I’ve never been all that interested in learning about rocks and minerals, but after watching this episode of California’s Golden Parks, I’m seriously thinking about a road trip to Mariposa to get a closer look at this particular collection. I had no idea that California has not only an official state rock but also a state mineral, a state gemstone, […]
I visited Auburn’s historic courthouse back in mid April but only examined the exterior. One of these days I hope to return and see the inside — including the Placer County Museum on the first floor.
I shot these images of a Great Blue Heron wading in tide pools and catching his breakfast on a foggy morning; I also shot them using my Canon’s Raw mode. I’m still learning about Raw and how to edit for best results — and it’s a bit of a challenge since the majority of online tutorials focus on Photoshop or […]
Today, June 8, is United Nations World Oceans Day; the UN General Assembly created this day of observance in December 2008 by passing Resolution 63/111. To celebrate our beautiful, amazing, and life-giving oceans, I thought it was only fitting to share a few of my favorite images from trips to the Sonoma coast over the past year. The ocean covers […]
There are just so many details to examine all over the grounds of the Empire Mine State Historic Park that I’m sure I didn’t see them all during my trip in April. I still have a keen desire to go back and spend more time exploring — and revisiting bits that I missed or that I didn’t capture properly with […]
One reason I enjoy staying at the Fort Ross Lodge is the open field between the motel buildings and the ocean cliffs. There is plenty of room to wander and enjoy the view without risking your life along the narrow, winding road that is Highway 1. Our previous stay here was back in November 2020, and while the natural area […]
I have some great childhood memories of exploring tidepools along the Northern California coast, but it’s been ages since I had the chance to repeat the experience. Not long ago I happened to read an article about tidepooling at Gerstle Cove, so on our most recent coastal trip I was determined to climb around and spot a few sea anemones. […]
As I hiked along this unknown trail, following the Big Guy through the Kruse Rhododendron Preserve, I suddenly realized that the batteries in my trusty Finepix AX were about to die. I had decided to leave my two other cameras in the car, preferring to travel light this time; and although I had spare batteries for the Fuji, they were […]
On Monday I showed you some images of the Cascade Range in central Washington State; today, we have a look at the area around Mount Lassen, which is at the southern end of the Cascades and the northern end of the Sierra Nevada. I’ve never explored this part of Northern California, and until I watched this episode of California’s Golden […]