Lone Cypress
The renowned “Lone Cypress” tree in this pic is one of the most photographed trees in North America and is about 250 years old. It is along the famed 17-Mile Drive between Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove.
Salton Sea Pelicans
The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake at approximately 350 square miles, lies on the San Andreas Fault in Imperial and Riverside counties. It is a great birding area and this pic captures a silhouette of a few of the many pelicans we encountered just before dusk.
Desert Rainbow
Rainbows are always special! This one graced us with its presence while camped at Borrego Palm Canyon campground in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This campground makes a great base camp for exploring the park and Borrego Springs.
Links: Campground info
Dante’s View
Dante’s View is a scenic viewpoint overlooking Death Valley from an altitude of 5,476 feet, located on the north side of Coffin Peak and is considered one of the best photographic spots in Death Valley National Park.
Kelso Depot
The Kelso Depot was constructed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style in 1923 by the Union Pacific railroad and served as a depot until 1962. The restaurant and boarding rooms remained open until 1985 when the depot was closed. It fell into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition but a group of local citizens was able to forestall its removal. Ownership was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1992. With the creation of the Mojave Preserve in 1994, the Depot became part of the National Park Service (NPS). Restoration began in 2002 and the landmark was reopened in 2005 as the visitor center for the Mojave Preserve.
Arch Rock
Arch Rock is a 25-foot natural arch located in Joshua Tree National Park. It is accessed from the Arch Rock Nature Trail (less than 1/2 mile loop) which begins by campsite #9 in White Tank Campground off the Pinto Basin Road. You’ll see many other examples of sculpted granite along the way.
Links: Joshua Tree Nature Trails
Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park, is made up of three falls including Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 feet), the middle cascades (675 feet) and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 feet), for a total height of 2,425 feet, making the combination one of the world’s tallest. The Falls can be seen from many places in Yosemite Valley and an all day hike leads to the top of the falls. Yosemite Conservancy offers webcam views on their website.
Links: Yosemite Waterfalls Webcam
Scotty’s Castle
“Scotty’s Castle” (or Death Valley Ranch), is located in Grapevine Canyon in the far north of Death Valley National Park. Construction, in the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architectural styles, began in 1922, and cost $1.5-$2.5 million. It is named for Walter Scott, also known as “Death Valley Scotty”, who convinced a wealthy friend (Albert Johnson, a Chicago insurance magnate) to build the house.
Links: NPS info Detailed history
Serpent Sculpture
Borrego Springs, the gateway to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (California’s largest at approximately 600,000 acres), contains an awesome collection of metal sculptures (roughly 130) by Ricardo Breceda, many commissioned by the late Dennis Avery (Avery Labels heir), placed in Avery’s Galleta Meadows Estates and open to the public. Be sure and pick up a map to sculpture locations (available in town).
Hearst Castle’s Neptune Pool
William Randolph Hearst began building his palatial home in 1917 near San Simeon. Designed by Julia Morgan in the Mediterranean style and completed in 1947, it encompasses about 90,000 sq. ft. scattered across several buildings. One of its many spectacular features is the Neptune Pool.
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