Winter Wonderland

A recent look at the mountains after the rain.

We Went to Palm Springs and Got Stuck in a Snowstorm

Yes, it's true. A few weeks ago we spent a few days in Palm Springs for spring break, and just like we did in 2012, we took the famed Aerial Tramway from Palm Springs' Chino Canyon (elevation 2,643 feet) to the San Jacinto mountains (8,516 feet).

Down below, the temperature was in the 80s. Up there, it was chilly. Upper 30s, low 40s. Cold enough for snow. And it was there that we experienced our first "thundersnow" -- a downpour of chunky snowflakes, accompanied by some thunder and lightning. We hiked a bit, until we decided it was safer to go back and get some hot chocolate at the Aerial Tramway station. But it was pretty cool experiencing real heat and a blizzard, all in one afternoon. Some more pics:

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN BANFF: A Week in the Canadian Rockies

Last month I returned to the Banff Media Festival in beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada, in order to moderate several panels. The highlight, as I wrote here, was my chat with "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson. But outside of the TV festival, I also brought the family up this year, in order to share the beauty of the region with them. And it didn't disappoint. The weather may have been overcast, but the mountains, the lakes and the nature still thrilled our city bones. It was a week the Franklin Avenue kids won't forget. Some highlights:


A bird's eye view of the magnificent Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.


Elk on the side of the street in Banff.


Vermillion Lakes, outside of Banff.


Banff's farmers' market.


Buffalo Dawgs and Buffalo Smokies.


The Buffalo Smokie.


Two rivers run through Banff; here's one of them.


The Blogger Kid on horseback.


Deer on the side of the bike path in Banff.


The Banff Gondola ferries passengers up the side of Sulphur Mountain.


View from the top.


Moraine Lake.


More of Moraine Lake.


The Franklin Avenue boys take in Lake Louise.


More of Lake Louise.


Lake Louise, with the Fairmont hotel overlooking it.


I figured it would be cool, but unlikely, that we'd encounter a bear (from a safe distance, of course) on our trip. But sure enough, as we were driving on the freeway back to Calgary, we spotted this little guy on the side of the road (behind the fence). A quick u-turn and we got close enough to snap a few pics.


So I guess this sign is pretty accurate.


A trip to Canada isn't complete without the required stop at Tim Horton's. We waited until the very last day of our stay up north to finally enjoy a donut the way Canada intended. And here's a shot of the Tim Horton's located at Calgary's airport.

Last year, I wrote at length about The Town of Banff; the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel; the Banff Gondola Ride; and some Canadian Food Finds.

There's Snow In Thar Mountains!

Winter's back! The view from Glendale of the snow-covered San Gabriel mountains yesterday.

Big Snow in Big Bear

Snow! And lots of it! Like last year, we spent a few nights between Christmas and New Year's Eve up in a Big Bear rental with another family -- and once again there was enough snow on the ground for the kids to enjoy sledding right in our backyard. Unfortunately, the snow was too powdery to build a snowman. But we did get in a few minor snowball fights.

Then, as we were leaving the mountain on Saturday afternoon, the snow began to fall again -- and we were able to pull over to the side of the mountain highway for one final sledding session. A few more pics from above it all:

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN BANFF: The Banff Gondola Ride

My time in Banff was limited last week, leaving little time for extracurricular efforts. That meant no trip to Lake Louise and no major excursions. But I did find time to do a little hiking, and on the last night of my stay I decided to shuttle up to the top of Sulphur Mountain (nearly 8,000 feet) via the Banff Gondola.

After 4 p.m., the price drops to $30 -- and it was actually worth it. The view of six mountain ranges and the town of Banff below is truly breathtaking. Unlike the Palm Springs Tram, which holds a crowd, the Banff Gondola is smaller and built for just four people. Here are some shots from the Banff Gondola:


The view from the top, looking toward the Fairmont


Snow-capped mountains


More! Stop me if you're getting bored.


Another view of the Fairmont Hotel below.


Remains of the Banff weather station, built in the 1920s


Back down the Gondola

This Is Winter in Los Angeles: Snow and Palm Trees (PIC)

This weekend's heavy rains at least left us with a spectacular view this morning: Heavy snow-covered mountains amidst blue, sunny skies. This is winter, Los Angeles style.

Scenes From An Airport: No, This Isn't Denver

From a few weeks ago, here's the view from the south side of the Los Angeles International Airport tarmac -- standing outside the Flight Path Museum and looking north.

With such a clear view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance, you're excused for thinking this shot was taken at the Denver or Salt Lake City airports. But nope, it's straight from sunny Los Angeles.