Jumbo Rocks at Joshua Tree NP
Set at 4,400 feet of elevation, Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park offers 124 campsites with outstanding views!
Half Dome in Yosemite
Half Dome rises 4,737 feet from the valley floor to reach a final height of 8,839 feet. It was first successfully climbed by George A. Anderson in 1875. Today, the summit can be reached via a 16 mile (round trip) trail, with the last 400 feet being aided by two steel cables.
Fountain at Santa Barbara Mission
In the parking area of the Santa Barbara Mission sits an interesting little fountain just waiting for your visit.
Links: previous related post
Acorn Storehouse on Palomar Mountain
This pic shows a so-called “granary” tree on which every crevice has been filled with acorns for later retrieval as a tasty dinner. The industrious storekeeper responsible for this phenomenon is the Acorn Woodpecker. The largest recorded number of acorns stored in this manner in one tree numbered 50,000. This tree was in the Palomar Observatory parking lot.
Roaring River Falls
Roaring River Falls is a beautiful spot in Kings Canyon National Park. The short trail to the falls is described as “paved and relatively accessible”. Two other falls in the area include Mist Falls and Grizzly Falls.
Links: NPS
Hollywood Sign
Nothing quite says Los Angeles like the Hollywood sign! The sign was originally erected in 1923 as part of an ad campaign for a housing development called “Hollywoodland” and included four more letters. It is located on the south side of Mount Lee in Griffith Park and is 45 feet tall and 350 feet long. This pic was taken from the parking lot at Griffith Observatory.
Links: previous related post
Summer Twilight Concerts at Powerhouse Park
Last week we took in a free concert put on by the Del Mar Foundation in Powerhouse Park. You sit on blankets or beach chairs right next to the beautiful beach and watch the sun go down while listening to some great tunes, this time a Hotel California tribute to the Eagles. For future concerts, drop off your chairs/blankets early in the morning, if possible, to secure the best seating.
Links: Twilight Concert Series
Newport Beach Sculpture Garden
While visiting a store in Newport Beach we discovered the Civic Center Sculpture Garden with its very eclectic collection of art. One of our favorites is dubbed “Bunnyhenge” and consists of 14 large white rabbits sitting in a circle. Who knows what mischief they may be plotting!
Links: sculpture garden exhibitions
Astronomers Monument at Griffith Observatory
This monument, designed by local artist Archibald Garner, was built in 1934 by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in an effort to employ workers during the Great Depression. The six astronomers depicted include Hipparchus, Nicolas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Issac Newton, and John Herschel.
Marion Mountain
Marion Mountain (10,362 ft) is often climbed in conjunction with Jean Peak (10,670 ft) and San Jacinto Peak (10, 834 ft). Both Marion Mountain and Jean Peak were reportedly named by a US Geological Survey topographer named Edmund Taylor Perkins, after Marion Kelly who worked for the Indian Bureau at the Morongo Valley Reservation and Jean Waters (whom he later wed).
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