I’ve visited the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands a few times now, entering from both the north and south gates, but I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface in exploring this amazing place. I feel lucky to have found it, and I’m grateful that the land was made available to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management so that people like […]
Some scenes from my hike at the south end of the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, Mendocino County, in September 2021.
This Wednesday I’ve decided to repeat one of my favorite Christmas episodes that I originally featured back in 2018. Just as I wrote the first time I shared this 2004 episode of California’s Gold, I thought it would be good to take another look at where and how these beautiful Christmas flowers are grown and their history in Southern California. Although the Eckes were a huge part of the poinsettia industry for nearly 100 years, the family sold their ranch in 2015, and the job of producing all those beautiful poinsettia plants now belongs to a Dutch company known as Dümmen Orange. I would note (again) that the ‘crazy’ colors that frequently show up in the stores this time of year are not a special variety but are dyed with a substance that doesn’t harm the plants. And if you’re wondering about the best way to care for your poinsettia plant, the Laidback Gardener has some really great advice on his blog. Albert Ecke immigrated from Germany to Southern California in 1902 and opened a roadside stall selling fruits and vegetables. By the 1920s his son Paul started selling some of the wild poinsettia plants that grew in the hills above their stall. From these small beginnings, it is now estimated that over 90% of all flowering poinsettias get their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch. Join Huell as he meets Paul, Paul Jr. & Paul III, who give them […]
This morning I realized that I made a silly mistake when I published yesterday’s post. I had intended to save the Lake Tahoe photos for next Monday — which explains my remark about finishing out the year! It’s not too important, but I did feel dumb; and in next week’s Memory Monday post you’ll see the pictures of my niece […]
I’m just about to the end of my slide collection, but I came across these images of Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, probably shot in the mid 1960s, which I had scanned and then forgotten about. Not a half bad way to finish out the year! I’m not yet sure where Memory Monday will be going from here, but I’ve […]
We found this beautiful and secluded spot along the Mendocino coast completely by accident. There are almost too many parks and trailheads to choose from as you travel north of Albion on Highway 1 — Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, Point Cabrillo Lighthouse Museum, Russian Gulch State Park, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, to name just a few. With only […]
Okay, our Airbnb wasn’t actually a mansion; but the tranquil beauty of the spot, so near the ocean yet sheltered by redwoods, made for a wonderful haven that I think I’d prefer to any ostentatious estate.
I don’t think I’ve ever visited the town of Volcano, but it does seem that it would be ideally located as a base for exploring this part of historic Amador County. It’s reasonably close to both Indian Grinding Rock SHP and Black Chasm Cavern, which has been on my bucket list for quite awhile now. For many years, visitors searching […]
One of the creeks in the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands Unit. This 1,600-acre area in Mendocino County is the only land-based portion of the California Coastal Monument. Photos shot in September and November 2021.