Greenwood Creek State Beach is another beautiful spot along the Northern California coast that I never knew existed until very recently. I’m sure there’s much more to see than the small portion I was able to take in during our short exploration; the Visitor Center is located in the town of Elk and just across the road from where we […]
I shot so many photos on my visit to Muir Woods — but there’s quite a few of them that came out rather blurry, really suitable only as personal reminders of my enjoyable day. Happily, that still leaves a load of images for me to share, so here are a few more, in no particular order.
It’s been quite a long time since I walked along the Palisades; when the skies are blue and the temperatures mild, the trails are full of other folks walking, running, or riding bikes. This morning I calculated that the misty weather would mean fewer people — and I was right. It may have had to do partly with the fact […]
Since I’ve featured episodes about abalone for the past two weeks, I thought it was about time to look at another edible marine creature living off the coast of California! It’s actually quite interesting to compare the recent histories of the abalone and the sea urchin; while the public’s taste for abalone exploded decades ago and led to its near […]
In my lifetime, I’ve crossed and recrossed the Yolo Causeway many, many times. But last week was the first time I actually stopped to explore the surrounding wetlands, now designated as the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area. I wasn’t precisely sure what to expect when Google told me I had arrived at my destination — and I’ll admit I was […]
On my most recent trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly the Strybing Arboretum) last August I discovered a fascinating bit of history just along the southeast edge near the main gate. Tucked behind the library, there is a quiet little patio surrounded by a collection of medieval stone blocks. These stones have traveled a very long way from […]
A couple of the local feral kittens recently discovered the brown squirrels who love to scamper around the trees in our front yard, and now every morning one or another of the feline siblings is waiting patiently among the tree roots. These young cats don’t seem interested in trying to climb the tree; I guess they are just hoping one […]
Last Wednesday I featured an episode of California’s Gold that included a short segment on abalone diving in Northern California; it was only after I’d completed the post that I realized there was an entire half-hour episode from 1999 on the same topic, delving deeper into the history of abalone and its role in California culture. It’s packed with great […]
