Channel Islands

Back in May I finally made it out to Channel Islands National Park, a collection of four islands off the Southern California coastline. After an hour boat ride past dolphins, seals, and even a venerable old sea lion, I reached Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in the park. The entire area had been a working ranch for about a hundred years before the park service took over and began reclaiming the land for native plants. Ranch ruins and rolling fields that ran right up to shear cliffs above cerulean waters lay shrouded in fog, until afternoon sunshine managed to break up the clouds.

This was my first time out with my new point-and-shoot, a Nikon Coolpix AW100. I hate hiking with bulky equipment, but many of my previous point-and-shoots have succumb to the brutal natural forces I've inflicted upon them: sand, snow, cliff drops, etc. The Coolpix AW100 is designed to withstand water, sand, freezing temperatures, and drops. Hopefully, it will last a little longer. It also has a GPS for when you decide to wander off trail.