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The Atlas Heart
  • About
  • Destinations
    • Bay Area
    • Central Coast
    • Central Valley
    • Deserts
    • Gold Country
    • Inland Empire
    • Los Angeles
    • North Coast
    • Orange County
    • San Diego
    • Shasta Cascade
    • Sierra Nevada
  • Activities
    • Attractions
    • Beaches
    • Camping
    • Food and Drink
    • Hiking
    • Kayaking
    • National Parks
    • Road Trips
    • Seasonal
  • Gear
    • Beach Gear
    • California Lifestyle
    • Camping Gear
    • Hiking Gear
    • Kayaking Gear
    • Packing
    • Snow Gear
    • Travel Gear
    • Gift Guides
  • Shop

Deserts

A young woman wearing green pants and a black tank top looking over her shoulder in a desert landscape.

7 CLOSEST Airports to Palm Springs & How To Get There [2026]

A guide and tips for traveling to the closest airports to Palm Springs for a sunny desert getaway!

Palm Springs to Joshua Tree national park

Palm Springs to Joshua Tree [How to Get There & Best Stops]

A picture of Highway 190 in Death Valley National Park

Best Time to Visit Death Valley National Park [+Tips for Each Season]

Check out our complete guide on the best time to visit Death Valley National Park.

camping guide joshua tree

Joshua Tree Camping Guide: The Most Beautiful & Best Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park

This article is your one-stop shop for all things related to camping in Joshua Tree National Park.

Best Death Valley Camping

Death Valley Camping: Best Campgrounds in Death Valley National Park

Everything you need to know about Death Valley camping, including my favorite campgrounds in the park.

best things to do in joshua tree national park

45 Fun & Best Things to do in Joshua Tree to Get the Most Out of Your Desert Escape

The top things to do in Joshua Tree National Park and beyond so you can make the most of your desert vacation.

top joshua tree glamping sites

21 Top Joshua Tree Glamping Sites [Bubble Domes, Yurts, Airstreams & More]

The best Joshua Tree glamping spots, including bubble domes, yurts, airstreams, and awesome vacation rentals.

17 Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park

17 Best Hikes In Joshua Tree National Park (Desert Beauty)

The best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park for every fitness level and adventure schedule.

best things to do in death valley national park in california

22 Things to do in Death Valley National Park | Ultimate Bucket List

The best things to do in Death Valley National Park – from hikes to unique rock formations, Star Wars filming locations, viewpoints, and more.

Best Things to do in Palm Springs, California

22 Things To Do In Palm Springs, California | Desert Escape

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Weekly recap 10/25-11/1 🎃👻💀🐥🌟🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🐱🛒 Costumes Weekly recap 10/25-11/1 🎃👻💀🐥🌟🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🐱🛒

Costumes galore for Julian’s first Halloween, Monday game night with friends, having a few friends over for Halloween night to help pass out candy, loving how many kids we get in our neighborhood (and how cute the costumes were this year!), embracing k-pop demon hunters, deep cuts Halloween party where we dressed as 90s Supermarket Sweep contestants, and completing 8/8 Hell Week classes at Orange Theory.
October so far 🍃🍁🎃👶👻💀🪔🎆🍕📚 Pumpkin patch, Suneel’s October so far 🍃🍁🎃👶👻💀🪔🎆🍕📚

Pumpkin patch, Suneel’s bday, magic show in SF, book club, Diwali, food crawl, my dad visiting, and lots of little moments with Julian.
➡️Share this with someone you want to do a nationa ➡️Share this with someone you want to do a national parks trip with this year! 

Here’s the perfect way to spend 48 hours between the two parks:

🌲 Day 1: Sequoia
Lunch at Totem Café → Crystal Cave tour (make reservations) → photo stops at Buttress Tree & Tunnel Log → Crescent Meadow hike (1.3 mi) → sunset at Moro Rock → dinner at The Peaks Restaurant → stargazing with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.

🏞️ Day 2: Kings Canyon
Start at General Grant Tree → drive the Scenic Byway with stops at Boyden Cavern (make reservations), Grizzly Falls, Roaring River Falls & Zumwalt Meadow (1.5 mi) → pull over at the scenic turnouts for epic canyon views. If you have more time, you can head to Hume Lake for a couple of hours or do the Big Stump Loop. 

🌲 Day 3: Sequoia
Photo at the park sign & Tunnel Rock → General Sherman Tree → Congress Trail loop (3 mi) through some of the most impressive sequoias in the park.

✨ 3 Things I Did But Would Skip Next Time
 I tried these but left them out of the itinerary for a reason:

 🚫 Hume Lake as a quick stop – Beautiful, but the road is slow and winding down. If you’re not planning to spend at least a couple of hours here, it’s not worth the detour. Also, check when the day use area closes. 

 🚫 Sequoia Coffee & Kitchen – The wait is too long on weekends. We got there 30 minutes after they opened, and it still took 20 minutes just to get an iced latte, and the coffee was just okay. Better to head straight into the park early.

 🚫 The Gateway Restaurant – I found this stop from an Instagram reel, and I kind of wish I hadn’t. One of those influenced places that isn’t worth the hype. Great views, but disappointing food, service, and cleanliness. I’d recommend grabbing food from somewhere further away from the park entrance instead. 

🔎 California national park travel, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, National Park Itinerary, Giant Sequoias, Big Trees
#sequoianationalpark #kingscanyonnationalpark #findyourpark #optoutside #nationalparkservice
So… apparently walking through trees is kind of a So… apparently walking through trees is kind of a thing in Sequoia & Kings Canyon. 👀

🔎California national park travel, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, US National Parks, Giant Sequoias, Big Trees, funny national park videos, national park humor. 
#sequoianationalpark #kingscanyonnationalpark #findyourpark #optoutside #nationalparkservice
My Camera Roll After a Weekend in Sequoia & Kings My Camera Roll After a Weekend in Sequoia & Kings Canyon 📸

48 hours exploring two of California’s most iconic national parks. We saw towering trees, unique caves, and some of the best views in the Sierra Nevada. 

📍 Day 1 – Sequoia National Park
 Lunch at Totem Market
 Crystal Cave
 Buttress Tree & Tunnel Log
 Crescent Meadow
 Moro Rock at sunset
 Dinner at Peaks Restaurant
 Stargazing Tour

📍 Day 2 – Kings Canyon National Park
 General Grant Tree Trail
 Boyden Cavern
 Zumwalt Meadow
 Grizzly Falls & Roaring River Falls
 Scenic stops along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
 Hume Lake

📍 Day 3 – Sequoia National Park
 Sequoia NP Sign
 Tunnel Rock
 General Sherman Tree
 Congress Trail

✨Follow @theatlasheart for more California travel itineraries and tips

🔎California national park travel, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, National Park Itinerary, Giant Sequoias, Big Trees
#sequoianationalpark #kingscanyonnationalpark #findyourpark #optoutside #nationalparkservice
➡️ Share this with someone you want to go on a Men ➡️ Share this with someone you want to go on a Mendocino getaway with! ✨ 

Here are my top 3 bucket list activities to make a trip to Mendocino unforgettable👇

1. Explore the Redwoods 🌲
Options include Hendy Woods SP, Montgomery Woods SNR, Jackson State Forest, Russian Gulch SP (waterfall hike!), and Navarro River Redwoods SP. 

2. Kayak Mendocino Tour 🛶
Paddle through sea caves, blowholes, and kelp forests. It’s adventurous but still beginner-friendly and gives you a whole new perspective of the coastline.

3. Skunk Train to Glen Blair Bar 🚂
Enjoy a drink at a forest bar in the middle of the redwoods, complete with fire pits, s’mores, string lights, and live music. The drinks were surprisingly affordable; I’d just recommend getting beer or wine. The cocktails weren’t great. 

Things I’d skip:
❌Glass Beach - beautiful beach with some tidepools, but the glass is mostly gone + it’s super crowded.
❌Railbikes - unique, but overpriced for what it is.

More of my favorite things to do in Mendocino:
 🌊 Walk the Mendocino Headlands
 🌸 Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
 💡Point Cabrillo Light Station
 🍷 Wine tasting (love Lula Cellars!)
 🏡 Kelley House Museum
 🛍️ Boutiques in downtown Mendocino
 🐟 Fresh seafood at Noyo Harbor (HarborView Restaurant at Noyo Harbor Inn for a sit-down, or Sea Pal Cove for casual fish + chips)
 🏖️ Jug Handle Beach

🔎What to do in Mendocino County, What to see in Mendocino CA, Mendocino weekend trip, Mendocino coast, things to do in Mendocino, things to do in mendocino downtown, weekend getaways from San Francisco, Mendocino getaway, Mendocino girls trip, Mendocino magic
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