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 […]
During our coastal trip in mid November, our rented house was just off Highway 1 in Mendocino County, and we had been told that Manchester Beach was only “a short walk” away. I could see the ocean from our front window, so even though it was already 4:30 in the afternoon I decided to take a stroll and discover whatever […]
It’s been awhile since I hiked the Monte Vista Loop, and we picked a day that was pretty much perfect. It had rained overnight, so there was enough lingering dampness to keep down the dust and prevent the burs and foxtails from being too bothersome. I also didn’t intend to hike the full 3-mile loop, but there was so much […]
A couple of years ago I bought journalist Sean Flynn’s book Why Peacocks? as a gift for my mom, and I finally got around to reading it myself, finishing it early last week. In one chapter the author talks about Lucky Baldwin and the fact that he was responsible for introducing six Indian Blue peafowl to his Southern California ranch […]
My sincere thanks to the San Francisco Heritage and City Guides for saving this precious piece of the city’s history and for allowing visitors a look inside this beautiful late-Victorian era house. Here are a few images from my visit last month, giving just a small idea of the gracious living in one of the few mansions to survive the […]
One of the historic homes I went searching for in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood was the Atherton House at 1990 California Street. I didn’t know anything about the house’s history, but that — and the scaffolding obstructing my view — didn’t stop me from admiring the place from the sidewalk. Built between 1881-1882, the house was added to the […]
I have heard the story of San Francisco’s great earthquake and fire in 1906 countless times, but walking around certain parts of the city can still bring the history back to life in unexpected ways. Visiting the California Academy of Sciences in 2016, I entered the earthquake simulator and experienced first the shaking of the Loma Prieta quake in 1989 […]
As we were driving through Southern California on the way to Arizona (and further east) in early June, the Big Guy decided he wanted to pause and look at the Colorado River. This vital waterway, originating in Rocky Mountain National Park, winds through the desert south of Lake Mead and marks the state line between California and Arizona. We have […]
I have a bit of regret now that I didn’t shoot more street photography as I walked around our small Roanoke, Texas, neighborhood; at the time I was super focused on finding some bright red cardinals! And as I mentioned before, most of my time was spent indoors thanks to the warm temperatures. This small and well-established neighborhood was full […]