fstopandsee

This steep set of stairs on the high and narrow trail in Pinnacles National Park is a good reminder to keep on climbing up and up in the new year!

I started off the new year with a great hike at a place that is close to home but new to me, Pinnacles National Park. An afternoon hike led us from green valleys to high peaks, through talus caves and right over these rock pinnacles where it looked like there couldn’t possibly be a trail at all. A great adventure to start a new year!

Succulents are all the rage for low maintenance gardens these days, but I’ve never seen one with quite this color combo before! A quick hike at Point Lobos State Park led me to some rocks covered with this stuff. I focused close to it to highlight the contrasting red and blue colors.

I didn’t come here to watch whales, they showed up just like I did. I saw one come out of the water near Pacifica, and thought that might be the only one I saw. After a few minutes I realized there were at least four very close to shore and easy to see. They kept popping up to catch fish, which attracted a ton of birds to pick up the scraps. I could figure out where the whales were going next just by watching the birds.

A trip to San Diego isn’t complete without catching a sunset at the beach. Throw in some surfers doing their thing and the evening couldn’t be better!

Taking a road trip now is easy. You just drive and stop a lot to take pictures. I’m pretty sure riding in this wagon came with a different set of priorities.

After living in California for many years, I finally understand why Point Lobos is considered the crown jewel of the California State Parks system. The entire coastline is impressive, both for the endless rocky shores and the intricate flora that seem to be able to grow anywhere.

The western span of the Bay Bridge doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. Always in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, sustaining earthquake damage, and generally being viewed as a mere form of transportation can’t make for an easy life. The Bay Lights changed all that, bringing the bridge to life every night for the last few years. After I learned the lights are coming down temporarily, I decided to post this recent night photo as a way to keep them around.

I had a front-row seat from my office yesterday when President Obama arrived at Moffett Field in California. I didn’t get to see the man himself, but his plane made quite the entrance.

This…is the super moon. Tonight the moon reached perigee, the closest it will be in its orbit to the earth all year. It appeared 14 percent larger than any other moon of the year and dwarfed the traffic on the highway. Enjoy!