Badwater Basin is a closed drainage basin in Death Valley National Park that is the lowest point in North America, with an elevation of 282 feet below sea level. The basin is about 7.5 miles long and 5 miles wide. Telescope Peak, the highest point within Death Valley NP at 11,049 feet, is seen in the distance.
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These barrel cacti are part of the Huntington Desert Garden, one of 12 gardens at The Huntington in San Marino near Pasadena. The Garden has one of the oldest and largest (over 2,000 species) collections of cacti, succulents and various other desert plants from around the world, planted in 60 landscaped beds.
This pic shows part of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (known locally as the Bay Bridge) in its illuminated nighttime splendor. It opened in 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. Approximately 270,000 vehicles utilize this bridge to cross San Francisco Bay each day.
Inspiration Point in Joshua Tree National Park is reached via a 0.3 mile loop trail and features great desert and mountain views and beautiful wild flowers when in season.
This pic shows the town of Santa Barbara spread up the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains that rise to a height of 4,864 feet.
St. Richard Catholic Church is the Roman Catholic Parish for Borrego Springs. I love the stark whiteness of the church set against the desert landscape.
This overlook is a few miles south of Santa Barbara and provides great views of large numbers of harbor seals from within the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve (via one mile round trip trail). In my pic it looks like a few of them are actually posing for the camera!
Links: Seal Watch pics Trail info
The Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship, having been launched in 1863 from the Isle of Man under the name of “Euterpe”, after the Greek muse of music and poetry. After six trips to India, she spent 25 years transporting emigrants to New Zealand, followed by hauling salmon from Alaska to California. She is presently part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Links: Maritime Museum
Julian is a town of about 1,500 located an hour and a half or so east of San Diego at an elevation of 4,226 feet. The first European settlers arrived around 1850 but the town came alive in 1869-1870 when gold was discovered. During this gold rush era, apple trees were brought to Julian and thus began the tradition of baking delicious apple pies that still continues today. Julian Pie Company, Mom’s, and Apple Alley (delicious gluten-free pies) are but three of the many establishments offering several varieties of pie, so grab some friends and do a pie (not pub) crawl. For great craft brews, try Nickel Beer Co.
Although most famous as a federal prison (from 1934-1963), Alcatraz Island has also served as a Civil War fortress, an active bird sanctuary, the first lighthouse on the West Coast, and the birthplace of the Native American Red Power movement which occupied the island for 19 months beginning in November 1969. It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Links: Golden Gate NRS
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