Category Archives: inspiration

Favorite YouTube Channels

YouTube

We have a wide range of interests: from gardening to survival, earthquakes to solar flares, weather to economy, history to alt news, missing persons to travel adventures, modern home designs to homestead life.

Canadian Prepper

Canadian Prepper

Collapse Chronicles

Collapse Chronicles

Dustin Boone  – back-country snowboard

DutchSinse – earthquake news

Epic Gardening – backyard gardens

Exploring Alternatives – cabins, tiny homes

Full Spectrum Survival– world news, commentary

Gardening Know How – tips for growing

Greg Mannarino – financial

Growing Your Greens– growing food

Kris Harbour Natural Building – homestead

My Self Reliance – backwoods log cabin

ON World Travel – Olivia & Nathan

Primitive Technology – back to the basics

Russell Brand – comedian, news commentary

Rusty West – missing hikers & spooky stories

Suspicious Observers – solar/space weather

Tiny House Expedition – Alexis & Christian

Play Hooky

Ditchin, Absent, Gone

break free, break loose, break off, break out
bolt, elude, evade, flee, fly, relief, vent

work slave zombie

Finding ways to ditch work or school has always been a challenge for dedicated students or work-o-holics. Generally (rat race) Americans work more hours, longer hours and take less vacation days than any other population on the planet, the studies have found.

Californians have a true recreation paradise at their back door… and very few get to enjoy it. Too busy in the city. There are so many neat places to go & cool people to see on the back roads of California, that a whopping 5 paid holidays we get per year just isn’t enough.

Plus there is always so much work to do. Well, guess what? The work will just keep on coming, and coming, until you decide YOU really need a break. Taking that break doesn’t have to cost a fortune either.

hookie, hooky?

The slang word conjures up 10 year old kids, neighborhood pals, riding bikes, running around old abandon shacks & exploring deserted mines. Swimming holes, rope swings and sunshine. A whole day of rest & relaxation, the fun kind. Yep. When you were a youngster, you knew the real meaning of enjoying a day. Free time was almost ALL the time and you lived each day with a fresh outlook.

NOTE to self: TAKE THE BACK ROADS, as much as possible.

Springtime, waterfalls, wildflowers. When it has been a long hard, snowy winter, a sunny day is a huge welcome in February. Come March and April, people want to be outside more, before the summer heat begins.

April 20 is a popular day to enjoy nature, annually. The month of April is prime time for traveling, with Easter weekend and Earth Day celebrations. 420 Camp Outs, Earth Day, River Festivals, Wildflower Blooms. Usually the first camping of the season for true die-hards.

A to Z California

see all California small towns & vacation destinations

5 good reasons
to take that extra day off of work/school

As you may have noticed by now, adult-hood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Work, chores, errands, sleep, drive & more work. Time to re-evaluate what is or isn’t happening in your life. If it’s travel you desire you don’t hafta wait until your are retired. Total Escape is here to help with thousands of pages & ideas. Explore close to home. Travel local regions in California, more often, for less money.

1. Cuz You Deserve It

Yes, dang it, you do. And you know it.
Your year is becoming a series of uneventful weekends all strung together. You need a fresh dose of reality & a weekend away does wonders. Clears the head of daily worries, opens up a fresh perspective, makes you think a little better. Whether it’s fly fishing, antique shopping or laying in a hammock near a creek, it all helps you. Subtly, but it does.

At the desk

bodie ghost town

2. Mental Health Day

We are a nation of work-o-holics. It’s that simple. We are becoming an impatient, unpleasant, selfish society that is always in a rush. What kinda life of daily grind is that? As we all have heard, Europeans get x-number of weeks for holiday time. Twice or three times more than us Americans. Do they know something we don’t? Is it time to slow down & use our sick days for our mental health? When your body is healthy, you might not get sick so often, so go for a hike to celebrate. Stop the chatter about it & do it. Enjoy life, every weekend. Recognize every holiday, 3 day weekends & plan something special for yourself and/or your loved ones.

3. Nature’s Well of Wellness

Fresh mountain air, glowing orange sunsets, the scent of cedar pines, the crashing of ocean waves & the warmth of a fireplace or campfire. A full day of hiking the high Sierra or just lazily fishing from your boat. Nature has magical ways of healing even the most weary souls. Come back from your weekend, exhausted & amazed OR refreshed & fully rested … it’s all up to you. We live in a beautiful place. California has a thousand destinations for you to enjoy. Why not start a health habit of traveling?

HelpMeEscape

4. Less Crowds

Summer is slowing down & autumn will soon set in. The hordes of tourists are thinning out, now that all the kids are back in school. This is the time to plan that weekend in the mountains, rent a cabin, a historic hotel or camp out along the river. Ask for an extra day, a Friday off & make that weekend a 3 day mini vacation. Traffic heading outta town is way better on a Thursday night or Friday morning, than the usual ‘mass exit’ weekend jam. Sitting on the freeway not moving is no fun at all. It’s a horrible way to start a vacation & the weekend escape rush hours can be grueling, so try to plan around it.

5. Cheaper Off Season Rates

Many small independent lodges, like the ones we feature here on Total Escape, usually drop their rates in their off-season. Call ahead to find out when the rates are best. Often the same thing goes for recreational adventures, tour companies & air fares. Each season has it’s own unique characteristics, so plan your stay according to preference. There is always a nice balance with winter, as the Golden State has plenty deserts to explore, as well as snowy slopes. Summer always looks great for the high Sierra but the coastlines are best in Fall. So as you can see there is no use waiting for the perfect time to travel, cuz in California the weather is almost always gorgeous.

Marc at Sunset“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you…while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
– John Muir

The California National Forests, State Parks & National Parks have a million & one things for you to do to enjoy your surrounding, or choose to do nothing at all in some pretty spectacular scenery.

your choice

California Weekends, Unexpected Day Off, Back to Nature

BLM / State Parks / National Forests / National Parks

BLM California

State Park California

National Parks California

US NFS

Recreate

Recreation, Re-create what?
REAL LIFE

the happy tube
the happy tube

recreate

Let’s face it! Human beings were not designed to spend long hours in front of a television or computer. It’s no surprise that 50% of Americans are overweight, with all the lounging we do. The wifi is making my brain ache & too much screen time brings on tension. This cannot be natural, nor healthy.

While computer time is crucial to working & managing a busy schedule, learning a sense of balance in your daily life is of key importance too.

recreate your reality, one trail at a time

Years ago, while living in Los Angeles, I noticed I craved to be outside as much as possible. Whether it be walking in the local park, skating on the strand, lying on the beach or watching the sunset from a mountain top, it was a calling I had to follow. My enjoyment outdoors, be it leisure or recreational, became a very important part of my lifestyle (and thus was born the dream of Total Escape).

The more we go outside & exercise, the better we feel – overall.  Enjoying wilderness & walks outdoors gives us peace of mind, naturally. The stillness we seek, in order to slow our minds & listen to our soul, is a primal one. But overall, we have learned to ignore it.

explore bodie
Bodie State Historical Park

Modern technology should give us more freedom in our lives, but instead, many find themselves strapped to devices, gadgets & insane time schedules. The more we remove ourselves from the natural earth, the less conscious of our own lives we become. Societal influences, daily doses of entertainment, video games, plus the “always online mentality” and smartphone addiction has given us a new reality (always indoors), an invasion of privacy and a sometimes, a false sense of security.

duckduckgo.com

 

Technology is here to work with us, not against us. Set the boundaries, listen to your body & set yourself free each week. No matter if you are an avid gamer, a couch potato or a hi-tech corporate workaholic, we can all benefit from more time outdoors.

You’re not more productive;
You’re more distracted.

Learn to take more breaks, more often, away from the television & computers, for health sake. Total Escape is here to show you a way. Giving you ideas & destinations, to help you create good habits & make visits to nature a part of your weekly routine. The goal is to inspire you to explore & make your dreams of travel happen with a beautiful & easy to use web site, with as minimal obnoxious banners as possible.

dayhikeforest

California Travel this Season:

visit a historic ghost town
discover the wildflower fields
pack a picnic for a day outdoors
watch a million geese, in their natural habitat
bond with forest land, and collect firewood
seek out the deep snow – with snow shoes
stargaze, well away from city lights
soak your worries away, in the hot springs

recreate your life
recreate yourself
recreate your weekend

wildflowerwalks

Find a way to let go of stress in your life on a weekly basis. If the dieting & gym routine never worked, try something else. Keep trying. Tensions of the week will dissipate as you near the county line on that open rural highway. 3pm office day dreams will be brighter as you look forward to your next day off.

Outdoor Organizations

free labor? why bother

trashpickup
Litter clean up, just for the fun of it. (Photo by Aaron Linsdau)

Volunteering, it feels good.

While you may think of us Escapers, as off-roading tree huggers or health-nut hippies, we go well beyond that. As travelers we are as diverse as the California terrain. We have one thing in common, we all love the earth. That’s why we’re here! Give back a part – of yourself – to helping keep these forest, parks & trails open, healthy & protected.

Volunteer firefighter, CPR class, trail maintenance, or just helping out at the local Grange.

Looking to find a place to volunteer outdoors?
Below is a list of outdoor related organizations, most local to California.

preservation

leavenotrace
Leave No Trace
lnt.org

California Wilderness Coalition
calwild.org

San Gorgonio Wilderness Association
sgwa.org

playgroundNFS

parks & forest programs

California State Park Volunteers
parks.ca.gov

High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
trailcrew.org

National Forests Volunteering
fs.fed.us/working-with-us/volunteers

National Forest Foundation
nationalforests.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities

NPS

National Parks Volunteer
nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm

Calif regional forests volunteering:NFS

Angeles Forest Volunteers
angelesvolunteers.org/av/

Angeles National Forest Volunteering
fs.usda.gov/main/angeles/workingtogether/volunteering

Eldorado Forest Volunteers
fs.usda.gov/main/eldorado/workingtogether/volunteering

Los Padres National Forest Volunteers
lpforest.org

Sequoia Forest Volunteers
fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/volunteering/

Sierra National Forest Volunteers
fs.usda.gov/main/sierra/workingtogether/volunteering

Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers
swv1.org

off road trails & land use

 

tread lightly
Tread Lightly
treadlightly.org

Americans for Responsible Recreational Access
arra-access.com

California Trail Users Coalition
ctuc.info/ctuc

BlueRibbon Coalition – Share Trails
sharetrails.org

California Off Road vehicle Association
corva.org

San Diego Off-Road Coalition
sdorc.org

for local trail crews, see also – California 4×4 Clubs

gearedup4work

humanitarian & volunteers

Comunidad – Baja Mexico
bajacomunidad.org

Flying Samaritans – Baja MX
flyingsamaritans.net

Habitat for Humanity
habitat.org

Volunteer Match
volunteermatch.org