Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America — estimated at more than a million years old. For all that time, Eastern Sierra streams have been pouring in, carrying salts and minerals down from the mountains. With no outlet, water can only leave through evaporation. The salts stay behind, leaving water 2.5 times saltier than the ocean and highly alkaline. A handful of species have evolved to thrive in exactly these conditions, and they do it in staggering numbers. I'll share how to best explore this special lake, and all the details about its existence and the life it supports that make it so fascinating beyond its beauty.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a wonderful place to admire the immense biodiversity and beauty of the Californian Central Coast. There are numerous trails within the reserve that allow you to immerse yourself in stunning scenery, ranging from coastal bluffs providing habitat for — among many others — harbor seals, sea lions, pelicans, and great blue herons, to dense forests with yellow-green lichens hanging mythically from the trees, often shrouded in fog.