quite the camping spot! First of all, there is no fee to camp at this beautiful, uncrowded campground located along Canyon Creek. The campsites are spacious and most of them are equipped with bear boxes for storing your food. There are also picnic tables, fire rings and clean pit toilets. Now, that’s what I call getting a lot for your money!
