Blog Posts by Sunset Magazine

25 favorite no-reservation campgrounds from California to Colorado.
A crowd-free view of Kings Creek in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Lassen Volcanic National Park

> Juniper Lake: Tucked into the southeast corner of the park, this 18-site campground has one drawback: no running water. (So bring your own, or a purifier.) But the pluses are many: a stunning lakeside location; the nearby half-mile hike to Inspiration Point, where you'll see half of Northern California from the summit.
>Plan B: Warner Valley Campground, in the south-central part of the park, also gorgeous, is near the Devil's Kitchen geothermal area.

North Coast
>Pomo Canyon in Sonoma Coast State Park: Up and over a ridge from Goat Rock Beach, a quiet canyon holds 20 redwood-shaded walk-in sites. They're spread out enough to give you privacy but not so much that it's a long schlep from the car. A 3-mile hike gets you up to the ridge for big views of the coast and the mouth of the Russian River, then down to the beach.
>Plan B: Nearby Willow

Celebrate the flavors of the West with these easy, fresh salad recipes.

Time-tested edibles give you a world of diversity in your own backyard--and delicious flavors on your table.
What is an heirloom?

What is an heirloom?
Although debate rages on the exact definition, an heirloom is-it's generally agreed-an open-pollinated variety of fruit or vegetable developed before mass commer­cial hybridization began in the 1950s. As such, its seeds grow true: The offspring look and taste just like their parents. Handed down from generation to generation, heirlooms have tended to be selected for flavor, not how well they survive shipping or how perfect they look. That's why 'Brandywine' tomatoes are so sweet and juicy, lemon cucumbers so zesty and crunchy, and 'Red Kuri' winter squash so creamy and nutty-flavored. And even if they're not the classic, flawlessly symmetrical specimens we're used to seeing in grocery stores, they're gorgeous in their own fascinating, idiosyncratic ways.

Lemon cucumber
Lemon cucumber
Eat it like an apple or use it to garnish cold drinks. It's crisp and

Great bars, chips, snack mixes, dips, and cool treats-with no regrets.

Give mom the priceless gift of experience this year-plan a day doing what she loves best.
For the devoted home cook
For the devoted home cook

Instead of cooking for mom, plan a day of cooking an amazing meal with her. Treat her to a copy of The Sunset Cookbook, filled with all the Western-style dishes she loves. Plan a menu of her faves, do the grocery shopping, and clean up afterward so mom is free to simply have fun in the kitchen.
> More: 14 iconic Sunset Cookbook recipes

For the foodie
For the foodie
OK, you can do the Mother's Day brunch, but think outside the box by assembling a DIY picnic of amazing, made-in-the-West delicacies. Need some recommendations? Check out where to find top-notch products in our list below.
> More:
Cheeses
Jams
Olive oil
Wild mushrooms
Oysters
Artisanal chocolates

For the wine lover
For the wine lover
Impress mom with your wine savvy by arranging an at-home tasting of the year's best special occasion wines (because who's more special than mom?). Alternatively, treat her

Set the scene for great outdoor parties or just dinner for two.

Tuscan dining: The courtyard
Tuscan dining: The courtyard
Designer Paul Hendershot calls his Ojai, Calif. garden "a Mediterranean courtyard without walls."
The centerpiece is a concrete-topped table (more on that next photo).
Inspired by the casual elegance of Mediterranean-style gardens, Hendershot carpeted his patio with pea gravel. "It feels good to walk on when barefoot," he says.
A pepper tree provides light shade on hot days. To complement the tree ― and the garden's overall look ― Hendershot also planted boxwood, 'Provence' lavender, Myrtus communis 'Compacta' (which he likes for its scent), and upright rosemary.

Tuscan dining: The table
Tuscan dining: The table
A cast-concrete table is the focal point of the outdoor dining area. "It used to belong to a friend, and I lusted after it for years before I bought it from her," designer Hendershot says.
The table has been such a hit with friends that he now takes orders to build similar models on-site in his area

Crisp Crab Tacos, Chorizo-Beef Nachos, Turkey Enchiladas, and more flavors of the West.

Starting your own edible garden? Never fear with these easy-to-grow crops.

Lettuce
Lettuce
These leafy greens are a cinch. They prefer the cooler temperatures of spring or fall. Loose-leaf varieties can be trimmed down multiple times for repeated harvesting. We love that!
> More: All about growing lettuce

Tomato
Tomato
Full sun and plenty of compost are just about all you need for successful tomatoes. You'll never buy store-bought again.
> More: All about growing tomatoes

Sugar snap peas
Sugar snap peas
These quick growers prefer cool temps; sow them in spring or fall. Their crunchy pods are so delicious plucked straight from the vine that we find they rarely make it all the way inside.
> More: All about growing sugar snap peas

Beans
Beans
It makes no difference whether you go with a bush or pole variety-beans need sun and some water, and they'll willingly produce a bounty.
> More: All about growing beans

Radish
Radish
One of the fastest crops around! Grow in