The Great Outdoors

Hey everyone! Sorry for missing last week's blog but we were on vacation. We're back now and will be posting pictures and videos soon on our social media platforms. This blog will be a short one, but stay tuned for next week's blog which will be about our visit to Disney California's new Pixar Pier.

Marzz and I recently spent some time in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Specifically we were near the Sonora Pass along highway 108 in central California, around 6,400 feet above sea level. The picture above is from my drone, DJI Spark, at around 125 feet high looking at Kennedy Meadows and part of the river there.

We did some light hiking, fresh water fishing for rainbow trout, which those who participated in fishing, all caught at least one fish; as well as had a camp fire each night along with a few other activities best suited for the mountains. What I think we most enjoyed though was just being "unplugged".

We had some electronic devices but with zero cellular reception, zero wifi we only used them as cameras basically, with the exception of my drone. It was important for us to have this disconnect from our devices. We weren't anxious about anything, we weren't wondering about emails or trying to respond to work emails etc. It seemed easier to think clearer, to focus only on the task at hand or activity. I've always been able to spend hours just standing along the river fishing for rainbow trout. This is an activity that I still enjoy today and once I am engaged in doing it, nothing else seems to matter. I can forget about work and any work emails that I might have had. I absolutely don't worry or think about social media, this blog or anything else that we get from the internet and as much as those things are incorporated into our lives, it is reassuring that I can still leave all of that behind in an instant and be in the moment when I'm in the mountains.

I encourage anyone to take the time to go hiking, camping, swimming, fishing etc...just simply do something outdoors that does not require you to be on the internet and perhaps does not require any electronic devices. For anyone who has never done these things, it is never too late! There are many ways for you to get involved and participate and learn any of these activities. Just going to a walk around your neighborhood is a way for your to unplug for a bit each day and also get in some light exercise.

In the evenings we had a camp fire, roasted marsh mellows and made s'mores. Being so high in elevation, we all enjoyed looking at the stars during the night, spotting airplanes and satellites passing by and being able to see Venus so much brighter than usual.

Time in the mountains seems to go by quicker even when you're just sitting around. I'm not sure what that means, but I love it. I wish I could get time to fly by seemingly that fast when I'm sitting at work.

We didn't see much wildlife, which is unusual. There were plenty more birds than any other type of animal that we saw; not counting insects.

I know for some, staying in a cabin without electricity is not an option, however I do encourage everyone to get outdoors, even if that just means going someplace for a day trip.

For anyone interested in visiting this area, visit: www.kennedymeadows.com They offer cabins, camping, horseback riding and many many other activities and amenities. Also visit the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/inyo/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=20228&actid=29