Return to Grapevine Lake

Hiking to the shore of Grapevine Lake on a warm day in early June proved a bit of an adventure. With a couple of different paths to choose from after parking the car, the Big Guy ignored the map and headed off on a trail that plunged into the woods and meandered through brush and knee-high weeds before eventually emerging […]

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A walk to remember

On shore fishing trips, I normally don’t get to stop and check out places like this visitor center at Lake Berryessa. We’ve passed by this sign quite a number of times without even slowing; but on this occasion, we were looking for a quiet and shady spot to eat lunch. We found what we were looking for here, and even […]

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May I always remember

Today I’m digging down deep into my archives, looking back at some of my favorite May images from between 2015 and 2020. When I examine my huge collection of photographs, it’s amazing to me how far I’ve come in just the past ten years. Even now, I’m far from an expert photographer, but my equipment has certainly improved, and I’d […]

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A unique dining capital

I’ve shared a variety of sights around Roanoke, Texas, quite a few times over the years — most recently in June 2024 when I took a walk through the historic downtown. I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten to know everything about this small town in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, but certain parts of it have become familiar. And while I’m no […]

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Along the boardwalk

On my most recent visit to Anderson Marsh State Historic Park on Clear Lake, I had the boardwalk almost entirely to myself. The morning was already warming up, but a small group of state park workers had clearly been working for hours under a tent beside the trail leading out toward Cache Creek. At first I wasn’t sure what they […]

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Smittle Creek Trailhead

If you look at a map of Lake Berryessa, you’ll find Smittle Creek just off the Berryessa Knoxville Road, tucked into the western shore and hiding behind a couple of islands (called Small Island and Big Island). The last time I explored along this trail was back in January 2019; since then, the Spanish Fire scorched vast areas on this […]

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