The Bluffs Trail is a 2.1 mile trail that takes you along the bluffs and down to the tidepools on the beach (if you wish to go there). Waves constantly crash onto shore, with a thunderous booming sound.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sea Anenome
Sea anenomes, such as this one, are commonly found in tidepools. Other residents of tidepools include starfish, sea urchins, hermit crabs, fish, and the occasional octopus.
Tidepool
The Bluffs Trail will take you to Corallina Cove, which has many tidepools for you to explore. There is a tiny fish in this picture. Can you see him? (hint: he is right next to the orange rock in the tidepool). He blends in so well to his surroundings that he is hard to spot.
Click this link http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3213010744_8336b20264_b.jpg for a larger view of the picture.
Monarchs of Pismo Beach
There is a eucalyptus grove in Pismo Beach which is home to a colony of Monarch butterflies who make it their winter home from November thru February each year. This grove hosts an average of 25,000 butterflies each year. The butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants, on which the caterpillars feed on. I visited the grove on Monday, January 19th, and there were hundreds of butterflies flying around and thousands more roosting in the trees.
Link to check out: http://www.monarchbutterfly.org/grove.htm
Monarch butterfly
The Monarchs that visit Pismo Beach are a unique variety. They have a lifespan of up to 6 months, as opposed to the normal lifespan of 6 weeks of the common Monarch. This extended lifespan can be attributed to a unique fat storing system.
Monarchs in the trees
Monarch butterflies sun themselves amongst the leaves in Pismo Beach. The grove in Pismo Beach (located on the south boundary of the city on Highway 1) is host to one of the largest colonies of Monarch butterflies in the nation.
Monarchs in the trees
Thousands of Monarch butterflies nest in the eucalyptus trees in Pismo Beach from November thru February.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Mt Whitney
Mt Whitney was named after Josiah Whitney, the state geologist of California, and was first climbed by Charles Begole, A. H. Johnson, and John Lucas, in 1873. This picture shows the east face of the peak. The west face lies within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park. Just 76 miles east of Mt Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, lies Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, which is the lowest point in North America.
The Alabama Hills
The red colors of the Alabama Hills contrast with the grey and white colors of the Sierras in the background. The Alabama Hills are located in the town of Lone Pine, California, and have been the location for many western movies and shows, such as The Lone Ranger, Gunga Din and Hopalong Cassidy films.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (5)
Death Valley National Park is the largest National Park in the US, outside of Alaska.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (7)
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells. These dunes look close, but distance is deceiving here.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (10)
There are no trails on the sand dunes, but there are plenty of footprints to follow.
Devil's Golf Course (4)
The salt and gravel beds of Devil's Golf Course extend to a depth of 1000 feet. Later studies suggest that, in some places, they extend to a depth of as much as 9000 feet.
Devil's Golf Course (32)
According to a 1934 National Park Service Death Valley guide book, "only the devil could play golf" on this surface, hence its name.
Devil's Golf Course (28)
Spiky, crystalline salt spires rise up from the valley floor, creating Devil's Golf Course.
Badwater (3)
The salt flats at Badwater Basin. The salt flats here were created 2000 - 4000 years ago when a 30 foot lake evaporated, leaving a 1-5 foot layer of salt in its wake.
Artist's Palette (17)
Oxidation of different metals, including iron salts, maganese and mica create the striking colors of Artist's Palette in Death Valley National Park.
Zabriskie Point (16)
The badlands at Zabriskie Point. The badlands are made up of mud and siltstone. As the name implies, the badlands support almost no plant life.
Dante's View (2)
Atop Dante'S View - It was chilly up here. I even saw a few patches of snow on the way up.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Road Trip Time!
Gonna head out to Death Valley this Friday for a day trip. It's my first road trip since my foot surgery back in October. I can't wait!
Friday, January 09, 2009
I have been published :)
One of my Yosemite photos was selected to be included in the Schmap online guide to Yosemite. You can see it by clicking HERE.
Cool, huh?
Cool, huh?
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Thought of The Day - Jan 6, 2009
There is something so liberating about a road trip. To wake up early in the morning without an agenda and set off on the road, not knowing who you will encounter or what you see along the way, or how long you will be gone. Only knowing that the end of the trip will be when you finally decide it is time to turn around and head for home.
(can you tell I am just dying for a road trip? hehehe)
(can you tell I am just dying for a road trip? hehehe)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Huntington Gardens
The Huntington Library has a collection of rare books, paintings and fabulous botanical gardens. It is located in San Marino, CA. We didn't get to go see the books and the paintings, but the gardens were amazing! There were so many different environments with different types of plants. I definitely want to go back in the future.
You can read more about The Huntington Library HERE
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
deer Kernville (5)
This guy was lucky, because I ALMOST hit him as he ran across the road in pursuit of his girlfriend - lol.
Fall in Kernville
I took a little drive to see how the fall colors looked in Kernville today. As you can see, fall is here. It was a lovely day for a drive :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
Grab my blinkie if you wanna
(Click on the links below to go there.)
Click the moose to sign my Guest Book
My "pet"
Visit CALM
