Continuing the images from my visit to the Petrified Forest in Napa, California. Although the property is relatively small — especially when compared to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona! — there is still so much to see that anyone who, like me, loves to pick out interesting details, it’s easy to spend half a day happily exploring. The […]
Walking through the two groves at Hendy Woods State Park, it’s clear that at some point in the past fire has come through and left its mark. But the giant coast redwood trees manage to survive the flames fairly easily, and fire can be beneficial to the health of the forest by clearing out the dense undergrowth. Whenever I feel […]
Probably my favorite part of exploring the Mendocino Botanical Gardens was when I diverted from the main North Trail onto the steep, narrow Fern Canyon and Canyon Rim trails. In early October the coastal morning was sunny but a bit cool. Even better, I had these paths all to myself because most of the visitors to the garden seemed focused […]
By the time I reached the first mileage marker on my way up the mountain, I was more than ready to stop for a breather. The wide dirt road may have looked flat, but the incline was obvious to my legs and hips. I think I remember wishing I had tackled Mt. Konocti at least a couple of decades earlier, […]
As we drove home from Texas last June along Highway 40, we spent our second night on the road in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. One reason for stopping here was that the Big Guy wanted to check out the Route 66 Auto Museum. The museum is relatively small, basically filling one large room, but packed full of classic cars and […]
Here are a few more images from my trip last May to the Petrified Forest in Napa County, near Calistoga, California.
Last October we were at the Mendocino coast, and one afternoon the Big Guy decided to take a little time away from fishing to go hiking with me in the giant redwoods of Hendy Grove. From the Navarro River Bridge on Highway 1 it was less than a 30-minute drive along a beautiful stretch of Highway 128 and into the […]
Here is the Deer Gate I promised you yesterday; when I first saw it I was reminded of something from an African game preserve or Jurassic Park. But of course with all the gorgeous flowers in the eastern part of the grounds it’s understandable that protection from curious/hungry deer is a good idea. And while I really enjoyed myself wandering […]
Today’s San Francisco is a very different place from the city of the early 20th century. But if you spend much time walking around in the area to the east of Van Ness Avenue, eventually you’ll find inevitable reminders of the great cataclysm, the earthquake and fire of 1906. This memorial, San Francisco Landmark No. 42, caught me by surprise […]