John MauriziExplorer

The Halfway Stage Station is a ruin site that is located off of Mill Canyon rd. This station served as the half way mark between Moab and Thompson which is where the train station was. It was 35 miles between Moab and Thomson so travelers would stop for lunch on there way to or from Thompson. The first train came to the area in 1883. All that remains is part of the stone wall within a fenced ar...

Lolei Temple (also called Prasat Lolei), is part of the Roluos Group southeast of Siem Reap. It was built if the 9th century and consists of 4 towers. The brick towers have not been restored but some restoration is underway on the main tower. There are some well preserved carvings inlaid into the brick on either side of the doors. This is a small area set on a hill and is interesting to check o...

I haven't seen this trail really called anything. The explorer in me likes to check out paths less taken. This is truly one of them. It could be that few people know it even exists. Most, probably have a limited time to visit all that Angkor Archeological Park has to offer, so don't seek out a trail such as this.I call it the Outer Wall Trail because it is just that. A trail that goes around th...

This is a small temple just east of the Victory Gate from Angkor Thom. It is very similar to Thommanon Temple which is just across the road. Both are Hindu temples constructed in the 12 century.A nice stop to do along with Thommanon Temple when touring the small circuit around Angkor. Chau Say Tevoda is slightly different in that it has a stone walkway and the outline of a moat can still be seen.

Ta Som is located along the Grand Circuit road after passing Neak Pean and was built in the late 12 century. The interesting thing about Ta Som is that none of it has been restored, with the exception of clear undergrowth vegetation. Also, there is a gate tower at the entrance with four faces of Buddha, very similar to the gates at the entrance/exit to Angkor Thom.Through this entrance gate the...

Baphuon is situated just northwest of Bayon Temple. It was built in the 11th century and was initially a Hindu temple but by the 15th century it was converted into a Buddhist temple. Baphuon was built upon a sand base. Because of this, it suffered many collapses over the hundreds of years. A major restoration project started in 2005 by French Archeologist . The job was completed in 2011 with a ...

This trails starts at a small park in Woodbury called Gonzaga Park.  Closed from mid-November to April, you are still able to park just outside the gate if that is the time of year you are hiking.  Three different trail names share this path.  The Jessup trail starts/end at Gonzaga Park and travels through all of Schunemunk State Park.  The Highlands Trail and the Long Path also share this trai...

Rainbow Beach is one of the more popular beaches on St. Croix. It is not associated with any resort and only a few minutes outside Frederiksted on Route 63. There is parking on the side of the road but this fills up quickly, especially on weekends when most locals set up and have picnics and barbecues. There is a bit of a steep drop into the water but once in, the water is calm and clear. There...

This is really a dirt road that is gated off from Bald Hills Road. The trail head parking can fit about 6 cars but seldom do people venture out this way. After all, the attraction of Redwood National Park is the redwoods but this high prairie is definitely worth exploring.The walk to the ranch is 2 miles in. It is an easy walk along a dirt road that weaves across prairie land and a few sections...

This hike is a short, 4.0 mile round trip, half-day or less hike, located just past the Hurricane Ridge entrance into Olympic National Park. Being relatively level and the trail head just off loop E of the Heart O' the Hills Campground, the Heart O' the Forest hike offers those looking for a taste of the rain forest ecosystem on the Olympic Peninsula a chance to explore without committing multi...

Badger Spring Wash is a dry stream bed most of the year. This trail starts from the Badger Spring Trailhead just off Route 17 north from Phoenix. The trail follows the stream bed, sometimes in or along side for 1.5 miles. At about one mile, you reach the spring and a good amount of water which is surprising to find in the desert. The main trail is to the left along a rock outcropping. If you ta...

Surprise! You are now at what the Chinese call Everest Base Camp. Probably the most misleading part of advertising to see Mount Everest, travel agents and guides will not tell you this is a military outpost. A large part of the people going to see Everest from the north are tourist, not mountain climbers. So they really don't know the difference. A base camp is the initial camp and operational ...

Preah Ko, also known as Prasat Preah Ko, is part of the Roluos Group. There is a walkway approaching the temple towers which I found to be impressive and interesting to photograph. There are six towers in all, three in front and three behind.  The towers sit on top of a low platform and are closely constructed to each other. The towers are said to be built in the 9th century by the king to giv...

The trailhead to Piedra Del Fraile is on the right side of Ruta 23 just before the road crosses Rio Electrico.  There is signage a few yards into the trail that initially is easy to find.  There is a short section where the trail is difficult to find but it is marked with small cairns. After about one mile, you enter an amazing Lenga forest. The trail is well defined and very scenic.  The shade...

This great loop hike starts from the upper parking lot of Lake Minnewaska State Park. Walk towards Lake Minnewaska and once on that carriage road, turn left and follow the road to the to the opposite end of the lake. Along the way are great view points of the lake and several picnic areas for day use. Once you arrive at the far end of the lake, you are at lake level.  Here, you will see the sig...

Bear Mountain is one of the more difficult hikes in Sedona but has very easy access. There is a parking area between Doe Mountain and Bear Mountain. The trailhead is across the street and the initial approach is very flat. The red rock bluff you first see on the approach is only part of Bear Mountain and not the top. In guide books it has the trail going about 3 miles to the summit and ...

From the parking area, walk through a make-shift barrier with the river on your right hand side.  The start of the trail looks as part of a dirt road, this is the correct way.  There are some great photo opportunities with the mountains towering over the river in the background.  Near the end, the trail enters a forest and soon there is a viewing deck for the cascade.  Not that impressive but a...

You can start this hike from any of the five gates.  However, the easiest starting point is the south gate because it is typically the first gate you encounter when entering Angkor Thom.  Have your tuk tuk driver drop you off and wait for you at the gate.  While the trail is very easy, it is long and allow for time to check out the gates and the corner Prasats. I hiked this is a clockwise direc...

The trailhead has space for about three or four cars. Watch for an obvious gap in the cliffs very close to the trailhead, this is where you should park. Just before exiting the gap, look to the left for some interesting petroglyphs. The trail follows a dry wash through some heavy vegetation for a short distance. When you emerge from the vegetation, the Little Purgatory Trail will be on your lef...

During my tour to Chiang Rai and north tea plantations, my guide also took me to a Karen Long Neck village.  This, for the most part is a tourist attraction/trap and set up strictly for tourists. The Karen people are a tribal group throughout northern Thailand and Myanmar.  The tribe is known for the women who place brass rings around their neck. Over time, this stretches out the neck.  My gui...

Laguna Esmeralda is one of the easier lagunas to hike to if you have a car because the trail head and parking are right on Route 3 just outside Ushuaia.  Fortunately we had a car.  Without the car you have to rely on hitchhiking or taxi.  From the trail head, you descend into a Lenga Forest.  The trail is narrow and a bit creepy and eerie.  The trail meanders through the forest until it exits i...

The Rubicon Trail is a through hike connecting D.L. Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay State Park.  You can start at either point.  I opted to start at D.L. Bliss State Park to avoid the long walk uphill to catch the Nifty Fifty shuttle.  Also, there is more available parking at Bliss.  Park your car as far down as you can to the lake as you can.  The hike follows a well maintained trail along ...

This is a wonderful less traveled trail that is fairly easy hiking, at least until you reach the base of the Cockscomb. It does not have much shade. I recommend hiking this trail late afternoon into sunset as the trail weaves between Doe Mountain and the Cockscomb on the west side. The setting sun lights up the sandstone walls on these two mountains for some amazing colors. Signs and guide book...

Just north of Moab driving out on route 191, look for Potash Road, also known as route 279 just after the Colorado River. Turn left on Potash road and and drive five miles south.  You will see a paved pull-out on the Colorado River side of the road with a sign for the petroglyphs. The rock art is about 25 feet up on the sandstone wall and it spans about 125 feet.  Be careful crossing the road...