It was early January 2021, and with the usual wintertime low water levels and not much rain, our hike from Sterling Pointe revealed a lot of bare tree limbs, rocks, and sand once we left the higher elevations. Further up, things were more green, but those areas normally covered by water later in the season were now exposed — providing […]
I’m in the process of obtaining my Real ID — having waited almost until the deadline in May — and found I had to go to the Clerk-Recorder’s office in search of a copy of my birth certificate. When I had finished and was about to leave, I noticed a display of voting machines along one wall; the largest of […]
More details and colors from Folsom Lake’s north fork, January 2021.
Today I’m sharing more pictures from my visit to the Haas-Lillienthal house in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. I know I’m not the only one fascinated by the beautiful details of Victorian houses. Our tour guide took a few minutes to explain gingerbread trim and shingles on the building’s exterior, and later ushered us inside to admire the woodwork, stained […]
It seems such a shame that progress so often tends to wipe away remnants of the past with its frequently rich culture and diverse ethnic heritage. That was the case in downtown Stockton, where construction of the Ort J. Lofthus Crosstown Freeway impacted not only the Filipino community but also those of the Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic, and other minority groups. […]
Less than a mile from our hotel in Williams, Arizona, along old Route 66, we found an area just begging to be explored — if only we’d had the time! Not only was there an intriguing archeological site with detailed interpretive signage, we also stumbled upon an oh-so-inviting trailhead, a clean restroom, and Smokey the Bear! Checking out these trails […]
Per Alton Pryor’s book Historic California: Its Colorful Names and How It Got Them, the word Tehachapi is “the Indian name for a creek … recorded in 1853.” After the railroad was built across the mountains in 1876, “Southern Pacific Railroad transferred the name from the old wagon route to the railroad pass.” Several train tunnel openings are visible from […]
Arizona’s Kaibab National Forest comprises 1.6 million acres of land that stretches from the Grand Canyon south to Williams on Route 66. Kaibab is a Paiute word that means “mountain lying down.” Although the incredible scenery of the Grand Canyon is the big tourist draw in the area, it would be a mistake to overlook the hiking trails closer to […]