Living Wall at Descanso Gardens

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This pic shows one of the two “vertical gardens” at the Sturt Haaga Gallery at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge/Glendale.   The gallery was created by restoring Manchester Boddy’s original garage and adding this contemporary building.

Links:   Sturt Haaga Gallery     previous related post

Coachella Valley View

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This pic of the Coachella Valley was taken at around 8,500 feet up Mt. San Jacinto, from the outdoor observation deck of the  Palm Springs Tramway station.

Links:   previous related post

McCain Valley Cave

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This pic looks out from a small cave on the side of the road leading to the Sacatone Overlook in the McCain Valley Resource Conservation Area, which is off I8 just north of Boulevard, CA.

Links:   McCain Valley RCA   Sacatone Overlook post

U.S. Flag at Carlsbad Flower Fields

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I’ve been saving this pic of the beautiful flag which is in The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, at the corner of Palomar Airport Road and Armada Drive, for just the right day and this is it!  Happy 4th everyone!

Links:     The Flower Fields

Autry Museum of the American West

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The Gene Autry Museum of the American West is located in Griffith Park in Los Angeles just across the street from the Los Angeles Zoo.  This statue of Gene and his faithful horse Champion is in the open-air courtyard of the museum complex just outside the Wells Fargo Theater.  Mr. Autry passed away in 1998 at the age of 91.

Links:   Autry Museum       Champion

Annie’s Canyon Trail in San Elijo Lagoon

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Annie’s Canyon Trail in the San Elijo Lagoon (Solana Beach) recently reopened after being closed for many years, due to over a thousand hours of effort by generous volunteers and a substantial donation by a local supporter.  The trail takes you into a mini slot canyon where the canyon floor is less than a foot wide in places, past a cave, and upward to a summit with expansive views of the lagoon. It’s a very cool trail!

Links:   San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy        virtual hike video of trail

Mammoth Skeleton at La Brea Tar Pits

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We really enjoyed our recent visit to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.  This pic shows the Columbian mammoth skeleton excavated from Pit 9 in 1914 that is displayed in the George C. Page Museum.  While there, one can also walk next door and visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Links:      Tar Pits Museum

Potato Chip Rock on Mount Woodson

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A popular hike in San Diego County is to summit Mount Woodson (elevation 2881 ft) by either the eastern route which starts from Hwy 67 or the western route that starts at Lake Poway.  Once on top, you enter a “forest” of communications towers.  A great landmark just west of the summit is Potato Chip Rock, pictured above.  Normally you see visitors standing on the edge having their picture taken but we were there very early this foggy morning!

Kumeyaay Home

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The Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center in Poway has a few reproductions of the traditional Kumeyaay dome-shaped homes known as ‘ewaa.  The frame of the shelter was typically made of willow branches while the covering was made of tule weeds, willow leaves, and brush.  One hole served as a door and a second hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape.

Links:    K-I Interpretive Center    previous related post

Los Angeles Zoo

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The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park and houses over 1,100 animals representing over 250 species on its 133 acre site. The zoo opened in 1966 and was preceded by the Griffith Park Zoo which opened in 1912 in a nearby location. One of the big successes at the zoo has been its California condor breeding program.

link to zoo website